James #16

“A Living Faith”
James #16
Pastor Ben Fleming
April 26, 2009

Turn in your bibles to James chapter 5. We are going to examine one verse today. James is finishing his letter to Jewish believers and he again addresses the issue of the tongue. If you remember he opened his letter in chapter 1 verse 26 addressing the tongue “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” You have to agree that God’s people sin more with their tongues than in any other way” --- think about it ------- you cannot do every sin but you can say anything. Stand as we read James chapter 5 again. READ ---- John Terry

Because we are fallen creatures ---- Paul says “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – we are basically liars. You lie to yourself. Children lie to their parents and parents lie to their children. Husbands lie to their wives and wives lie to their husbands. People lie to their employers who in turn lie to them. We lie to each other in a church family. How many times has someone said to you “how are you?” and you did not respond back to them truthfully. I have had people lie to me and think nothing of it. Politicians lie to get elected and continue to lie once they are in office. People lie to the government and perhaps the biggest way that people lie is on their income tax returns. Our society is built on a framework of lies, leading one to wonder if our structure would survive if everyone were forced to speak the truth just one day.

The Christian churches that James was writing to were full of Jewish believers. As young Jewish believers, these Christians were swearing according to O.T. laws in the name of the Lord. They were swearing false oaths – they were swearing to pretend truthfulness of something that they had no intention of maintaining. Kinda of like today when people say things just to please you and they have no intention of following through. Jesus even condemned this action in the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:33-36. His words in verse 37 – ought to wake us up to the seriousness of this warning – “Let what you say be simply Yes or No – anything more than this comes from evil.”

If you are not a man or woman of your word --- if you do not follow through and keep your commitment --- Jesus says being wishy washy is from the devil. Being someone who is undependable - is from the devil. Being someone who says maybe and always keeps their options open --- those actions are from the devil. Jesus says --- we either say yes or no --- in Revelation 3:15 -16 we find these sobering words to the church at Laodicea “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other. So because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Back to James 5:12. In verse 12 --- James commands believers to stop swearing ---------To take an oath and make oaths was a part of the Jewish culture and it was an issue in the church.
In our culture we do the same thing: our yes is not yes and our no is not no --- “how many believers today readily divorce and how many believers jump and change churches for whatever reason”? or How many believers do not follow through on their financial commitments? We think we have the right to keep our options open ---- if we cannot make it --- we see no reason to call someone ---- when we cannot keep our commitment we rationalize and justify any reason to break it. James is simply saying here to God’s people – a simply yes or no should be sufficient from God’s people because God’s people must be people who are faithful to keep their word no matter what. Look with me at the four parts of this command that James gives us:

1. God’s people are expected to keep their word. (vs.12a ) “Above all my brothers,” When James wrote this verse he began it with the words “above all” – he did so to make a distinction between what was going to follow – a teaching on prayer and what he just completed, a teaching on patience. By the way --- did anyone see opportunities to grow in patience this past week??

The word “above all” makes this one verse a command to believers that stands out. James is specifically writing to believers in Jesus Christ. He is not addressing these words to non believers --- he does not expect a non believer to keep their word. He does not expect a non believer to follow through. If James did not expect it ---- neither should you or I. But here ---- the concern is with believers in Jesus Christ. A believer in Jesus Christ is to speak words pleasing to God. A heart that is transformed and being transformed by the Holy Sprit will reveal itself in honest speech. 2x How people speak is a true test of their spiritual state. Words from our mouth shows us the condition of our heart.

Matthew 12:34 “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the heart the mouth speaks.” If you go to a bar ---- you should expect to hear words that are not pleasing to God. You should not expect a non believer to keep their word. Expect them not to show up. Expect them to tell lies and false stories. But God’s people are to tell the truth – their yes is yes and their no is no --- they are expected and commanded to keep their word. They are people who follow through with their commitments. PART #2

2. God’s people are commanded not to swear or take an oath in the name of God. (vs. 12b) “do not swear – not be heaven or by earth or anything else.” How many times have you heard someone say to you “I swear to you that what I am saying is true”. “I swear that I will pay you back.” I swear to you that I am not lying. James is not talking here about swearing – taking the Lord’s name in vain or dirty talk or using four letter words. In the book of Ephesians the apostle Paul addresses that: look on your outline.

