Monday, August 6, 2012
Astonishing O.T. Heroes
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
James: Prayer & Faith
James: Where Faith
and Life Meet
Prayer & Faith
6/3/12
Introduction:
Last week I did finish the sermon on patience and
suffering so as an introduction for today I would like to pick up with the
concluding and practical application of last weeks sermon which transitions
nicely into today’s text.
As you recall James spends verses 7 – 12
in chapter five talking about patience during times of suffering. For most of us in this room those two words
are not widely welcomed with open arms into our lives; especially when the two
are connected. Patiently enduring during
times of suffering and difficulty is probably one of the hardest things for us
to do. As humans we all face trials,
tribulations and difficulties. They are
a part of the fabric of life. However as
believers our response to trials must be different than that of the world. Those in the world experience pain and cry
out in hopelessness because they have no hope.
Christians respond differently
because we know our difficulties in life are temporary even if they last a
lifetime. We live in the hope or the
expectation that one day there will be relief from the distresses and hardships
of life. So we patiently endure, until
we meet the Lord or He comes to us. We
wait in anticipation because our Lord has a perfect eternity waiting for us
where there will be no more sorrow, no more pain, and no more suffering. We have put all our faith into this truth and
yet we do not know when our suffering will end.
Relief is an open ended promise. It
may come at the end of your life or it may end when the Lord returns. We must live in expectation and anticipation everyday
for Jesus as though it were our last day because, who knows, it may be.
We also know the return of Christ is
imminent (could be any moment) and this should help us live victorious lives
because we know how the story of history ends.
Our God is victorious over all evil and being his children we share in
this victory as well. We will triumph
over pain, suffering and evil. So let us
start living in this expectation and in anticipation of his return. Let us not waste our time here on earth grumbling
against one and verbally abusing one another, oppressing the weaker in faith
and finances, saying and not doing, living worldly lives instead of godly lives,
and making selfish plans for the future because the coming of the Lord is
near. Knowing his coming is near should either scare you to death (because
you have not put your faith in Christ) or make you shout out with joy
(because all of your hope and faith is in knowing that one day you will be
eternally in the presence of our Lord and King Jesus Christ).
Know this… suffering is only for a
moment. May we be reminded of the words
of the Apostle Paul who writes in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the
sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is
to be revealed to us.”
Prayer and Faith
In the last paragraph James now begins his conclusion.
This transition seems abrupt and out of the blue but actually is a typical
response for New Testament authors to end their letters this way by encouraging
his readers to pray. He spoke moments
ago about patiently enduring in times of suffering and trials now he informs these
readers of the importance of prayerfully enduring both individually and in the
body of Christ.
Verse 13: This letter
was written to persecuted and oppressed Christians so James is well aware there
are people suffering in the midst of this body of Christ. What he tells them is not anything they
didn’t already know nor is he informing them of something new formula for
breaking free from pain and suffering.
He simply reminds them that in their suffering they should be covered in
prayer. Those suffering should pray for spiritual
strength to endure these difficulties before them. In their suffering they should certainly pray
for relief but also knowing that they should find their comfort in trials
through prayer.
However prayer is not only for those
suffering but also for those who are “cheerful”. Douglas
Moo writes, “A reminder to turn to God is needed even more in times of cheer
than in times of suffering.” How
true this is. I find personally I am
less likely to be in a prayerful mindset when things are going great than I am
in times of extreme darkness and pain. This
should not be the case for me nor any Christian. This is why James exhorts the cheerful to
sing praises. Praise should be as much
of a priority in our prayer lives as that of intercession, thanksgiving,
confession, supplication etc. When all
is well we still need to be mindful of our desperate need for God.
Verse 14: If there is
any sick among the body then they are commanded to do the following. Let’s pause here for a moment and look at
what James is saying. What are most of
our natural responses when we are faced with sickness or health issues? We tend to keep it to ourselves because we
are stubborn like that. We don’t want to
be a burden, or we don’t want to seem like we can’t handle it, or maybe we are
just private people and don’t want to broadcast to the world our health issues. James specifically tells us that we are to
call upon the elders to pray over us, and to anoint with oil in the name of the
Lord.
Now this church does not have “official”
elders. Our Deacons would be the closest
thing to elders. The prominent role and qualifications of an elder suggests that an
elder be spiritually mature people (most probable men) who oversaw the
spiritual progress of the body of Christ.
The elders (whether formal or informal) cannot pray and anoint if
they are never called upon. Prayer is
one of the main purposes of the church body.
This is one of the reasons why we meet together. Praying for one another is a privilege and a
blessing so why would we want to hinder these prayers by not making our
requests known to the body of Christ?
Laying hands and anointing with oil are two practices I would like to
see happen more often in this church. Whether
you are a private, stubborn, or worrying person we are truly missing out on the
blessings of God when we refuse to allow others to pray over us.
Anointing with oil is an ancient
practice that has both medicinal and spiritual value to it. Oil has been used in the ancient world as a
skin conditioner and medicine. It is
also symbolic of the Holy Spirit. When
we anoint with oil we in essence are symbolically anointed in the Holy Spirit. It is not the oil or the prayer that heals
the sick person it is ultimately the Lord.
It is a symbolic act to show that we believe that through the Holy
Spirit the Lord will heal whomever he chooses regardless of our prayers yet we
fully believe he still uses our prayers as a means of healing.
Verse 15: Here is a promise, “The prayer of faith will save
the one who is sick…” So often we look
at this passage and think that if we can muster up enough faith then God will
do the healing. Yet we forget that faith
is a gift from God. When it comes to
praying in faith we should understand that the faith we pray in is given to us
by God. I don’t really think God is up
in heaven measuring our faith and saying, “Oh, if you just had a little bit
more then I could heal you. Sorry try
again tomorrow.” James tells us that our
prayers in faith will save the sick yet God is the one who gives us the
necessary faith we need to bring healing.
Isn’t God wonderful like that? He
gives us the necessary resources to accomplish what he sets out to do. It’s amazing that he puts it on our hearts to
pray for individuals and gives us the faith we need to believe so that He will
heal. It’s all about him!
You may notice that James seems to be
tying sin and sickness together. Well,
in the ancient world the two were often associated together. The reality is that some sickness is a result
of sin. In Jesus’ encounter with a
paralytic man in Mark 12 Jesus heals the man by declaring his sins are forgiven
and I Cor. 11:27 – 30 implies that sin is the result of some sickness. On the other hand all sickness is not a
result of sin.
