"the Demons Don't Serve"

“The Demons Don’t Serve”

James 2:1-10, 14-19

When I was a freshman in college I became friends with a really awesome guy named Tim.

The first thing Tim asked me when we met, threw me off a little bit.

He asked, “Are you a Christian?”

I don’t know that I had ever had anyone ask me that before and certainly not another teenager such as myself.

But, since I had grown-up attending church and believed in God I answered “Yes.”

Tim and I started hanging out a lot, and we had a lot in common.

One thing, though, which became apparent to me was that Tim’s definition or interpretation of what a Christian was and my interpretation of what a Christian was were quite different.

Tim was actually living it.

And although Tim never second-guessed my proclamation to him that I was a Christian, it was obvious to me that Tim was “sold out” for Christ whereas I was not.

And, I had never met someone my age that was truly “sold-out” for Christ so Tim became someone with whom I became extremely interested in being around.

In contrast to my other friends, where we were always trying to outdo one another in how bad we could be…

…or whatever…

…Tim was trying to be “good” or to do “good” or to follow Jesus as best he could.

One Friday evening, Tim asked me if I wanted to go downtown with him in order to witness to people.

I had no idea what he meant by this, but I went along anyway.

As we walked down the city streets, Tim would walk up to random strangers and ask them if they knew Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

I just sort of walked along with him and watched.

One group of folks we met up with were a small group of homeless men who were drunk and asking for money.

Tim started sharing his faith with these guys when suddenly one of them said, “I don’t have anywhere to stay tonight, mind if I come sleep at your place?”

Tim thought about it for a few seconds and then said, “Sure, that will be fine. Come along with us.”

At that, the guy stuck out his hand and said, “Don’t worry kid, I don’t want to sleep at your place.

I was just testing you to see if you were for real; now I know you are.”

As we walked away, Tim admitted to me that it had been very difficult for him to say: “Yes,” but that he had been convinced that this is what Jesus wanted him to do.

That is being “sold out for Jesus.”

Eventually, God worked on me through my friendship with Tim.

I saw, for the first time, that it was actually possible for a teenager—for a person my age to not only talk the talk but walk the walk…

…and I wanted to do that as well.

Not too long into our friendship, I became “sold out for Christ” as well and I have never been the same person since.

And I wouldn’t trade that decision-- that experience for all the gold in the world.

It changed my life and the direction of my life forever.

I think this is the kind of thing—being “sold out for Christ”…

…not just talking the talk…

…but walking the walk…

…that James is trying to get across to us this morning.

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?

Can such a faith save them?

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.

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…

…faith, by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

In an old Peanuts comic strip, Charlie Brown and Linus trudge through the snow bundled in fur hats, scarves, gloves and boots.

As they battle the elements, they meet Snoopy.

He’s standing shivering in front of his dog house, looking just plain miserable.

However, Charlie Brown doesn’t do a thing for poor Snoopy except for tell him: “Be of good cheer.”

Linus adds: “Yes, Snoopy, be of good cheer.”

Then they continue on their merry way, leaving Snoopy with what someone has called “a wonderful quizzical look on his face.”

God won’t allow the readers of James Chapter 2 to walk past people who are in dire need, leaving them only with flowery words.

God reminds us, through James, that true Christianity is not just a matter of what we believe or say we believe.

It’s certainly not about the nice words we might sometimes say to people who are needy.