Just James

Just James
James on Works
James 1: 19-25 & James 2: 14-26

Intro
Book of James
Talked about perseverance-joy in the midst of trials
Temptation is about relationship loving God more than sin.

This week we are going to take a look at how our actions affect our faith. There are actually two different sections I want to cover this morning.

James 1
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

A couple of thoughts from this passage-
The first is in regards to being slow to speak and quick to listen.
I’ve been reading a book “permission to speak freely” by Anne Jackson. . It’s a book about people’s relationship with God and with the church that was started from answers to one question-What is the one thing you can’t talk about in church? There’s a lot of people out there who are hurting. They’ve been hurt by the church, by others, and they feel abandoned and distant from God. Some of the blame lies on others, but some of the responsibility is on the person to reach out and ask for help.

Loving church-we want to help-but we can’t. We want to listen, but if you don’t speak how can we help? We, as a church family, and I as a minister, are not mind readers. How does a doctor or a hospital know you need help-you ask for it. The same for the church and your church family. If you want help, please ask. If you are struggling in your faith let’s talk about it. There should never be anything that we cannot discuss at church. We are all broken people-it’s why Jesus came. If you can’t be yourself here, where else can you turn?

The second thought is about doing and not just listening to the Word.
Here’s the other thing-I’m just one person-I can’t do it alone. I need help and this church is excellent at helping and I appreciate it as I know you all do as well. There are roughly 250 people on the roles of our church. If I spent quality time with one person a day how long would it take me to see everyone? 250 days-basically once a year. How effective is that? I’d compare myself more like a band aid. I come in and make it feel better for a while, but the church family is like the Neosporin that heals the wound. The scar is still there, but the congregation helps in the healing process. We are here for you but again it’s your responsibility to reach out.

Moving on.

James 2
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? 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.

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. 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[d]? 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,”[e] 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.

I don’t know how many of you know this, but I’m only a minister on Sundays. The rest of the week I’m a surgeon. I make regular visits to the hospital and I’ve read a few articles and watched some videos on surgeries. Yup, I’m a surgeon. Do you believe me? What if I told you I was an avid Alabama fan? Would you believe that? Why not? I was rooting for them to win a few weeks ago and their win made me very happy. That makes me an avid Alabama fan, right?

Why don’t you believe that I’m an avid Alabama fan or that I’m a surgeon? My actions don’t match up with my words. Well that’s what James is talking about in our scriptures today. Kind of like this saying-“Going to church on Sundays doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.”

Think about it. This makes sense for our faith too, doesn’t it? If you say you are a Christian then everything about you-what you buy, how you treat others, how you treat yourself, how you spend your free time, the things we look at on the internet or on television-everything you do and say should reflect that you are a Christian.

Which brings me to a logical question from this part of James-"If being a Christian were illegal would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

In the book Orthodox Heretic by Peter Rollins (recommend) he tells a parable about a time and place where it’s illegal to be a Christian. You are brought before the judge and the evidence is weighed and you are found not guilty of being a Christian. You of course protest, “But what about the poems and prose that I wrote. “
“you consider yourself a poet and nothing more the judge replies.”
You speak out again, “But what about the services I spoke at, the times I wept in church and the long, sleepless nights of prayer?”
Evidence that you are a good speaker and actor, nothing more. It is obvious that you deluded yourself, but this foolishness is not enough to convict you in a court of law.

You respond, “It would seem that no evidence would convince you.”
Not so replies the judge, we exist only for those who would lay down that brush and their life, in a Christlike endeavor to create a better world. So, until you live as Christ and his followers did, until you challenge this system and become a thorn in our side, until you die to yourself and offer your body to the flames, until then, my friend, you are no enemy of ours.

Would you be convicted?