Relationship Or Religion Series

Help Wanted: Relationship or Religion

James 1:26-27

Good morning, would you turn to James chapter one, the text will be various verses from chapter one.

James is writing to believers.

You would think some of the things he says to them that he would be writing this letter to unbelievers.

James chapter 1:26-27 Read from the Bible

You may have chuckled when you saw the Sermon Series title- Relationship or Religion. You cannot assume that most people know the difference.

You have to define relationship and you have to define religion.

James sets clear boundaries on both. Two things I want you to see in the passage this morning. (1)There is a difference between relationship with God and religion.

(2) There is a difference between Godly wisdom and worldly wisdom.

Very quickly in this conversation, you have to decide from where and how you define wisdom.

Is wisdom from man or is it from God?

Are you a believer or unbeliever?

Do you have a relationship with the Lord or do you have some sort of religion without relationship.

To some these things seem like they would be the same and not matter from what source you get your wisdom… but that is far from the truth.

The book of James is written and speaks to believers. It is filled with practical applications for a believers life, to be enriched/happy/ and walking with the Lord/ strong in your faith.

Religion is what people wear on the outside for all to see.

Having a relationship with God will put feet to your faith and will extend to those that are around you.

With all the disasters happening in the southern states right now with flooding and loss of life, religion would reason that they would have to help themselves. Knowing Christ- we have the eyes of Christ, we see hurting people and we would extend a hand of love to help.

Being in a relationship with Christ, we want to be a part of the solution instead of the problem.

James says- if you cannot control your tongue, your religion is worthless! James 1:26

Religion that God accepts- James 1:26-

Look after widows and orphans

Keep yourself from being polluted from the world.

Paraphrased-

you will help others-

you will keep yourself pure/ different from the world

Listen to what Mark Twain says- I am not even sure he is a Christian.

“Having spent considerable time with good people, I understand why Jesus liked to be with tax collectors and sinners”

Jesus likes real! Relationships are meant to be real- you know me, I know you and we love each other anyway!

James is dealing with the times- he addresses religion because for most religion is external.

It is something you do on the outside at certain times.

Example-

Cleansing your hands, not touching dead things, observing the law (all 613 of them)

James is saying that if the ceremonial washing is more important than the moral washing- you are missing the mark.

If you are going to have a strong walk with God, you are going to have to separate the two.

There are a lot of religions out there that have nothing to do with God at all!!

Most Religion’s in practice that will never take a person to heaven. They have been deceived into believing a lie.

Quote-

Some people have enough religion to make themselves (and others) miserable.”

Most of you know how I feel about theology. There is nothing wrong with it…we need it, but a theologian and a preacher are usually two different people.

Preacher- will take God’s word and present it for the better understanding to the hearer.

Theologian- is constantly breaking down the word to find new avenues, sometimes good but most times bad.

Because in the breakdown process of God’s word they forgot God.

They lost track and become prideful with self attained achievements.

Question-

Do you know someone like that?

Digging into God’s word and ends up distancing themselves because of a lack of faith?

Someone who has gone off to college and lost their faith in the process.

Most people cannot find Godly wisdom because they don’t even look to the Lord when they think of where they will get wisdom.

Most do not know the difference between religion and a relationship with God

James the practical preacher is speaking to believers in the church and he is saying that they don’t need and we don’t need more religion- They need and we need a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.

James begins his letter saying that we as believers and people of faith should be coming to the Lord for our wisdom and decision making about what is going on in our lives. He states that if we are wanting wisdom (Godly wisdom) that God gives to us freely when we ask. He is not hiding answers for the solutions going on in a Christian’s life. We must not doubt that he wants to give us those answers,