Overall we can look at these verses and
conclude that those who struggle with illness can take confidence in knowing that
God will heal us in the end. One of the
main factors that we all must take into consideration is God’s will. Moo writes, “A prayer for healing, then, must
usually be qualified by a recognition that God’s will in the matter is
supreme. And it is clear in the NT that
God does not always will to heal the believer… The faith with which we pray is
always faith in the God whose will is supreme and best.”[1]
Verse 16: “Therefore…” Since what has been stated is true then the
logical conclusion is pray for one another and confess your sins. Why should you confess? Because there may be sins present in the body
that are hindering the prayers for healing.
We see in this passage that when we confess and pray healing happens.
“The prayer of a righteous person has
great power…” One who is in tune with God through prayer and is a spiritually submitted
man or woman will pray according to God’s will because His will is what they
seek. Our goal and purpose as
followers of Jesus is to be righteous men and women whose prayer has great
power and we should seek out men and women who pray powerful prayers. I have people in my life who I know are
righteous men and women and I exclusively ask them to pray for me when I need
wisdom, comfort, and guidance. Yet I also
desire to be a man who prays great prayers.
This is why I invest much of my time praying with other men. In our weekly Monday morning men’s prayer
time I feel as though we are praying powerful prayers and God is moving in this
group of men as we pray for God’s Spirit to fall on this community. I go to Minnesota twice a month to pray with
other pastors and these guys have prayed me through the past few years and they
continue to pray for God’s blessing. I
believe these prayers are powerful prayers and God will attend to them in his
will and we will see healing in both this town and this church.
Conclusion
Prayer is the heartbeat of the Christian
life. Without it we are dead. With it we can accomplish amazing things
according to God’s will. As we conclude
this chapter and hence this Epistle I want to encourage you to consider being a
part of our last Sunday of the month prayer time. I believe in the power of prayer and I believe
that God answers our prayers because we are seeking his will thus praying in
accordance to his will. Many of us are
faced with sickness, health issues or even in difficult circumstances, so we
must be men and women of prayer. May we commit today to becoming these righteous
men and women who pray powerful prayers and ultimately bring healing and
restoration to a town and church in desperate need of both?
James: Patience & Suffering
James: Where Faith
and Life Meet
Patience & Suffering
5/27/12
Introduction:
Evangelist
John Wesley
was riding along a road one day when it dawned on him that three whole days had
passed in which he had suffered no persecution. Not a brick or an egg had been
thrown at him for three days.
Alarmed, he stopped his horse, and exclaimed,
“Can it be that I have sinned, and am backslidden?”
Slipping from his horse, Wesley went down on
his knees and began interceding with God to show him where, if any, there had
been a fault.
A rough fellow, on the other side of the
hedge, hearing the prayer, looked across and recognized the preacher. “I’ll fix
that Methodist preacher,” he said, picking up a brick and tossing it over at
him. It missed its mark, and fell harmlessly beside John. Whereupon Wesley
leaped to his feet joyfully exclaiming, “Thank God, it’s all right. I still have
His presence.”[1]
Not too many of us would respond the way Wesley did when we
think our lives are too comfortable. In
fact many of us wouldn’t consider persecution or trials as being the sure sign
that we are truly following God. I would
go even so far as to say many Christians in the United States believe just the
opposite. I have met many Christians in
the U.S. who believe that if they are facing any sort of trial, tribulation or
persecution that God is punishing or judging them for something or they are
facing an attack by the enemy. This may
be the case sometimes but many often
forget that God also allows difficulties or trials in our lives for good and
his glory. The problem is very few
(if any) of us actually welcome and/or quietly endure suffering and trials in
our lives. Nobody I know personally
(myself included) like trials or suffering but I do know many who do endure it and
grow from them because their hope and faith lies in something far bigger than
the temporal and fleeting pain they face here on earth.
In today’s passage James reminds his readers the importance
of having patience during trials and suffering.
If you recall in the opening of this letter he tells his readers to
“Count it all joy… when you meet various trials” (which is a strange and
difficult request in the first place) and it was a direct response he tells the
members of this congregation who were being oppressed by the rich both in and
outside of the body of Christ to have. Now
five chapters later he begins his conclusion with yet another reminder of the
necessity of enduring trials.
Patience and Suffering
As James concludes his letter are
reminded about the oppression the Christian recipients are facing by the
ungodly wealthy. His letter has
contained some very practical, godly and biblical advice (that we can still use
today) as to how these men and women should respond in these difficult
situations. He mentions that retaliation
in anger is not a solution as he states in 1:19 for it does not produce the
righteousness of God; instead they are to endure.
Verse 7: James
begins his concluding thoughts by admonishing his readers by using the dreaded
“P” word. This is the word so many of us
dislike so much. He says, “Be patient
(or patiently endure), therefore brothers, until the coming of the Lord.” The word “therefore” shows that he is
directly responding to these people should respond to the way the rich are
treating them as he spoke about in Chapter 5 verses 1 – 6. He tells his readers to have the mindset of
patiently enduring in their trials.
I am sure these were not the words they
were hoping to hear from James. They
like most of us when wrongfully persecuted and oppressed wanted swift and
immediate justice by God. Nobody wants
to be told, don’t retaliate; instead wait patiently. The question then could have been how long
are they supposed to patiently endure these trials?
James tells them even better news; they
are to endure until “The coming of the Lord.”
What exactly did he mean by this?
The coming of the Lord is what
the early Christians believed (and still do today) about Jesus’ physical return
to judge (as judge) the wicked and deliver (Savior) the saints. The early Christians lived with this hope
and with this expectation and this is what helped most of them through their
trials they had to endure. The return of
Jesus is not a secret thing, it is referred often in the Bible in both the Old
and New Testament (One commentator says there are 300 references to Jesus’
return in the New Testament). Jesus
spoke often about his physical return in one of his famous talks called the
Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24).
James is encouraging the believers to
wait patiently and in faith… just like a farmer patiently waits for his
crop. James uses the example of a farmer
to show how they are to wait. I think a
farmer knows better than anyone about faith.
He works hard to till the ground, plant the crop and prepare it so he
will get his crop for the year and have enough crops to get him through the
year… Yet that is all you can do. He cannot
control the weather (amount of rain or sunshine), he can’t make a seed grow,
and he can’t determine whether it will be a bountiful and healthy crop or
not. He realizes his livelihood depends
on so many factors other than himself (namely God). R. Kent Hughes writes,
“All
farmers must patiently submit to this process (the growing process). To fight against it, to bite their nails, to
insist they must have fruit in the middle of the process is futile.
In
submitting to God’s process, they will inevitably undergo stressful times when
it appears the rains will never come.
