by weareclctinley on Jul 14, 2024
### Summary
Today, we delved into the second chapter of James, focusing on the theme of "Faith in Action." James, one of the earliest books of the New Testament, addresses Jewish Christians scattered across the known world, urging them to live out their faith practically. The church at that time faced numerous challenges, including financial difficulties and social discrimination. James specifically warns against showing favoritism, particularly towards the rich, as it contradicts Jesus' teachings. He emphasizes that true faith is not just a belief but is demonstrated through actions.
James uses the example of a rich man being given a place of honor in Christian gatherings while the poor are marginalized. This behavior, prevalent in non-Christian environments, should not be found in the church. He calls out prejudice, racism, and bigotry, urging believers to treat everyone with grace, regardless of their differences. Real faith, according to James, is not just about words but is shown through our daily actions.
James further illustrates this by stating that faith without works is dead. He uses examples from the Bible, such as Abraham and Rahab, to show how their faith was demonstrated through their actions. Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac and Rahab's protection of the Israelite spies are both acts of faith that honored God.
In practical terms, James encourages us to help those in need, not just with words but with tangible actions. Whether it's providing food, clothing, or emotional support, our faith should be evident in how we treat others. He also emphasizes the importance of studying the Word of God and prayer as foundational to living out our faith.
Finally, James challenges us to make serving others a lifestyle, to be alert to the Holy Spirit's nudges, and to act on them. Whether it's through missions, ongoing ministry, or daily acts of kindness, our faith should be a living, active force in our lives.
### Key Takeaways
1. **Faith and Favoritism**: James warns against showing favoritism, especially towards the rich, as it contradicts Jesus' teachings. True faith treats everyone with grace, regardless of their economic status, race, or political views. This is a call to eliminate prejudice, racism, and bigotry from our lives and to treat everyone with equal respect and love. [57:50]
2. **Faith in Action**: Real faith is not just a belief or words but is demonstrated through our actions. James emphasizes that faith without works is dead. Our daily lives should reflect our faith through acts of kindness, support, and love towards others. This is a call to live out our faith practically, every day, not just in church. [01:01:35]
3. **Biblical Examples of Faith**: James uses the examples of Abraham and Rahab to illustrate faith in action. Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac and Rahab's protection of the Israelite spies are acts of faith that honored God. These examples show that faith, regardless of one's background or relationship with God, is demonstrated through actions. [01:17:14]
4. **Practical Help**: James challenges us to help those in need, not just with words but with tangible actions. Whether it's providing food, clothing, or emotional support, our faith should be evident in how we treat others. This is a call to be proactive in our kindness and to meet the needs of those around us. [01:07:39]
5. **Living Faith as a Lifestyle**: Faith should be a lifestyle, not just a Sunday activity. This involves studying the Word of God, prayer, and being alert to the Holy Spirit's nudges. Serving others should be a regular part of our faith walk, whether through missions, ongoing ministry, or daily acts of kindness. [01:28:12]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[54:40] - Introduction and Gratitude
