Faith Amidst Unbelief: The Transformation of James

Now think about this the the blessing of a family in which you are loved, supported, and affirmed not everyone has this but I want you to think about what a great blessing that is you face enormous pressure enormous trouble in the world but you know that when you come home you have the love you have the support you have the understanding of those who are with you and those who love you it was not like that for Jesus. [00:02:09]

So I want to say straight away as we bring this into our own lives if you have a brother a sister other family members who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and there's tension in the family because of that the Lord Jesus Christ knows what that is like he knows what it is to live in a divided family his mother of course believed in him but we're told very specifically and clearly here that that was not the case when it came to his brothers. [00:03:20]

Now after the accounts that we have in scripture of the birth of Jesus and you remember the account of the visit that the family made to Jerusalem when our Lord Jesus was just 12 years old after these accounts we don't hear anything from Joseph in the gospels and that has led many people to speculate that Joseph died early in life especially since if you remember when Jesus was on the cross just before he died he commended his mother to the care of John his disciple a clear indication that at that point Joseph was no longer living. [00:03:54]

Now what we're looking at in the Bible today is this remarkable account in John chapter 7 of an occasion where these brothers who do not believe in Jesus actually try and tell him what they think he should do and remember the context this is why John chapter 6 is so important this is a point in the ministry of Jesus where this vast crowd has simply walked away and so now here come the brothers and they have the answer they know how Jesus can do better. [00:05:32]

Here's what you need to do you need to go where the movers and the shakers are moved to Judea and of course what that meant was especially where they were going which was the great city of Jerusalem and having given him their advice with regards to location they now give him advice with regards to objective verse four here's their reason no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly notice the assumption you want to be known openly don't you. [00:07:00]

Now let us be clear Jesus will show himself to the world amen he will do this one day in power and in splendor and in glory and that they cannot come too quickly behold he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him he will show himself to the world they will see the son of man Jesus says coming on the clouds with great power and glory and when the son of man is revealed from heaven he will come with his mighty angels and with flaming fire. [00:13:42]

Now friends the big aha moment for me this week I've never seen this before or connected these things before this week but the thing that came with great force to me pondering the scriptures this week was to look again at the book of James in the light of what we know about him from John in chapter seven so let me read to you some words that were written under the inspiration of the spirit by James and and give you perhaps just a little commentary on what he wrote under the inspiration of the scripture of the spirit. [00:20:29]

Imagine James writing that under the inspiration of the spirit you see I think if he was here today he'd say something like this oh I blush to think that I once thought that I could tell Jesus what to do I mean there was no meekness in me then I was all about myself I thought I was so wise and I spoke like a fool there was a time when I actually thought he didn't know what he was doing I thought I could be the one to tell him how to succeed. [00:21:44]

I struggled with jealousy bitter jealousy I know what that is but you know there came a time when I figured there's an upside in every trial and I remember thinking now if he shows himself to the world this might not be all bad there could be something in it for me I'm his brother after all so I said show yourself to the world and looking back I am so glad that he did not listen to me yes one day he will unveil his glory and every eye will see him. [00:23:47]

But if like James you give up the agenda of showing yourself to the world and become truly a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ you will find that he frees your heart from bitter jealousy and from selfish ambition and that the good fruit of purity and peace and gentleness and mercy actually begin to grow in your heart and that's the hope that Jesus Christ holds out for all who will come to him and embrace him truly as Lord and as Savior. [00:34:24]

He gave himself in love for us so that you should not spend your life locked up in bitter jealousy selfish ambition but rather you would be able to give yourself in love to others he died for all that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and rose so follow the example of James stop trying to tell Jesus what he should be doing trade in a life that's about how I'm going to make my mark in the world. [00:36:47]

Father unlock hard bitter hearts today and change us by the grace and mercy that is found in Jesus that with living faith renewed hope and the knowledge of your amazing love that we may be transformed into the likeness of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit for it is in Christ's name that we pray amen. [00:37:56]