But these times can be spiritually beneficial to them as they call upon
their faithful God.” [2]
Verse 8: Once again James reminds his readers about the
coming of the Lord, but now he let’s them know this event is not far away (or
so it seems), yet he does not say when the coming of the Lord will happen. As I stated earlier believers lived with the
expectation his return would happen in their lifetime but they didn’t know
when, in fact Jesus himself does not know when this will happen, only the
Father does. When we read throughout the New Testament from those who wrote about
the coming of Christ they all believed it was going to happen soon and swiftly. We still today live in expectation and in
anticipation for the return of Christ.
We also know that his return can happen at any moment (imminent). We do not know the day, hour, or time so we
are to constantly be ready for when Jesus does come for when he does he will
come to judge the wicked and set up his kingdom here on earth. Jesus tells us three times in Revelation 22
that he is coming soon… verses 7, 12, 20 - 21.
The Christians didn’t need to be convinced Jesus was coming back, they
already believed that. They just needed
to learn to patiently endure and stand firm in their faith.
Verse 9: As the
oppression was heating up it is probable so were tempers and patience with one
another in the church. I think we can
all relate whenever we are stressed, in turmoil or in a difficult situation it
is easy for us to lose our cool or turn against those who care and love us
most. James reminds his readers to not
do this and to patiently endure and not grumble against each other. As you recall he spent a good deal of time in
chapter 3 talking about the dangers of the words we speak and this applies in
the times of trouble and difficulty.
Verse 10 – 11: James sites
the Old Testament prophets as being true examples of patience and
suffering. He pinpoints Job in his
steadfastness and God’s true compassion and mercy in times of trials and
persecutions. After all Job went through
and all he had lost he was able to endure (not without complaining) and come
out of his funk so to speak with a deeper faith in God and truly knowing he is
compassionate and merciful.
Verse 12: This verse
is not necessarily connected to verses 7 – 11 but also very well may be. We do know that James is making reference to
a statement about oaths that Jesus made in Matthew 5:34 – 37. This is simply a statement regarding oaths
and more importantly integrity. At the
beginning James does come across as prohibiting oaths but it does not
necessarily mean this at all. Instead it
more likely refers to our integrity in speech.
Above all we should be men and
women of integrity in our words. We must
speak truth, be men and women of our word, and be aware that every word we speak
will be judged (Matt. 12:36). As
believers we should not have to take oaths to promise to fulfill what is to be
done. Our words should be enough to
ensure that we will do exactly what we say we are going to do.
Practical Application
Patience and suffering are not two words we welcome
with open arms into our lives; especially when the two are connected. Patiently enduring during times of suffering
and difficulty is probably one of the hardest things for humans to do. As humans we all face trials, tribulations
and difficulties. It is part of the
fabric of life. However as believers our
response to trials must be different than that of the world. The world only sees the pain and cries out
because they have no hope. We know our difficulties in life are
temporary even if they last a lifetime.
As believer’s we live in the hope or the expectation that one day there
will be relief from the distresses of life.
So we must patiently endure, until we meet the Lord or He comes to us. Our Lord has an eternity waiting for us where
there will be no more sorrow, no more pain, and no more suffering. We have put all our stock into this
truth. Yet, we do not know when our
suffering will end. It is an open ended
promise. It may come at the end of your
life or it may end when the Lord returns.
This must always be in the front of our minds as Christians. We must live everyday for Jesus as though it
were our last day because, who knows, it may be your last day. Also knowing the return of Christ is imminent
(could be any moment) should help us live victorious lives because we know how
the story of history ends. Our God is
victorious over all evil and because we are his children we are victorious as
well. So let us start living in this
expectation and in anticipation of his return.
Let us not waste our time hear on earth grumbling against one another,
verbally abusing one another, oppressing the weaker in faith and finances,
saying and not doing, living worldly lives, and making selfish plans for the
future because the coming of the Lord is near.
Knowing his coming is near should
either scare you to death (because you have not put your faith in Christ) or
make you shout out with joy (because all of your hope and faith is in
knowing that one day you will be eternally in the presence of our Lord and King
Jesus Christ).
For all of you in a difficult position
today take comfort in this passage. Know
that this suffering is only for a moment.
May you also be reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul who writes in
Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not
worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
James: Rich & Misery
James: Where Faith
and Life Meet
Rich & Misery
5/20/12
Introduction:
Warren Sap was possibly one of the best defensive
tackles in the NFL back in the mid to late 90s to the early 2000’s. He was drafted in 1995 by the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers from the Miami Hurricanes for $36 million for six years. In 2004 he signed a seven year contract with
the Oakland Raiders for $36.6 million.
He played for 13 seasons in the NFL.
In his career he made seven Pro Bowl appearances and has one Super Bowl
win with the Buccaneers in 2002. It is
almost a certainty he will one day be inducted into the National Football
League Hall of Fame. Currently he is a Football commentator for the NFL Network.
In
April 2012 TMZ.com reports Sapp has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy
in Florida. They report Sapp owes more than $6.7 million, including nearly $1 million to the IRS
and hundreds of thousands of dollars in “support payments and alimony to at
least 4 different baby mamas.” Sapp
claims $6.45 million in assets, which includes 240 pairs of Jordan sneakers and sandals, a Lion
skin rug and a large nude women painting. He also has a De Grisogono watch (starting
prices around $3000 upwards to $120,000) but notes it has scratches on the
crystal and band.
Sapp currently earns $540,000 per year
working for NFL Network -- $45,000 per month – but according to the report his
contract expires in August and he does not know if he will be renewed.
What’s
interesting here is he claims to have lost the championship rings. Sapp’s Super
Bowl ring from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would have considerable value (A Super
Bowl ring is valued at $30,000 – $70,000) as would his ring from the Miami
Hurricanes (NCAA Championship Ring is valued at $3,000 - $7,000). He told TMZ he’s not too broken up about
missing the Super Bowl ring.[1]
Stories like these are unfortunate but
all too common for young athletes and people who acquire a lot of money in a
short period of time in general.
Squandering wealth for selfish gain is apparently a problem for many
today and as we will see it was a problem back in the early Christian Church as
well. According to one report it’s
estimated that within five years after retirement, 60% of NBA players are
broke. And within two years after retirement, 78% of NFL players are either bankrupt
or under financial stress. They earn a lot of money in a short time, and
they’re usually young and have no idea what to do with it. Then, after
retirement, the money stops pouring in. So if they don’t plan, they become
broke before they know it.[2]
Warning to the Rich (A deeper look
into the passage)
Today’s text is James 5:1-6 and it deals
primarily with the issues of riches and wealth.