[55:15] - Context of James' Letter
[56:00] - Challenges Faced by Early Christians
[57:00] - Warning Against Favoritism
[58:45] - Call to Eliminate Prejudice
[01:00:46] - Real Faith is Action
[01:02:11] - Faith Works
[01:03:01] - Faith Without Works is Dead
[01:04:29] - Saving Faith vs. Living Faith
[01:06:30] - Practical Examples of Faith in Action
[01:08:42] - Tangible Acts of Kindness
[01:12:07] - Personal Experiences
[01:13:25] - Avoiding Christian Platitudes
[01:14:41] - Demonstrating Faith Through Works
[01:17:14] - Biblical Examples: Abraham and Rahab
[01:19:33] - Continuous Growth in Faith
[01:20:30] - Challenges of Faithful Living
[01:21:38] - Rahab's Faith in Action
[01:22:55] - Honoring God Through Faith Actions
[01:23:51] - Living Faith as a Lifestyle
[01:25:29] - How to Have Living Faith
[01:26:29] - Importance of the Word of God
[01:27:24] - Prayer and Compassion
[01:28:12] - Getting Involved in Ministry
[01:29:20] - Being Alert to the Holy Spirit
[01:31:08] - Acts of Kindness and Encouragement
[01:32:13] - Making Faith a Daily Practice
[01:33:41] - Prophetic Words and Prayer
[01:37:14] - Closing Prayer and Worship
### Bible Study Discussion Guide: Faith in Action
#### Bible Reading
1. James 2:8-9 (ESV) - "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors."
2. James 2:14-17 (ESV) - "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
3. James 2:26 (ESV) - "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead."
#### Observation Questions
1. According to James 2:8-9, what is the "royal law" and how does showing partiality contradict it? [57:50]
2. In James 2:14-17, what example does James use to illustrate faith without works? [01:06:30]
3. How does James 2:26 compare faith without works to a body without a spirit? [01:23:51]
4. What are the two biblical examples James uses to demonstrate faith in action? [01:17:14]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does James emphasize that showing favoritism, especially towards the rich, is a sin? How does this relate to the teachings of Jesus? [57:50]
2. How does the example of providing tangible help to those in need (James 2:14-17) challenge common Christian platitudes? [01:08:42]
3. What does James mean when he says that faith without works is dead? How does this concept challenge the idea of faith being merely a belief? [01:03:01]
4. How do the examples of Abraham and Rahab illustrate the principle that faith is demonstrated through actions? [01:17:14]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you might have shown favoritism or partiality. How can you actively work to treat everyone with equal respect and love, regardless of their status or background? [57:50]
2. Think of a specific person in your life who is in need. What tangible action can you take this week to help them, rather than just offering words of comfort? [01:07:39]
3. How can you incorporate acts of kindness and support into your daily routine to ensure that your faith is evident through your actions? [01:01:35]
4. Abraham and Rahab both demonstrated their faith through significant actions. What is one step of faith you feel God is calling you to take, even if it seems challenging or risky? [01:17:14]
5. James encourages us to make serving others a lifestyle. What are some practical ways you can be more alert to the Holy Spirit's nudges and act on them in your daily life? [01:28:12]
6. How can you ensure that your acts of faith are not just duties but are driven by genuine compassion and love? What specific prayer can you pray to ask God for His heart for the broken and wounded? [01:27:24]
7. Identify an ongoing ministry or mission that you can commit to regularly. How can you make serving others a consistent part of your faith walk? [01:28:12]
Day 1: Faith and Favoritism
James warns against showing favoritism, especially towards the rich, as it contradicts Jesus' teachings. True faith treats everyone with grace, regardless of their economic status, race, or political views. This is a call to eliminate prejudice, racism, and bigotry from our lives and to treat everyone with equal respect and love. James uses the example of a rich man being given a place of honor in Christian gatherings while the poor are marginalized. This behavior, prevalent in non-Christian environments, should not be found in the church. He calls out prejudice, racism, and bigotry, urging believers to treat everyone with grace, regardless of their differences. Real faith, according to James, is not just about words but is shown through our daily actions. [57:50]
James 2:1-4 (ESV): "My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, 'You sit here in a good place,' while you say to the poor man, 'You stand over there,' or, 'Sit down at my feet,' have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?"
Reflection: Think of a time when you may have shown favoritism or prejudice. How can you actively work to treat everyone with equal respect and love today?
Day 2: Faith in Action
Real faith is not just a belief or words but is demonstrated through our actions. James emphasizes that faith without works is dead. Our daily lives should reflect our faith through acts of kindness, support, and love towards others. This is a call to live out our faith practically, every day, not just in church. James further illustrates this by stating that faith without works is dead. He uses examples from the Bible, such as Abraham and Rahab, to show how their faith was demonstrated through their actions. Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac and Rahab's protection of the Israelite spies are both acts of faith that honored God. [01:01:35]
James 2:17-18 (ESV): "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
Reflection: Identify one specific action you can take today to demonstrate your faith. How can you show kindness, support, or love to someone in your life?
Day 3: Biblical Examples of Faith
James uses the examples of Abraham and Rahab to illustrate faith in action. Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac and Rahab's protection of the Israelite spies are acts of faith that honored God. These examples show that faith, regardless of one's background or relationship with God, is demonstrated through actions. Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac and Rahab's protection of the Israelite spies are both acts of faith that honored God. These examples show that faith, regardless of one's background or relationship with God, is demonstrated through actions. [01:17:14]
Hebrews 11:31 (ESV): "By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies."
