Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas
Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas
This sermon explores how to embody humility, honor others, and heed God's guidance in our speech, as instructed in the book of James.
Welcome, dear friends, to this sacred gathering where we come together to seek wisdom from the Word of God. We are here to draw from the life-giving fountain of Scripture, to drink deeply of its truths, and to let its life-transforming power wash over us. We stand on the precipice of a new understanding, ready to open our hearts and minds to the divine guidance that awaits us in the book of James.
In the words of the great Christian thinker J.I. Packer, "Scripture is the royal chariot in which Jesus rides, and it is paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem. The Scriptures bring us the voice of the King. Love of Scripture is love of Christ." This profound truth reminds us of our purpose here today. We are here to listen, to learn, and to love Christ more through His word.
A. First, we need to understand the power of our words. Our words have the ability to build up or tear down, to encourage or discourage, to heal or to hurt. They are a reflection of what's in our hearts. Jesus said in Matthew 12:34, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." If our hearts are filled with pride, our words will reflect that. If our hearts are filled with humility, our words will reflect that too.
B. Second, we need to recognize the value of others. Each person we interact with is a child of God, created in His image. When we speak ill of others, we're not just speaking ill of them, we're speaking ill of the One who created them. We're judging God's handiwork. But who are we to judge? As James reminds us, there is only one lawgiver and judge, and it's not us.
C. Third, we need to remember our place. We are not above the law, we are under it. When we judge others, we're not just judging them, we're judging the law. We're setting ourselves up as authorities over the law, as if we know better than God. But we don't. We're not the lawgiver, we're not the judge, we're not the savior. We're just fellow travelers on this journey of faith.
D. Finally, we need to rely on God's grace. We all fall short. We all say things we shouldn't. We all need grace. And the good news is, grace is available to us. God's grace is sufficient for us. His power is made perfect in our weakness. When we stumble, when we fail, when we speak out of turn, God's grace is there to pick us up, to dust us off, and to set us back on the right path.
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