It us often read or preached with a theme that generally comes across as
a rebuke to wealthy people because they are rich. As a result many people who are wealthy
person often feel guilty for being rich and having much. This is a common mistake made by many. The theme
of this passage is not so much about having lots of money but more primarily with
having a lot of money and using it unwisely by squandering it away for selfish
gain or using your wealth to oppress and cheat those less fortunate. It is believed by many James now turns his
discussion from believers (remember he was talking specifically to wealthy Christian
business men who were ignoring God’s will and setting up business plans to go
out and make a lot of money) to now addressing the unbelieving wealthy. However the message he does give certainly
applies to believers as well and can benefit the church as well.
James
now targets the unrighteous wealthy land owners who are abusing or cheating
their workers. The structure and
manner in which James writes is very similar to the way an Old Testament
prophet would write to a someone who was about to receive judgments for their
unrighteous acts. According to Douglas
Moo, “The term ‘rich’ can occasionally be used as a synonym for the unrighteous
(he cites Proverbs 10:16 – 16; 14:20).
The prophets take up the theme, frequently denouncing the socioeconomic
oppression being practiced by the wealthy.”[3]
So we can conclude that the manner and style in which he is writing is aimed at
unbelieving unrighteous people.
Verse 1: James
proclaims a warning to the unrighteous rich about the coming judgment that is
upon them because of their selfish and oppressive use of wealth. He tells them of the misery that is coming
upon them. Most probably James is not
talking about a physical judgment or misery that is going to occur immediately but
most likely is referring to the judgment they will receive after they have
lived their lives in selfish and oppressive ways.
Verse 2: This
certainly is a reflection or reminder of the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:19 -
21
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where
thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Jesus tells his listeners not to store up
wealth where moth and rust can destroy but rather lay up your treasure in
heaven. Matthew 6:19 - 21 is a symbolic way of saying that material wealth and
earthly treasures are unreliable and of little value in regards to the eternal
Kingdom.
Verse 3: James
reminds us that not only are their treasures useless, but they will also be
used against them in the last day as evidence of corruption. The wealth they were so dependant on for
their security in the last days will be of no use whatsoever and their
unrelenting greed and selfish accumulation will in fact be the one thing that
has assured them a place in an eternal separation from God.
Verse 4: Apparently
the workers (maybe some of the people in the church) were not paid for or were
cheated for the work they had done. These
workers most likely appealed to the earthly courts but to no avail so they made
their cry to heaven. The cries of
injustice by these workers who have been defrauded by the wealthy unrighteous have
captured the ears of God the Father and James ultimately says this injustice
will not go unpunished.
Verse 5: The word indulgent also means a life of
luxury, delicate or soft living… a pampered life. It’s not that the unrighteous wealthy
couldn’t afford to pay their workers they just flat out refused to pay. As their workers were living in destitute or
going without food the rich were living lives of luxury. They spent ridiculous amounts of money on
themselves on things they did not need all the while refusing to pay their
workers. By this neglect and downright
fraudulent action the wealthy were just preparing themselves all the more for
judgment.
Verse 6: The wealthy
persecuted and took advantage of the poor (probably Christian) so they could
gain more for their selfish lifestyle.
“The righteous person” refers to believers. Although the rich may have defrauded them and
even had them killed their cries are still brought before God and God is going
to deal with the unrighteous wealthy in due time.
Does This Apply To Me?
As we read through this passage you may be thinking
in your heart, “Yeah, you go get those rich scumbags God!” Or maybe you can actually say something
happened in your life where you felt cheated or defrauded so you can relate
with the righteous worker who was is treated poorly. Maybe some of you are thinking, “I am not
rich and I haven’t been treated poorly by a rich person so none of this applies
to me.” My response is this passage is
just as relevant to us as believers today as it is to unbelievers. In North America God has certainly blessed
each and every one of us with the necessary means to live our lives in relative
prosperity. Now, you may not think you
are rich, in fact you may actually think you are poor but the fact that we can
live at the standard of living that we do should in fact be an indicator that we
have some wealth. If you are a believer you are doubly rich because you have eternal
treasure that you can share as well.
I think the main point we should all consider
in this passage is what are we doing with the resources God has so generously
blessed us with? I have often heard
people say, “Money is a curse.” I would
agree with this only if what you mean is “I need to make money so I can have more
and hoard it to myself all the while neglecting the needy” then yes it is a
curse. If you and I are in bondage to
accumulating wealth then it most certainly is a curse. However as Christians we are called view and
use our money differently than the world.
Our children (and even adults) are bombarded daily with the idea that in
order to be completely happy we need more for ourselves. We need bigger homes that we cannot afford,
more cars than we actually need, the most up to date technological device to
keep us connected to the world, more clothes, and more luxury items. You cannot be happy if you do not have. I Timothy 6:17 – 19 is a good reminder,
“As
for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set
their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us
with everything to enjoy. 18 They
are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up
treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may
take hold of that which is truly life.”
James has accused and warned those of us
who have this mindset. He warns the rich
of hoarding, cheating, and devoting their lives to living in luxury all the
while neglecting to use our resources for the Kingdom of God. This is a warning we should all take
heed. You see the Bible doesn’t
necessarily condemn people of wealth because of their wealth. He condemns and judges the wealthy who allow
their riches to become their god and hoarding, accumulating and squandering it
all. No matter where you or I are
individually today as in all things we need to check our hearts when it comes
to the resources God has entrusted to us.
We also need to check our hearts and attitudes in regards to how we
treat those less fortunate or in difficult financial positions. Most of all we need to understand and come to
terms with the vast wealth we have spiritually.
We possess the greatest treasure
of all; the Holy Spirit which is Jesus Christ in us and we must be willing to
share him with others. As his children and servants we must allow him to
have complete control in all aspects of our lives (for everything we have is
given to us by Him) so we can in turn live as righteous men and women before
God Almighty.
James: Today & Tomorrow
James: Where Faith
and Life Meet
Today and Tomorrow
5/13/12
Introduction:
Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter to
Jean-Baptiste Leroy in 1789, which was re-printed in The Works of Benjamin
Franklin, 1817, “In this world nothing
can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Is Margaret Mitchell book “Gone With the Wind”,
1936: she writes, "Death, taxes and childbirth! There's never any
convenient time for any of them."[1] If you are a mother then I would think you
agree with the last statement and as mortal human beings who pays taxes we all
agree with Benjamin Franklin’s quote.
