James #1

A Living Faith
James #1
December 7
Pastor Ben Fleming

Video Clip: The woman in this video knew what a real faith in Jesus Christ was all about. She knew what it meant to have a living faith – even in the face of the loss of her husband and child. Every believer in this room can have a living faith. We want to become a church family that is biblically healthy and the way for that to happen is for everyone to know and understand and experience a real living faith. Notice I say ---- know ---- understand and experience a real living faith. That is what James is writing about. For some of us, we do not have a living, saving faith. For some of us, having a living faith is brand new to us and for some of us it has been going on for some time….. We are starting a new series and I am giving it the name “A living faith”. Rebecca Brady --- God wants you to have a living faith. Marcella – God wants you to have a living faith. Andrew Thomas – God wants you to have and experience a living faith. Tiegen --- you can have a living faith. This is the name of the series because that is the theme of the book that we are going study – the book of James. Turn to the book would you. It comes right after the book of Hebrews and before the book of 1 Peter. Today is an introduction message.

Author: There were several named James in the New Testament. Mark 1:19 says, James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John – he was the James of the inner circle of John and Peter but he was executed by Herod in AD 44. and then there was James, the son of Alphaeus – one of the original disciples. And then there was James the father of Judas, ….but none of these men are considered the James who authored this letter. This James, was someone well known with a position, and authority in the early church. James – the brother of Jesus is the obvious choice. Most sound bible scholars agree. What changed the skeptical younger brother of Jesus into being a committed follower of Jesus and an outspoken leader of the early church? (John 7:5) Says that even his own brothers did not believe in Him. But then we know that later, James saw his brother dead on the cross and then he saw his brother alive. Something had happened --- He experienced a living faith.

Place: James most likely wrote this letter while he was in the city of Jerusalem – at that time it looked something like these photos – PHOTO 1 and then the second one is a real PHOTO 2 of a part of old Jerusalem. (BLANK) The Temple was there and the early church was there. When James wrote these words the city was in religious turmoil – the Pharisees and the Saducees and the hate filled high priest – was still on the move. Christians would have been persecuted. Remember also that Jerusalem would have been under Roman domination and (PHOTO 3) Herod the Great had been appointed King of the Jews by Augustus in 40A.D. (PHOTO 4) This was the temple that he built and James and the new Christians would have met for worship outside of this temple in the collonades or porches.

Setting: Acts 11:28 tells us that Jerusalem was very poor. It had become that way because of the Roman greed, the heavy taxes and the famine that was in the area. The Christians in this city were very poor. James had to write the letter sometime before AD 62 when he was martyrded.

Audience: James wrote the book “to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” Even before Christ – the Jewish nation had been scattered across the face of the earth three times. I knew this, but I was personally surprised to read about a Jewish center in the city of Mombai India – a Hindu and Muslim nation today. The diaspora or dispersion is what the scattering of the Jews is known as and each year those who could make the journey back to Jerusalem for the Passover would do so – this is why so many from many nations were in Jerusalem at Pentecost in the beginning of the book of Acts…….. Christianity is Jewish. Mary was Jewish. Joseph was Jewish – Jesus lived in Jewish home for 30 years and His first public ministry was to the Jews. As God’s chosen nation --- God called them to repent and put their faith in Jesus. James is writing to all Jews every where who had put their faith in Jesus and especially he is writing to you and me….. he is writing so that we can have a living faith. Please stand as we read James chapter one. Phil

Counterfeiting is a major problem in our country. We even have a new name for it – knockoffs. My sister was excited to go to New York with her husband to see the Yankees play because she knew that he would take her after the game into the back streets of New York to get a designer knockoff handbag. Forged money, credit cards, jewelry, perfume, works of art and everything of value is passed off as the genuine to deceive those unaware. Something that you think is valuable must be examined to determine if it is genuine. This is what James writes about --- having a living faith – having a saving faith and what does it look like.

The most valuable possession that you can have is a saving faith. Every parent in this room wants their child to have a saving faith. A right relationship to a living God who promises those who truly put their faith in Him ----- is the most valuable possession that you can every have in your life. There is no relationship in your life --- there is no job --- there is no house or status that you can ever have or obtain that is any more valuable than having a saving living faith. Time and time again in the bible we are told to examine our lives and test our faith and see if it is genuine. You can be sincere in your faith and be sincerely wrong and deceived. Satan is the master counterfeiter of saving faith. 2 Cor 11: 14 -15 says that He and his angels of light deceive the unwary. James writes this letter to make certain that God’s people are not deceived. He writes the letter to encourage them to examine their lives. James wants the people to have a saving living faith.

What kinds of faith are there?

1. Religious faith. This is someone who believes that their concept of salvation is the right one and their concept actually is taking them on the way to eternal damnation. I know someone who attends church every Wednesday night and yet they do not believe that Jesus is the only way to God. A religious faith is also someone who believes they are a good person and that there is some good in them and that God accepts them because of their goodness. They say to themselves, “ I attend church – I take communion – I give money – I have been baptized – I am a member of the church and I teach Sunday school – all this must make me acceptable in God’s sight.” John puts it very clear about those who had a religious faith in the gospel of John.

John 12:42 – 43 “… the Pharisees would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise from men more than praise from God.” Do you have a religious faith? I know a woman who attends church every Sunday and takes communion every Sunday and yet she does not own a bible or read a bible – but she claims that she knows God.