Ephesians 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only is what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” You do not have to speak cuss words as a believer like everyone else does at work or school --- the scripture says here more than cuss words ---- it uses the word unwholesome talk ---- words that do not benefit those who hear your words. We are to build up those around us with our words. We are to build people up at work – a customer – a classmate at school-------- what kind of words do you speak????

My dad went to church every Sunday – but from Monday – Friday he went to Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp to work as a supervisor in the foil department. When he came home from work --- we grew up hearing cuss words again and again. I only understood why my dad was that way when I got to work at Kaiser one summer in college. That was all he heard at work…he brought it home with him. Who you walk with ----who you talk with ---- who you sit with it what you become like….. Psalm 1 tells us that……. I got off the focus of James words…. He is not writing about unwholesome talk……..

James is talking to God’s people about swearing an oath. In his day – the Jewish people had developed a complex system of swearing oaths ---- it was a time when there was no such thing as a written contract --- an oath served as an agreement between people. To take an oath was to attest that what was said was true – and you were calling God to witness such and if you violated it you were asking God for punishment if you broke your word. The bible does not forbid a believer from taking an oath. James is simply saying that a believer must not make an oath to deceive others --- they must not make an oath they have no intention of following through and a believer must not make an oath without considering the ramifications of what that oath means. I can think of three verbal oaths that I have sworn ---- when I said yes to the pastor – my family – to God and to my fiancée Cheryl on August 30 1980 that I would stay married to her for better or worse – and then on May 12, 1994 – I was ordained into the ministry as a pastor by Crestview Baptist Church – I took an oath that I would faithfully preach the Word of God in season and out of season and then in 2003 I swore an oath on the witness stand in a murder trial. James is not talking about those kind of a situations. Look at point #3 with me. He is saying that

3. God’s people are people of integrity who keep their word. (vs. 12c) “let your yes by yes, and your no…” James is saying here that God’s people do not need to be people who say I promise or I swear. God’s people must be people who say yes and no and that is enough. Why is that important? Why can’t I just say maybe? Why do I have to follow through? Why is it so important to keep my word? I believer that we have become a culture where when someone does not come through – if the one who was hurt by the lack of commitment by the other person questions or confronts them --- they are considered intolerant….. “how dare you think I am wrong just because I changed my yes to a no or I did not show up like I said I would – I said I was sorry” We must be a people whose yes is yes and no is no.

Let me make this personal: As I came to this point I received a phone call from someone I was suppose to meet at a certain time. I told him I would meet him. I forgot. I got in my car and drove right away to met him and was 5 min late. My yes was wishy washy. On my way back from the meeting I thought about it. I had told him yes --- because I did not want to let him down. The reason he wanted to meet with me was not really a burden on my heart --- but I did not want to disappoint him so I said yes and when I got busy because it was not really important to me I forgot……………. You have done the same thing. Over the years people tell me yes – because they want to look good in the Pastors eyes or they do not want to let me down and then they do not show up and they have a great excuse to give me when they see me the next time.

James says --- let your yes be yes and your no be no. If you are not a man or woman of God who keeps your word then you quickly become someone who cannot be counted on. You become someone who is thought little of. You have no impact for Christ. You become someone who cannot be trusted to come through. But you also have people who say yes all the time and you have people who say no all the time --- both are wrong. Paul wrote in Ephesians

Ephesians 4:25 “Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”