The frailty and the shortness of life are
or should be sobering and humble thoughts to us all. So many spend our lives working and preparing
for the future; whether we are saving for retirement, a vacation or socking
money away in case of an emergency we want to be assured that we have enough resources
to help us get by in the future. A
Pastor I worked with used to say, “Jesus saves and so do I” when talking about
saving for the future. As Christians
what should our mindset be when it comes to preparing for the future? There are so many people in the world who
prepare for a future that they believe is certain and deserved. Is this wrong? Are we lacking faith when we save for days
that aren’t certain? I intend to talk a
little about this today.
A
key phrase I will continue come back to is, “Life is a vapor.” Keep that in your mind as we talk about the
passage today in James 4:13 – 17. Before
I begin I want to share a short and tragic story of a man whose life
preparations didn’t go as planned.
I knew of a man (but did not know him
personally) who desired to retire life at the age of fifty. This was something he worked hard to
attain. For many years of his life he
worked two or three jobs with the hopes of gaining enough money to retire at
this age so he could spend it with his family.
He didn’t neglect his family as he worked, he was a father who was
present when he was at home yet, he wasn’t home as much as he would have
liked. At around the age of 47 he was
diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He
fought a good battle and lived a little longer than many because he was in
great physical shape but unfortunately and ironically at age 50 the cancer got
the best of him and he passed away. When
I think of this man and the pain his family went through I am saddened because
he spent his whole life preparing for a future that he was never going to
have. Do I fault this man for the
preparations he was making? Not at all;
I believe he would have enjoyed his latter years more than anything had he
lived. Now I know many people who have
lived a similar life and their story did not end tragically like this man and
are enjoying the future. I think this
helps me to know that there truly is a healthy balance between preparing for
the future and having faith that God will provide. However his story also gives me perspective
about what is important in life and also shows that none of us are guaranteed
another day here on earth. It helps me
to understand that life (and everyday for that matter) is indeed a gift from
God and His will is what I should and need to concern my life with so as not to
waste it away.
The Business Model
In today’s passage, James 4:13 -17, the
author speaks directly about the frailty of life and the lack in wisdom in
preparing for the future without first seeking the will of God. I do
not think in this passage James is even implying that Christians do not make
preparations for the future (i.e. 401K’s, saving money) as some have preached; instead
I believe he is talking about the ludicrous idea that we make our own selfish preparations
for the future and depend on them to sustain us throughout life.
In this passage it is believed James is
speaking to merchants (probably wealthier Christian businessmen) who were
arrogantly making preparations to go out to certain cities trade, sell and
accumulate wealth. They were planning on
conducting business in the way that the rest of the world did and were
depending on getting wealthy in the process.
In short they were making plans for themselves and not inquiring of God
in how or where they should conduct their business. Their
business plan was to go out sell, trade and accumulate but failed to include
two major factors…
1)
God… They
were looking to succeed and accumulate in their own selfish and self confident
ways. They decided where they will go,
how long they will be there, when they will go and how much money they will
make. All of this is done while
neglecting the wisdom in seeking God in their endeavors to see where He may be
leading them.
2)
Tomorrow is not guaranteed. You may
come down with a serious illness or health issue or worse you could be dead
tomorrow. James reminds them by asking,
“What is your life?” The answer is found
throughout the Old and New Testaments.
Jesus speaks in Luke 12:16 – 21 about the foolish man who acquires
wealth for the future and unexpectedly dies.
David speaks of the shortness of life in Psalm 39:5. Even Job knew that life is short and tomorrow
holds no guarantee (Job 7:7).
He answers the question, “What is your
life?” Essentially it is this, “Life is
a vapor.” Living in the Upper Midwest we
know and understand vapors. In the
winter months when the temperature goes to a mild 5 to 15 below we go outside
and as we breathe we can see our breath for only a moment. This is what James says about our life on
earth. It is here one moment and gone
the next.
The Right Perspective
So as Christians what should our
perspective for the future be? Should we
live day by day with no regards for tomorrow?
Do we even make plans for the future? These are questions James answers
by telling them not to forget about God in this equation. We are not to make plans willy nilly for the
future. Yet he also does not discourage
us from actually making preparations for the future. The answer is found in verse 15… Key words,
“If the Lord wills”. This is the proper
perspective, in everything and in anything in making plans for the future. All we plan for should be sought out in
accordance to God’s will. This involves
prayer, scripture reading, counsel from godly men and women, and listening to
the Spirit. We have to be good with the fact that whatever our plans may be, they
are all ultimately subject to God’s will.
This simply means we must be an open and willing vessel to be used by God
no matter where we are in life. We need
to come humbly before God and seek his counsel in life’s decisions and
plans.
I look back on my life and reflect on
the fact that I am in a place where I would have never thought I would be even
twenty years ago. First I never would
have thought I would become a senior pastor and secondly, I never thought it
would be in Western Wisconsin. But I am
glad I am. I don’t know where I would be
if I chose to go my way instead of Gods.
He has a way of changing our plans or better yet letting us know that
our plans are not his plans and we need to be ok with this.
In verse 16 James rebukes these arrogant
business people because they are bragging about their plans and all the money
they are going to make. In fact some of
them may even be pursuing these selfish ambitions and telling others that God
told them to do what they are doing when in fact He is not. James says that this kind of boasting is
plain evil.
In verse 17 he takes it one step further
by rebuking those who know that what they are doing is not from God and yet
they choose to ignore his guidance and will.
James says to these individuals,
“If God has revealed to you the right thing to do and yet you willfully ignore
or don’t do it then this is a blatant sin.”
Oh the stories I could tell you in regards to this.
Certainly verse 17 is not only applied
to those wealthy merchants but also applied to the church as a whole. Whether they were neglecting the poor when
they knew they should be helping them, talking badly about someone when they
knew they should be speaking kind words or no words for that matter, pursuing
the world’s ways and wisdom instead of God’s ways, or merely saying they have
faith with no evidence through their words, works and deeds this was in fact
sin. This also applies to us today. Having the words of Scripture before us we
are in fact instructed how we should live as to glorify God, whether in our
business practices, moral living, spiritual lives, social lives and personal
lives. All we do should be done for the
glory of God and according to his will.
Conclusion
Life is a vapor… Here today gone
tomorrow. There is so much freedom in life when you can
accept the fact that we are not in control.
My tomorrow is not guaranteed. I
am hopeful that God will’s that I live yet another day so I may enjoy the
blessings he has given me. Do I have
plans for tomorrow? Yes. Do I have a three year plan? Yes. Do
I have a five year plan? Yes. However it is all subject to God’s will and I
am ok with that. Ask yourself this
question… Are you ok with the fact that tomorrow is no guarantee? Are you ok if what you have planned does not
actually happen? Are you ok if God decides that where you are, what you are doing and
how you should do it may change tomorrow?
