“Faith that really works”
“Our behavior shows what we really believe.”
James 2:14-26
Sunday Morning Sermon
June 3, 2007
Intro:
Good morning.
If our behavior shows what we really believe – what do you really believe? If you dismiss yourself from church every Sunday – but on a Friday or Saturday night do things with your body and your mind that stand in direct contrast to the word of God – what do you really believe?
If your behavior shows what you really believe – what would those around you in traffic, or at the mall or at Wal-Mart during a high traffic times – say that you believe? Would your language or the finger jesters suggest something different?
The world without invitation will look at our lives – and they want to see something different. Are we showing them the difference?
Discussion:
I heard this week that “sodium benzoate” could cause kidney damage. That sounds really bad until I realize that I have to give up drinking most sodas in order to avoid this chemical.
I could take this news make it affect my life – drink only water. I could avoid this chemical – which means I believe the research – or I could continue to drink soda and ignore the research. Regardless, my behavior is going to speak clearly about what I believe.
Same with smoking – there are a gazillion toxic chemicals in a cigarette that your lungs were not meant to take in – your lungs simply weren’t created for cigarettes – but you already know that – the warning on the package – it doesn’t stop you, it doesn’t stop most Americans. We don’t believe we are in danger – until the high winds are blowing and trees are flying through the sky. Amanda and I were on the gulf coast a week before the first hurricane – Rita – we left – expecting high traffic we left early – there wasn’t any traffic at all. They didn’t believe it would affect them – and by their actions you could tell it, because they stayed – and it did affect them. Your behavior shows what you really believe.
What if people approached church the same way? What if we just came to church, sang a few songs, dropped some change in the offering, shook a few hands, smiled at just the right times, listened to a really well developed sermon, and just left. What if our faith was shallow, and there was nothing behind it? What if when the world looked at our lives – they didn’t see a difference? That does happen in many of our churches today – it also happened in Biblical times turn with me if you have your Bibles to James 2:14-26 (read)
James is really wanting from the church, the same thing most preachers want from the churches they serve – dedication & deep faith. And it’s from this desire -- that can see several things this morning:
I. Real faith is not just something you say
It requires action. I want to interact with you this morning – normally I want to just preach – different is good. James asks a series of questions – the responses are implied – You are going to give the responses – whatever comes up on the screen you are going to say – it’s not hard.
Two questions:
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? (advance) IT’S NO GOOD. Can such faith save him?
(advance) NO.
(advance) 1 John 2:6 (NIV) – Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
John even says – if you claim to live with Jesus living in you – you have no other choice but to walk like Jesus – to take on his attitude, to embrace the suffering, to be in deep prayer. To have deeds that back up that claim. It’s not easy, most things in life worth doing don’t come in a can.
I was at a Boy Scout camp one time and we were setting up our tents – these things were just flying up – let it pop up, put in a rod or two and you are done. There is no quick set up, when it comes to living what you claim in Jesus. Paul tells Timothy: (advance)
2Timothy 2:3 (NIV) – Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
Probably what Paul had in mind was a Roman soldier who had to commit 20 years of his life, forbidden to marry – only ½ of the soldiers made it to retirement – he eats, sleeps, and drinks SOLDIER -
a. The world doesn’t want just empty words
i. They can get that at home
ii. They can get that from their jobs
If they can get it anywhere else – they won’t come here. We have a different message, we have a different hope – and we have a different claim and we have to live that claim with our actions.
If you read the doctrine (the foundation stuff) of Paul’s writings – if you study deep into the book of Romans, you could come to the conclusion that James and Paul don’t agree – (Paul says Faith alone saves) (James says Faith + Deeds) And if you came to that conclusion, that they disagree, you would be wrong. First of all the Bible NEVER contradicts itself – a simple reflection of the unified spirit in which it was written. Second, they are addressing different people, different times, different problems – James’ problem is apathy in the church – people giving lip service, dropping some change in the offering, listening to a well developed sermon, and going home – nothing changed about their lives – he says faith + action = Salvation.
Paul is addressing issues of over exposure, to the law – those who really believed that Christianity couldn’t be true without also practicing the law – So Paul would say “Faith = Salvation”. Anytime Paul mentions “works” as not being needed – it’s works of the law (that aren’t required). It’s not the “deeds” that James is speaking of (that are required).
Hopefully, you are still with me. Here’s what James says
iii. My faith is worthless
1. If I have no deed
If an apple tree grew and never produced an apple would it be worthless as an apple tree? If a Christian grows up, and never produces any kind of action is the faith that person possess – really a growing faith? James would say NO.
Here’s number 2: (advance)
II. Real faith is not just something you feel
Have you ever heard a sermon and it just hit you – and you left church or worship just with warm fuzzies? Some preachers are like that – One of my favorite preachers could read box scores from a baseball game and I would repent. What happens when the feeling go away?
a. Because real faith requires actions
i. If you see someone in need – you don’t just say something that makes you feel good –
Well – Let me give you an example (this is probably something that happened inside the church – actual event) – James asks a question, that expects an answer so please respond. (advance)
James 2:15-16 (The Message) – For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? (advance) IT GETS ME NOWHERE
b. I don’t want to possess faith
i. That has no actions (advance)
Matthew 7:21 (NIV) – "Not everyone who says to me, ’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
ii. That sees what those around me need, but refuses to provide.
The crazy thing is – we are talking soup and coats – we’re not talking houses and cars – you can provide these things – I can provide these things – It’s just a matter of allowing our faith, the needs of others and our actions to match up.
