James: Religion That Works
“Seriously”
April 2, 2006
Introduction: Did you ever wonder if the people who wrote the Bible actually expected the readers of the letters to do what they said? I mean, did they really think that what they said was so important? James calls us to seriously consider the things he has written and decide if we are going to put them into action.
James is addressing issues in the first century church. Last week we looked at the problem they were dealing with of bitter envy and selfish ambition. Today we are going to look at the solution James offers and the results that brings.
I. The Conflict
James is writing to Christians. He has been telling them how they are to live their lives to honor God and to get along with one another. Now, he begins to wrap up this concept and this idea with the over riding issue in the life of a follower of God. Today we want to look at some basic key issues to help us understand the heart of James.
1) Conflict with others comes from the basic desire to get our own way.
“Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.” James 4:1-3 (The Message)
Everyone’s life has, at some level conflict. How we deal with conflict and how we approach those we are in conflict with is usually a reflection of the depth of our heart.
Scripture tells us over and over again that we are not to seek our own desires but to lay aside our desires for others.
“An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment.” Proverbs 18:1 (NIV)
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3 (NIV)
The emphasis James makes is that we ask others for things with wrong motives and wrong intentions, but we would never approach God in that manner. Why? Because we are asking for selfish desires.
The term “want your own way” is translated “desires.” The original term is hedone from which we get our word hedonism.
We must learn to seek after more than our selfish desires.
2) Conflict with God comes from our basic desire to have the best of both worlds.
“You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it that "he’s a fiercely jealous lover." And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.” James 4:4-6 (The Message)
As followers of God we often find our desires at conflict with God’s desires. We want what we want because we think that it is better than what God has for us.
Everyday we choose to cheat God or not. We either satisfy the desires of our flesh or of our soul.
We must decide that we are not going to straddle the fence any longer. Everyone is going to struggle with making the right choices. Everyday we face the decision about what and who we are going to follow. However, God has not called us to a life of waffling back and forth.
Purity of heart results in purity of action.
When we choose to follow the culture of the world instead of the culture of Christ, we are saying we believe that what the world has to offer is better than what Christ has to offer.
James is saying that we must begin to loudly object to the plans of the Devil and quietly move into submission to the plans of God.
"So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field.” James 4:7-8 (The Message)
Result of the Devil’s Plan: Result of God’s Plan:
Guilt Grace
Bondage Freedom
Pride Humility
Separation Community
Is there guilt or shame associated with the choices you are making in your life? Are you living in denial of the choices you are making and their consequences? You do not have to live that way.
It’s time for us to be serious about God. It is time for choosing in our lives.
“Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.” James 4: 9-10 (The Message)
God takes sin very seriously. We must begin to see our sin with the same seriousness that God does.
Choosing of God’s plan for our lives instead of Satan’s plan for our lives is called repentance.
It is an agreement between us and God that we cannot do life on our own.
Why must we choose how we are going to live? Why must we make a decision about the direction of our life?
Our choices shape us.
“Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.” Romans 6:16 (NLT)
The thing that we follow in life is what rules our life. If we follow the culture of this world, we are slaves to this world. If we follow our own evil desires, we are slaves to our desires. If we follow the heart and the Word of God, we are slaves to the heart of God.
Our choices influence others. (Shane Corban)
One of the ways our choices can influence others is in what we choose to say about one another. Apparently this speech thing was such a big issue that James had to hit it again just a few chapters after dealing with it the first time. But as you listen to verses 11 and 12, try to dig in to a deeper theme of what James is trying to communicate.
Don’t bad-mouth each other, friends. It’s God’s Word, his Message, his Royal Rule, that takes a beating in that kind of talk. You’re supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all over it. God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny of others? James 4:11, 12 (The Message)
I don’t think James is just communicating another thing to do or not to do here. I see him shifting gears to the why behind the what. He basically says when you do these things you are damaging the message. It’s our message that takes a beating in front of the non-believing world.
So the book of James, on the surface, appears to be a “to do” list in order to be a good Christian. He addresses so many problems in so few chapters in such practical ways. And he uses such a stern and urgent tone throughout. But there was a reason why James was so passionate about action and not simply belief! But I don’t believe to do lists were his main point. I believe the reason that James is so emphatic about doing stuff is because he saw the big picture.
James knew that the non-Jesus following world needed to take notice of the greatest message of hope, restoration, redemption, and real life that they could ever imagine.
And he understood that he and the other early church leaders weren’t the ones who could perpetuate this life-giving message on their own. So these early church members had to learn to relate to, connect to, and love one another as Christ did.
It’s like James is saying, “People, listen up! I didn’t write this stuff down to give you busy work. I’ve dealt with all these issues with you guys (trials and temptations, listening and doing, prejudice, faith and works, controlling your tongue, etc.) because of this one thing:
James told his readers: You are the MESSAGE!
Every time you leave this meeting place you are the message. The scriptures aren’t the message. I mean, the scriptures are the message, but the people out there aren’t reading the scriptures, people are reading you, me, us!
It wasn’t some Christian song writer the first thought of the concept, “you’re the only Jesus some will ever see, you’re the only Bible some will ever read.” It’s been true for a couple of thousand years.
And James knew that if believers couldn’t love each other as Jesus did, then they really had no message at all.
James understood that the credibility of the life and message of Jesus in the eyes of unbelievers was dependent upon the way Christians relate to one another. Somehow their belief and Christian behavior are connected. It’s as if unbelievers are just waiting to believe, but the question is, “Will they see Christians relating to each other in this magnetic, irresistible way? And will that same love seep out of the church and into our communities?”
Francis Schaeffer said, “Our relationship with each other is the criterion the world uses to judge whether our message is truthful—Christian community is the final apologetic.”
So what is James overarching theme in this letter? Love each other as Christ loved us because then and only then can the world see Jesus.
It is when the people of the church surrender their own agendas and give themselves to each other through radical acts of service and compassion, expecting nothing in return, that the message of Jesus is most vividly put on display.
In fact this is the way Jesus said it:
"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples--when they see the love you have for each other." John 13:34, 35 (The Message)
So the point of the book of James for us today is: Learn to love each other! Because WE are the Message!
We have looked at the conflict. Bitter envy and selfish ambition leads to quarrels and fights within the body of Christ because we want our own way. We flirt with the world and its desires for us and our words to each other and about each other damage the message of Christ to the world around us. So, what is the answer?
II. The Resolution
The key to the life God has for us is choosing to submit to Him.
“And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, "Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money." You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that." As it is, you are full of your grandiose selves. All such vaunting self-importance is evil. In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don’t do it, that, for you, is evil.” James 4:13-17 (The Message)
We make our plans and our goals and we get discouraged when they are unmet. We feel like God owes it to us to fall in line with our desires. The reality is that we are all too often full of pride and full of ourselves that we don’t seek after the things of God. We know what is right and many times desire what is right but we simply don’t do what is right.
The key to the life following God is knowing and doing the desires of God.
We must live for God’s purpose and not our plans.
Conclusion: What’s your choice today? Are you choosing to live by your own desires and your own plans? Or are you choosing to live by the freedom that comes from the hand of God?
Dear Jesus,
Today I choose you. I choose to live as the message of hope and life to this world. I choose today to live in freedom and grace and not bondage and shame. This is possible not because of my own self but because of who you are. Today I choose to be serious about you. Amen
If you prayed that prayer today, would you please write on your Response Card: I Choose Jesus!!! If this is your first time to think this way and to take action on this, please fill out the front of this card and let us know that you would like to talk with someone about this choice in your life.