I am not just talking about death or sickness. I am talking about daily routine, profession,
and relationships. We would do well to
remember that not only is life a vapor, but if we know that God is telling us
the right thing to do and we ignore it or don’t do it. This is sin and God cannot bless sin.
In the meantime enjoy today for it is a
gift from God. Make preparations for the
future all in accordance to God’s will.
Do what is right and pleasing before God in everything; in
relationships, our spiritual lives, our families, our workplaces, our leisure
time, our businesses, our schools and our church.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
James: Quarrels and Fights
James: Where Faith
and Life Meet
Quarrels and Fights
5/6/12
Introduction
August 1999 Landover, Maryland
100 years of Christian fellowship, unity, and community outreach ended last Tuesday in an act of congregational discord. Holy Creek Baptist Church was split into multiple factions.
The source of dissension is a piano bench which still sits behind the 1923 Steinway piano to the left of the pulpit. Members and friends at Holy Creek Baptist say that the old bench was always a source of hostility. People should have seen this coming.
At present, Holy Creek Congregation will be having four services each Sunday. There has been an agreement mediated by an outside pastor so that each faction will have its own separate service with its own separate pastor. Since the head pastor is not speaking to the associate pastors, each will have their own service, which will be attended by fractioned members. The services are far enough apart that neither group will come into contact with the other. An outside party will be moving the piano bench to different locations and appropriate positions, between services, so as to please both sides, and avoid any further conflict that could result in violence.[1]
100 years of Christian fellowship, unity, and community outreach ended last Tuesday in an act of congregational discord. Holy Creek Baptist Church was split into multiple factions.
The source of dissension is a piano bench which still sits behind the 1923 Steinway piano to the left of the pulpit. Members and friends at Holy Creek Baptist say that the old bench was always a source of hostility. People should have seen this coming.
At present, Holy Creek Congregation will be having four services each Sunday. There has been an agreement mediated by an outside pastor so that each faction will have its own separate service with its own separate pastor. Since the head pastor is not speaking to the associate pastors, each will have their own service, which will be attended by fractioned members. The services are far enough apart that neither group will come into contact with the other. An outside party will be moving the piano bench to different locations and appropriate positions, between services, so as to please both sides, and avoid any further conflict that could result in violence.[1]
I am not sure this is a true story or
not, I was not able to find out if this really happened or if it is made up to
make a point. What is most disturbing to
me is that whether this particular story is true no matter how ridiculous it
may seem or it is not we do know it has the potential to be true. Church
splits and divisions are, unfortunately, far too common place today and
throughout history. Some of them are for
good and legitimate reasons and some are downright ludicrous. Churches have split over buildings,
locations, music, sacred cows, leadership, and just plain ole
stubbornness. As I stated it is true
that there are some legitimate splits (i.e. heresy preached from the pulpit,
sin issues of the pastor, denomination is not holding to biblical truths and so
on). One thing is for certain though,
church splits or even inner church conflicts rarely happen in a healthy manner,
they are almost like a divorce. I know
of one church that split and the two churches literally divided everything in
half… Each church received half the chairs, desks, office staff, and other assets.
Apparently church conflict is an age old
thing since James is dealing with similar issues that we are continuing today.
Quarrels and Fights
Verses
1- 3: The beginning of this chapter is
not an introduction to a new topic; instead James shifts his focus to his
purpose in writing previously about wisdom and the tongue. Apparently there were struggles in this
community, it seems as though people were sowing discord among the
congregations. They were starting fights
and quarrels with others because they wanted their way for their own selfish
reason regardless of how many people they hurt in the process (Now I know this
would never happen today). This was and
is a problem because James addresses the topic and then asks the rhetorical
question, “Where do quarrels and fights among you come from?” To which he answers, “It comes from selfish
desires that are at war in us.” When we look at any unhealthy disunity or
conflict in a church it is almost always a guarantee that the root of the
problem is selfish desire. Look at
churches in more recent times that are at war because of the style of music
that is played for the time of worship.
How ironic is that? We argue and
split over something that is designed to draw believers into the presence of
God. And it is all based in preference
or selfish desire. Some churches divide
over communion, where the pulpit should be placed, should there be a pulpit at
all? We don’t want to change something
because we might not like the end result even if it is from God. Plus it doesn’t really matter if God is behind
something, I don’t like it. I have never
heard someone say that but I have sure seen someone do it. Douglas Moo writes, “The seventeenth century
Jewish philosopher Spinoza observed: ‘I have often wondered that persons make
boast of professing the Christian religion – namely love, joy, peace,
temperance, and charity to all men – should quarrel with such rancorous
animosity and display daily towards one another such bitter hatred, that this,
rather than the virtues which they profess, is the readiest criteria of their
faith.’ Some battles to be sure, need to
be fought. But even they must be fought
without sacrificing Christian principles and virtues.”[2]
The source of these quarrels comes from
one place… Our selfish desires that war within us. Maybe to the individuals he was writing felt
justified in their fights? Maybe they
thought they were noble in their efforts or zeal for something to happen or
change but apparently they were not honoring to God.
In the second verse James expands on the
nature of these sinful desires and he uses some strong language to describe
their actions like envy, kill, and covet.
Now it is uncertain as to whether these people were actually killing one
another out of selfish desire (which isn’t entirely improbable) but we can
safely assume that he is using analogy like Jesus as he described a person as a
murderer as one who hates his/her brother or sister in Christ. A person who holds animosity in his heart
towards another is just as guilty as the person who actually commits murder. This is probably what James is
suggesting.
All of this arguing essentially is fruitless
because as they are seeking God’s counsel in all of this they are asking with
wrong motives. They were not seeking God’s will in all this they were instead seeking
God to bless what they were doing. They
were probably asking for God’s stamp of approval on their selfish motives.
The Problem: Frenemies
Verse
4 – 10: “You adulterous people!” Some versions say, “Adulteresses!” These are strong words used by James and have
deep implications to the body of Christ.
If you recall up to this point John has referred to this group he is
writing with affection by calling them “brothers” and “my dear brothers”. Now he speaks harshly to them because in all
these escapades of warring and fighting with each other they are in fact acting
like the rest of the Godless world. As
Christians and the Church in particular we are to be unique because of our love
towards one another. However they are
embracing the world’s ways of doing things and not God’s thus ultimately committing
spiritual adultery with the world.