Paul is specifically talking about those in the body of Christ. He is talking about a church family. He says stop lying to each other. Stop telling each other everything is all right and inside you are depressed and discouraged. Stop standing alone by yourself and let another believer into your life. Start obeying Galatians 6 and allow others to carry your burdens. Stop telling others you will be at the bible study or you will help with the outreach and you really have no intentions of following through. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Why in the world did God go to the trouble to have Paul write in the bible “speak truthfully to his neighbor – for we are all members of one body?” He is not talking about your neighbor where you live – he is talking about who is sitting right next to you this morning. You know that because the verse says “for we are all members of one body”. The only people who are members of that body are those who are members of the body of Christ – and in the context of the verse…. he is talking about a local church family – the church at Ephesus. Every Christian believer is to be a member of a local church family or body. When they are in that body they are to speak truthfully to each other ----- sometimes folks ----- truth telling hurts. It hurts to have someone tell you the truth about what they see in you or what you are doing. I do not like having someone in this church family telling me the truth about myself and I do not like telling someone else the truth about themselves…. but we are commanded to that in the Word of God. So --- why must we learn to let our yes be yes and our no be no?

Think about it: I want to believe you when you tell me you are going to do something ----- Kids… your parents want to believe you --- they do not want to think their kid is a liar…. Husbands, your wife wants to believe you. I do not want people telling me yes and they really could care less if they are going to follow through. I wish they would say NO --- and I definitely do not want someone swearing to me or promising me something. Ok #4 why obey James command?

4. People will be judged when they continue to disobey. (vs. 12d) “or you will be condemned”. The NIV uses the word condemned - the best translation is judged. We know that a believer will not be condemned because Romans 8:1 tells us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” In Exodus 20:7 Moses wrote, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain” When you swear falsely you take the Lord’s name in vain. The judgment or condemnation that James is writing here about is not a punishment upon believers. He is simply saying that those who continue to lie – those who continue to swear falsely and have pattern of lying in their lives are giving evidence of a false faith. If you remember when I began the book of James I told you that his theme was “A living faith” – those who continue to lie and swear do not have a living faith. Someone whose word is consistently not yes and no --- James is saying that they will be judged. Jesus put it this way…

John 8:44 “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Is your life characterized by truth telling? Do you have a desire to be a truth teller? You are not perfect and you do lie --- but is truth telling a desire of yours and part of your life? Let your yes be yes and your no be no. How can you apply this verse in your life? I have three points for you.

Application Points:
1. Keep your marriage oath. Malachi 3:16 “I hate divorce, says the Lord God of Israel”. Have you done and are you doing everything you can to keep your marriage oath? People never fall out of love – they choose to not love. The grass is never greener on the other side it is only green where you water it. Parents are you teaching your children what a biblical marriage is? How many so called Christian parents encourage their children to date? American dating is not biblical. Fathers, what are you teaching your daughters? What must the boy be who marries your daughter be? Buy the book “What he must be who wants to marry my daughter men and read it.” My pastors handbook for weddings gives this oath – “Will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together after God’s commands in the holy estate of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsake all others, and stay only with her, so long as you both shall live?” An oath that demands a response. Yes or No. The end of the Christian ceremony says “those whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” Let your yes be yes.

2. Your church family. Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:4-5 “As you come to Him, the living Stone – rejected by God and precious to Him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood….” (PHOTO) This is the card we made for you to use to invite people to SHCC. Notice the stone wall. Peter says --- God’s plan is that His children (living stones) are being built into a spiritual house ----- that spiritual house is a local group of Christians (called a church) who are being built together with other Christians. Notice that this wall has every stone in place. (Blank). It is not God’s plan for a stone to be pulled out of a wall and run to another wall. It is not God’s plan for a stone to say – well I do not like the stone I am next to --- I am going to find some smoother stones. The bible clearly teaches that a believer is to keep their oath to a church family because Christ is committed to the church. A living stone will never become what God intends for it to be when it is constantly changing its spiritual house every few years. Nor will it become what God intends for it to be when it hides from the other stones. (PHOTO) You end up with a spiritual house like this wall. Where are the stone to fit in those gaps? Let your yes be yes and your no be no

3. Your finances . Are your finances pleasing to God? Do you operate your finances according to the principles of the world? Are your bills paid on time? Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Do you rob God? Let your yes be yes and your no be no or you will be condemned.”

4. Chose what you say yes to and do it.

Let us pray