Make Every Effort Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• One of the things I will never forget about the 9/11 attack was seeing brave firefighters, first responders, and other personnel rushing back into the burning twin towers making every effort to try to save those who were in danger.

• From what I understand about the tragedy is that many of the emergency personnel who died did so trying to save the lives of those who were trapped or otherwise injured.

• Around the country on any given moment we see brave people going to extra-ordinary lengths to try to save the lives of people who are in danger, and they usually are going to these heroic efforts for someone they do not even know.

• Going back to the 9/11 tragedy nothing was going to stop those brace people from making every effort possible to save as many lives as possible.

• Now let’s look at the context for our text this morning.

• James has shared a lot of practical things for us, things that will help our faith to be stronger.

• The situation for the Christians in James time was difficult; there was a lot of persecution. It was a tough environment in which to keep ones faith intact.

• There were folks who were wandering away from the faith as a result of the difficulties and the struggles going on in the church.

• James in his closing remarks is encouraging us to make every effort to try to bring them back.

• As we look at the last two verses of the book of James, I pray that we will see the importance of making every effort to bring back one who is wandering away from the faith.

• Let’s turn to James 5:19-20

• SLIDE #2

• James 5:19–20 (ESV) 19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

• Let us begin by seeing that…

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

We are called to make every effort to bring a wandering soul back because:

I. Christians are family.

• My brothers,

• As we conclude the book, we are reminded of the connection each and every Christian has, they are part of the family of God, we are connected by the blood of Jesus, and we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

• In the midst of all the issues the church was facing, it was important for them to remember that fact.

• When times are difficult, when we are tempted to go after another Christian in a negative way, we must remember the fact that we are family.

• We sing the song THE FAMILY OF GOD. It is a good old song with a great message.

• If you see your son, daughter, brother, sister or any of your family heading down a bad path, would you not do all you could to try to help get them back on track?

• I do not want to spend a ton of time on this point but it is a point that we should all understand.

• SLIDE #4

• 1 Corinthians 12:25–26 (ESV) 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

• SLIDE #5

• Galatians 4:6–7 (ESV) 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

• Those brave folks who ran back into the towers while everyone else was running out of the towers were going in to get people they did not even know.

• Those folks had no regard for their own safety, they could only think about making every effort to save as many people as they could!

• Now with that in mind let us next see that …

• SLIDE #6

We are called to make every effort to bring a wandering soul back because:

II. Family should reach out to a family member in danger.

• Look at the past part of verse 19 again.

• , if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,

• James is speaking of a CHRISTIAN brother who is wandering away from the truth. This is not a hypothetical situation that could not happen but rather a real and present danger.

• Notice the word ANYONE. This denotes that ANYONE of us is capable of doing this.