Spiritual adultery always ends with those involved in an adulterous
affair with the world becoming an enemy of God.
Being an enemy of God however is
a two Way Street as it does show God’s hostility towards the believer but also
shows the hostility of the believer towards God.
The
recipients of this letter have been living worldly lives up to this point by
showing partiality to the rich, neglecting the poor, speaking negatively to
others, and starting fights in the body in order to fulfill their selfish
desires. When we believers start living
as the world lives we are showing where our allegiance truly lies and God will
not take backseat to anything.
In verse 5 James cites a portion of
Scripture which is not actually known to be a verse in the Bible. According to D.A. Carson He must either be
citing the general sense of Scripture, or else a book he knows about but which
is now lost.[3] This is a particularly difficult passage to
translate and understand because it could have two possible ways of reading
it. In a nutshell one reading (the NIV)
may refer to the human spirit and its tendency to be envious; which is true. However the second way of looking at it (the
ESV) seems to refer God’s jealousy for his people. God has given each of us a spirit and he
jealously longs for our pure worship in return.
The Solution: Repentance
God is always willing to give grace to
those who humble themselves but He is an opponent to those who are prideful and
self dependant. Since God is willing to
pour out as much grace needed James exhorts his listeners to first submit to
God. Repentance is what James is calling
these people to and what God desires. Submission is the first act of repentance;
acknowledging that we are indeed dependant on Jesus. The act of submission is one where a person
resigns himself to or be put into subjection or to yield to someone. As believers we do well in acknowledging and
believing that we are not in control, God is.
The sooner we are able to submit ourselves fully to God the sooner we
will see that when we do, things are on the way to how they should be. Submission is probably one of the most difficult
things because we are giving the controls of our lives over to someone else and
as humans we like to feel like we are in control.
Secondly, we are to resist the devil and
he will flee. This can only be done in
the power of the Spirit and in complete submission to God. In repentance it is not enough to just say,
“I am done sinning now let’s move one.”
Repentance means stopping what you are doing and doing the complete
opposite. Resistance is key and it is
ongoing. Just as taming the tongue cannot
be done by humans alone, resisting sin and the desires of the flesh cannot be
done by human will alone. We need the
power of the Spirit dwelling in and through us in order to resist.
Lastly, we are to draw near to God. Godliness
is not attained by association. Hanging
around godly people does not make one godly. It may give the appearance of godliness but
this doesn’t matter. After we have
submitted to God, giving the Spirit dominion over our lives so we can resist
sin, desire and temptation daily; we are then to draw near to God and in so
doing He will draw near to us. What does
drawing near to God look like? There is
no standard formula or mold to help us draw near to him; there is however a
surefire way to drawing near and that is through submission to him, allowing
the Spirit to dwell in and through us and through continual communication (i.e.
prayer, reading the Bible, Christian fellowship, Church, etc.).
When we follow the words of James we see
that fellowship or friendship can be restored between person and God. We must note that this portion of scripture
is not a method for salvation because there are some key components missing
(i.e. faith in Jesus and public confession of sins) this is intended for
restoring fellowship with God.
Skipping down to verse 10 James returns
to the act of humbling one’s self before God.
When we recognize our spiritual deficiency without God is when we truly
are able to stand in humility before Him.
When we are able to stand humbly before God in spiritual poverty then
and only then will God lift us up and exalt us thus victorious Christian
living.
Conclusion
There is a lot packed into these 10
verses and I have merely scratched the surface; but they are very practical to
us in these modern (or post modern) times.
We know that church fights, splits and disunity happen. It has happened since the beginning of the
Church age. Unfortunately it will
continue throughout time. However we
have the key right in front of us in knowing how to avoid having disunity happen
in our midst. It is important for us as
a church to seek unity in Christ together, to not be divisive in our words,
slanderous in our talk and hypocritical in our worship. We should not seek friendship with the world
and instead be single-minded in our devotion to God. We must be submitted to God and his will (not
our selfish desires), be Spirit-driven so we can resist the devil in his
attacks, draw near to God in our time of worship and in our own private times
with Him and lastly be humble before the Great and Mighty King knowing our
place before him and in doing this He will lift us up.
Monday, May 7, 2012
James: Wisdom and Understanding
James: Where Faith
and Life Meet
Wisdom and Understanding
4/28/12
Solomon was the king of Israel after his
father David died. He was a good king
for most of his life. He accomplished in
his life what no other king before him or after could ever imagine. He began as a fair and just ruler, he took
the vision of his father to build a Temple for God in Jerusalem and made it a
reality, he established trade with other nations, he had a peaceful (for the
most part) reign and he possessed a wisdom that surpassed his contemporaries worldwide. Solomon
wrote over 3,000 proverbs and 1,500 songs.
Most of the book of Proverbs was written by him as well as the book of
Ecclesiastes and The Song of Songs (Solomon).
His wisdom gained him worldwide fame.
The queen of Sheba came to visit with him to see if the sayings about
his wisdom were true.
Solomon has gone down in history as the
wisest King Israel has ever had. Why is
this so? Because he asked God for
wisdom. When he first took over the
Monarchy God told him to ask him for anything he wanted and Solomon responded
with asking for wisdom in ruling over the people in Israel. That is a noble thing for a King who is
granted any wish to ask for. He knew the
importance of having godly wisdom in ruling over God’s people.
Unfortunately Solomon didn’t always rule
in wisdom as he gained fame and power he did unwise things like taxing his
people unfairly, and acquired many wives and allowing them to continue
worshiping their pagan gods. Although
during Solomon’s reign Israel nation of peace but after his passing they
experienced the fallout of his sin which resulted in a division that would
forever divide country. God blessed
Solomon with 40 years of leadership over the nation of Israel. For the most part He ruled with the wisdom
God gave to him. However he was a flawed
man (like us all). We can only assume
that when Solomon died he came back to the Lord (it seems the book of
Ecclesiastes points us in that general direction) as he realized that all the
material wealth, power and influence he had is empty if the Lord is not present
in it all.
Wisdom
In today’s text we will be looking once
again at the topic of wisdom and more specifically what true wisdom does and
does not look like, and we will look primarily at wisdom that comes from God. If you recall back in James 1:5 the author
encourages his readers to ask God for wisdom if they lack it and He will give
it generously. You may also remember I
noted that wisdom was not defined as acquiring more knowledge, information or intellect. It is not collecting data, learning more
facts and getting numerous college degrees.