2. Demonic faith. Satan and his angels are the masters of a demonic deception of faith. They can even make spiritual people heal people – they can delude people into doing things that seem godly. Acts chapter 5. Ananias and Sapphira were deceived by a demonic faith. Vs. 3 “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and kept for yourself some money you received for the land.” A church going husband and wife were deceived by Satan – their faith was demonic. In Matthew 4:10 Jesus said to Satan “away from me, Satan. For it is written :Worship the Lord your God; and serve Him only.” Worship of anything other than Jesus is a demonic faith. My brother Bill attends church – he goes to please his wife and his father in law but my brother goes to meet people who could be future customers and he goes to increase his status in the business world – he does not worship Jesus. John records a shocking example of demonic faith in John 13:2 “The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.” Think about it: A man who walked and talked with Jesus for 3 years had demonic faith. Judas did not have saving faith. He did not have a living faith.

So --- let’s look at the third one --- a saving faith. What does it really mean to have a saving faith? The apostle Paul tells us to examine ourselves and see if we are in the faith. Not all of us have a saving faith. Some of us have a religious faith and some of us have a demonic faith…… We are going close today with communion ---- if you do not examine yourself and you go ahead and take communion the bible says you are bringing judgment upon yourself. In the book of Haggi – the prophet tells us to “Consider your ways”. Paul says to “examine yourself” --- so what does it mean to have a saving faith?

3. Saving Faith. Ask yourself some questions. I have six questions for you. Be serious and sober and honest with God and with yourself.

* Can you identify any change in your life. Acts 26:20 “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.” Can you identify any changes in your life? Paul said that you prove to yourself that you have saving faith by looking at the changed deeds in your life. The most obvious is your actions and your attitudes. It does not mean that you are perfect and that you have tons and tons of changes in your life – but if you have saving faith, can you identify any sin that you have stopped or it is getting less in your life? Are you convicted over sin and do you respond to that conviction? Second question………..

* Can you identify any good works that you do or have done? We are going to get into saving faith and good works in James chapter 2. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” If you are one of the we that Paul is writing about – you are God’s workmanship and He created you in Christ to do good works and it is God who prepared the good works for you to do. So – do you know the good works that God has prepared for you? You can do good works and many people do…. but are you doing the ones that God has prepared? James says that if you have saving faith --- the good works that God has prepared for you to do is going to be a result of that saving faith. 3rd question

* Can you identify obedience to the commands of God in your life? Saving faith means obedience to God. It means a righteous life. Loving other believers 1 John 2:3 “We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands” Saving faith means that I obey the commands of God. Do I really care about obeying God?? Ask yourself…… 1John 2: 5- 6 “If anyone obey His Word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him. Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” Saving faith means that I want to obey God and there are times of obedience that I can identify in my life. Saving faith means that I care about knowing God’s Word so that I can obey it --- and this leads us into the next question. #4

* Do you have a genuine commitment to the Word of God. Jesus put it this way in the sermon on the mountain in Matthew 5:17 -20 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tells you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Does that not tell you that what God has given us in the Bible is vital to have a living faith. You cannot have a living faith and care nothing about the bible. You cannot have a living faith and have no interest or desire for the bible. We are all busy and I know that the discipline of bible reading is hard to do --- but that is no excuse. If you have no interest or desire for the Word of God you ought to question if you have real saving faith. #5

* Do you have a biblical view of money and possessions. You cannot have saving faith and have a worldly view of money and possessions. Matthew 6:19 - 24 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy - no one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” We have spent the last 7 weeks studying the issue of money and possessions in our lives – if you think you have a living faith….. then that has to be shown in your finances. What are you doing to get your finances in shape? What areas of how you deal with your finances are you repenting of? November was our healthiest giving month in 6 months – so obviously many of you are getting serious about this area of your life. But let me ask you…… how much are you going to go into debt this Christmas so that you can buy presents? Are you really serious about budgeting and doing without and cutting the wants out of your life? A living faith has and experiences a biblical view of money and possessions in ones life. #6

* Do you have a biblical view of relationships. Matthew 7:1 – 5 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” As we prepare to take communion --- Is there someone in this room that you have a plank in your eye against? Is there a relationship in your life that you have cut that person off and if they came into this room you could not give them a hug? Saving faith forgives others. A living faith does not wall off people in ones life. It does not mean that you sometimes have challenges with relationships but saving faith reaches out and loves those who are un -loveable - you love those you do not like being around….. That is a living faith. Saving faith means that you have real relationships in a local church family ----I rejoiced when I found out that Steve and Sandy Taylor left SHCC in June and by November they had found a church home and got involved in a small group BS. A living saving faith means that you have a biblical view of relationships and you see how vital they are for your life.

James knew all these points and that is what He is teaching in this letter that he wrote to the 12 tribes scattered abroad. As you prepare to worship God through remembering the death and ressurectoin of His Son Jesus Christ look with me briefly at the opening words of James.

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” James does not call himself a brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. He calls himself a servant.

The word servant is found many many times in the New Testament. It is the word in the Greek language doulos. This is what James calls himself. If you have a saving faith or a living faith you should be able to call yourself and think of yourself in the same way that James wrote about himself.

The Greek word that James used for servant implies 4 things:

A Servant of God

1. It implies absolute obedience. A servant knows no law but their masters word. They know they have no rights of their own. They have given their rights up to their master. Have you given your rights up to your master Jesus?

2. It implies absolute humility. Being a servant is someone who thinks not of privileges’ but duties.
Their faith in Jesus causes them to serve Him and obey Him out of a humble love and attitude for Him.

3. It implies absolute loyalty. Personal gain and preference does not enter into the calculations. Their loyalty as a slave of Jesus causes them to set aside their own preferences – wants and desires.

When a person who has saving faith and demonstrates the character of a servant in a church family they put others first – they put aside their own preferences. #4 being a servant……….

4. It implies a certain pride. The one greatness to which a Christian can aspire is to that of being a slave of God. If you are a slave of Christ then you are not ashamed of your master. You will stand up for your master – you talk about your master and you are proud to be called His.