James says: (advance)
James 2:17 (NIV) In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
c. Dead faith is worthless faith
i. It might as well not exist
ii. It serves no purpose
iii. Simple lip service – is not faith
Let me make this clear – Actions by themselves don’t equal salvation – because the need for actions will never stop – I’ve got T-Shirts from Mexico – we built a house – had a great time, really worked our hearts and our minds – but if I come back from the trip thinking I’m done – my good deed is done – really I’ve gained nothing more than a t-shirt, a good feeling and dying faith.
It’s not all based on what we feel: Here’s number 3 of 4 (advance)
III. Real faith is not just something you believe
a. It doesn’t take much to believe
It takes more faith not to believe. Take everything to the extreme – clearly we are and the earth we live on was a design – it would take a large amount of faith to believe it was exploded together, not too big, not too small – just the right distance from the sun – just the right amount of water. Realize something – the water that exists today is the same amount of water that existed at the time of creation. They aren’t making new water. We were blessed through our creator (GOD) to have enough water to sustain life, until he comes back again. So is the earth 6 thousand years old or 21.7 Billion? I’m going to just be honest with you – I’ve studied this and it’s simply easier to believe.
b. So I understand that we have a GOD
i. Does that mean that I have saving faith? NO
Even the mustard seed kinda faith has to be planted – before mountains move. You leave your mustard seed kind of faith out in the sun, and it will die.
He says in verse 19 – (advance) “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.”
c. Demons Believe in God – they fear God (advance)
Mark 1:23-24 (NIV) Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"
d. Devil believe in God
i. Both have a wide understanding of scripture
ii. Both have deep theological knowledge
iii. Both have dead faith
Just head knowledge of God’s word – being able to repeat deep truths of the faith – even being able to explain story after story from the Old Testament is worthless – if it is not accompanied by action that has its roots in your faith.
The devil and the demons – they believe – but their belief or faith will not save them – if they are confronted by the truth, or knowledge of their destination – they tremble. We don’t. You leave here without faith that really works – or know friends who have no faith – we don’t cry for them – we don’t weep for them – we’re embarrassed to invite them to church – because we don’t understand truth or the knowledge of their destinations – Hell fire sermons are rarely preached because we don’t want to hurt feelings. Maybe if we understood what the devil and his demons understand – there would be a few more tears, a lot more prayers – and the well developed sermons we hear might be preached without apology.
So faith is not something I say, it’s not something I feel, it’s not something I just believe – So what is it – good question. (advance)
IV. Real faith is something you do
James is in this dialogue with someone in the church – he asks another question, he calls the man foolish, and I was afraid that might be taken the way James meant it – not the way I mean it. I don’t think you are foolish…but just work with me on the answer part. (advance) Do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? (advance)YES, WE DO. (advance)Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? (advance) YES, HE WAS – ya’ll are good.
With their history, their backgrounds, their understanding of Abraham and the story of Isaac on the altar – that would have been their response.
Abraham as not always a good guy – Gen. 19 says that when Abram was 99 years old the Lord appeared to him and explained who he was, and what he was prepared to do through him – and tells him to walk before him and be blameless. Then God changes his name to Abraham. It’s just “some time later” after that, we see him in Gen. 22 God speaks to Abraham and tells him to take his one and only son, the son whom you love and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains. God stopped Abraham – because he was willing to sacrifice Isaac, God blessed Abraham. You have one very righteous, powerful, father of the faith example of Faith + actions = salvation. This would have set the bar really high for them.
James doesn’t stop with Abraham – this is what I love about the book of James it’s very practical – very down on my level kind of reading. Cause he points to someone else – Rahab – the prostitute – someone on the other end of the spectrum – if Abraham is black – she’s white, If he’s cold – she’s hot – TOTAL opposite ends of the spectrum – if you expect righteous behavior from Abraham – you don’t from Rahab. But she did a righteous thing – because of her faith. But it was just one example of the overflow of her faith.
a. Real Faith requires our action
i. It’s not just something we wear on Sunday morning
ii. It’s not just something we claim – when those crazy people with pamphlets show up at our homes early on Saturday morning.
iii. Should govern your actions
When people look into your life – and they catch you a glimpse or a snapshot of who you are and what makes you tick – it should be your faith. That will make a difference in their lives, and it could be the only picture of true faith they get. Some people associate church with faith – I grew up brand, I was raised brand – but true faith has to get beyond that, and goes deeper to relationship – where my faith and my actions work together to demonstrate what I believe and encourage those around me.
Conclusion:
Jesus taught many great things – how to love our neighbors and the responsibility we have to extend that love to those we don’t like. He taught us about prayer – ways to pray – why we should pray. Jesus taught us about righteousness and false righteousness – how we can tell the difference. He taught us about heaven – what heaven will be like, who will be there, what it takes to get there. In Matthew chapter 25 – he tells us about an event in heaven – it says that when the Son of Man comes in his glory – he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory – all the nations will be gathered, before him and then he’s going to do something – he’s going to separate them, like a Shepard separates sheep from the goats.
The reason he separates them is eternity – but it’s not based on the color of skin, it’s not based on weight, it’s not based on what we look like – he separates them for eternity to punishment or to eternal life – based on what they did with their faith. Church something extreme is at stake – because you will make the decision this morning – with the rest of your life to do something or ignore the warning. Now’s the time for action, not when we are standing with a bunch of people that don’t look like we do.
That’s my fear is that we will wait until we are standing there for judgment – and we’ll remember a really well developed sermon – and we’ll take our coats off and grab some bottled water and start handing them out. Church, it doesn’t work like that. We need to do something about our faith and do something about it – right now. Let’s pray.
I have the powerpoint that goes along with this sermons -- all the scripture text, and anything repeated back -- Just email me and put this sermon title in the subject line. jaywmc@aol.com