Wisdom is much more than filling our heads with information and facts. In the New Testament the Greek word for
wisdom is Sophia σοφία which means the ability to understand
and as a result act wisely. It is the knowledge and practice
of the fundamentals for godly and upright living.[1] It is not enough to just have knowledge,
practicing what you know must be present.
Simply put wisdom is a way of taking
knowledge, understanding it and applying it in order to make the right
decisions.
An example of wisdom is found in the
story about automaker Henry Ford as he asked
electrical genius Charlie Steinmetz to build the generators for his factory.
One day the generators ground to a halt, and the repairmen couldn't find the
problem. So Ford called Steinmetz, who tinkered with the machines for a
few hours and then threw the switch. The generators whirred to life--but Ford
got a bill for $10,000 from Steinmetz. Flabbergasted, the rather
tightfisted car maker inquired why the bill was so high.
Steinmetz's reply: For tinkering with the generators, $10.
For knowing where to tinker, $9,990. Ford paid the bill.[2]
Wisdom and Understanding
In
today’s passage James 3:13 – 18 James spends a good amount of time talking
about wisdom and understanding. Last
week we looked at the passage on the dangers of the tongue or words we speak
and concluded with a challenge to use our words wisely by allowing the Spirit
to be our guide in the words we speak. Here
he continues to speak to the whole community of believers and not just the
leaders. He uses his discussion to that
a person who actually allows the Spirit to control the words he/she speaks is
in fact a wise person. James shows us
exactly what true wisdom looks like and what false wisdom looks like.
Vs.13: James
asks those who claim to have special insight and understanding in spiritual
matters to come forward so they may be tested or put under a scope (so to speak)
to see the authenticity of their claim. We should note that James does not wish to
check their theological backing or intellect (however I do not believe James
implies these are unnecessary) instead he says that one’s wisdom is made
evident by the life he leads, the good works he does and the manner in which he
does both of these. Not theological
intellect.
The basis
on which one demonstrates wisdom is by the life one leads. He does not live contrary to the ways of God
but instead by the good deeds he does that bring glory to God. And the manner in which the life and deeds
should be first and foremost lived out in humility. True wisdom ultimately produces good deeds
and humility. As we have noted all along
these traits are not those that save us but are evidences of the true faith is
Jesus we have.
The
humility a person displays in godly wisdom is found in the understanding of our
place before God. It is birthed in us as
we understand and acknowledge that apart from God we are unable to achieve any
level of spirituality God requires of us.
If we truly understand in humility the part we play in our salvation,
the grace we have received and the mercy shown to us (they are all gifts from
God) then this should overflow in how we conduct our lives and treat others. In
godly wisdom there is no room for boasting and no room for pride because what
we have is given to us by God.
On the
contrary the pagans believed that intellect and understanding of divine things
(with no regard moral conduct in most cases) constituted wisdom and James puts
this idea to rest.
It
reminds me of this story… In January 1970, Max Born died. A close friend of
Albert Einstein and a colleague of Max Planck and Otto Hahn, the nuclear
physicists, he was one of the great minds of the twentieth century. In an
interview on German television before his death, Born commented: “I’d be
happier if we had scientists with less brains and more wisdom.”[3]
Vs. 14: These
leaders or believers who claimed to be wise yet display bitter jealousy and
selfish ambition and in having these characteristics are in fact fooling only
themselves. These two traits are the antithesis of humility that is weaved into
the wisdom God gives to us.
Vs.
15: The false wisdom these believers
claim and brag about is not from God. An
empty intellectual wisdom that reaps bitter jealousy and selfish ambition is
earthly (no regard for the will of God or His realm), unspiritual (or man
derived) and most emphatically demonic (pertaining to demons. It is derived and inspired by demons). Basically false wisdom is characterized by the world, the flesh and the devil.[4]
Vs 16: What
makes this false wisdom distinctly demonic and not from God is when
envy/jealousy and selfish ambition are present thus displaying disorder and
evil works. God is not a God of disorder
but of peace (1 Cor. 14:33). Thus anytime there is jealousy and selfish
ambition present then God is not present in the situation and the end result
will always be damage to individuals and the whole church.
Vs. 17:
James now describes what godly wisdom looks like. Like true faith is evidenced by the good deeds
we know true wisdom is evidenced by the fruit or the life a person leads.
True
wisdom is…
1)
Pure –
blameless, upright, innocent, faultless, and pure from carnality.
2)
Peaceable/peaceful
– Promotes peace and brings peace.
3)
Gentle – Mild
and fair
4)
Open to reason
– Not completely close minded, one who is compliant.
5)
Full of mercy
– Kindness and goodwill towards the afflicted and miserable.
6)
Full of good
fruits – These are the acts that are produced from true wisdom and faith.
7)
Impartial –
Shows no favoritism because of status, wealth and race.
8)
Sincere –
Genuine, transparent… You are who you say you are.
Vs 18: A person with genuine godly wisdom will sow
peace which will ultimately produce the righteousness of God. According to James 1:20 the anger of men
(which is earthly, of the flesh and demonic) does not produce the righteousness
of God. According to 3:18 peace
does. In Matthew 5:9 Jesus says, “Blessed
are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God.”
Conclusion
Wisdom… I am sure we wish we had more wisdom in our
daily decision making. How often have we
found ourselves in situations where we could use some wise counsel or a little
godly wisdom in making the right decision?
How wonderful would it be if we could just look up into the sky and find
the answers written in the sky to life’s most difficult decisions? As parents, employees, employers, students,
disciples and ultimately believers in general we are to ask for wisdom in our
lives and we should have wisdom in our daily decisions. The wisdom we do have should first and
foremost be grounded in humility and also have at least the eight traits of
wisdom that James describes. Jesus warns
his disciples in Matthew 10:17 about the persecution they will face, he tells
them (and us) to be wise as serpents (seek and use godly wisdom) and be gentle
(an attribute to godly wisdom) as doves because we are being sent out to the
wolves of the world who will seek to devour God’s people.
We now have the solution to the problem
of dissension that may have arisen in these churches as a whole. Individuals who claimed to be wise and
influential were using their words to cause divisions and disorder in the
body. However James shows that a wise
person will be one who has submitted himself to God in humility and allows
himself to be spirit-filled and driven in all aspects of his life including and
especially in areas of the words he speaks and the wisdom he exudes.
[1] Strong, J.
(1996). The exhaustive concordance of the
Bible: Showing every word of the text of the common English version of the
canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order.
(electronic ed.). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.
[2] Today
in the Word, MBI, April 1990, p. 27.
[3] Tan, P. L.
(1996). Encyclopedia of 7700
Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.
[4] Moo,
Douglas p. 173
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