Reflection: Reflect on a biblical character whose faith inspires you. How can you emulate their faith through your actions today?
Day 4: Practical Help
James challenges us to help those in need, not just with words but with tangible actions. Whether it's providing food, clothing, or emotional support, our faith should be evident in how we treat others. This is a call to be proactive in our kindness and to meet the needs of those around us. James encourages us to help those in need, not just with words but with tangible actions. Whether it's providing food, clothing, or emotional support, our faith should be evident in how we treat others. [01:07:39]
1 John 3:17-18 (ESV): "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."
Reflection: Think of someone in your community who is in need. What tangible action can you take today to help meet their needs?
Day 5: Living Faith as a Lifestyle
Faith should be a lifestyle, not just a Sunday activity. This involves studying the Word of God, prayer, and being alert to the Holy Spirit's nudges. Serving others should be a regular part of our faith walk, whether through missions, ongoing ministry, or daily acts of kindness. James challenges us to make serving others a lifestyle, to be alert to the Holy Spirit's nudges, and to act on them. Whether it's through missions, ongoing ministry, or daily acts of kindness, our faith should be a living, active force in our lives. [01:28:12]
Colossians 3:17 (ESV): "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Reflection: How can you incorporate acts of service into your daily routine? What steps can you take to make serving others a regular part of your faith walk?
**Second Chapter of James in Our Series**
I'll tell you how beautiful you look. I want to welcome you, and I want to thank everyone who's joining us online for taking the time to be with us. But I'm really, really, really—I just have to do this—I am so thankful for two special people who are in our service today. Their family, you guys, we just love you so much.
So, I really am excited about this series that we're doing on the book of James. We've never done this before, you know, taking one book of the Bible and really discovering the treasures that are within it. Now, James is probably the oldest—or let me put it this way—the earliest written book in the New Testament. It was written between 40 and 50 A.D., and James addressed his letter to the Jewish Christians that were scattered across the known world.
And I'll tell you what, last week, I'm sure the first chapter because it is so rich with wisdom. But now today, we're going to go to the second chapter of James. So if you want to turn there, you can just stay there because that's where we're going to be focusing all of our time today.
Now, the church was under a lot of money employment. Having just been in Turkey working with Iranian refugees, I think I have a better understanding now of what it was like for them. It was not easy for the Jewish Christians; it really wasn't. It was a problem on so many different levels, including... I think that's why James urged his readers not to show favoritism or partiality by using the specific example of a rich person coming into their Christian gatherings.
So James asked the question, why should a rich man, a rich person, get a place of honor while the poor are made to sit on the floor or stand in the back? Why? You know, I don't know. Maybe they thought, because of their financial problem, they probably thought, "Oh, this person, this rich man, he is the answer to our prayers."
How many have ever looked at someone? No, I don't admit that. Don't admit that. But, you know, they might have thought, I don't know. What I really do know, though, is that the tendency to show more kindness to the rich than to the poor was very prevalent in non-Christian environments in James' day. But it was not consistent with Jesus' teachings at all.
And that's why James said, you know, was trying to say, "Okay, that stuff's in the world, but it better not be in the church." Everybody say, "Better not be in the church."
Reading now from James chapter number 2, verses 8 and 9: "If you really fulfilled the royal law according to Scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. You're doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors."
That's harsh. I mean, doesn't that seem harsh to you? But it definitely was a warning to them and also a warning to us that we should not show partiality. And what I'm saying is prejudice—prejudice, racism, bigotry. When we put our faith into action, we should purposely put down any type of prejudice that we may have in our lives and learn to treat everyone, everyone, with grace, regardless of the differences that separate us, like differences in economic situations or education or culture or race or political views.
You know what, Christians? There should be no trash talking about people who see things differently than you. Period. I wrote this message while I was in Turkey, and when I came home to all the news that's been happening this week, I thought, "Oh God, you said it." No, no trash. We should be treating people with grace because James encourages us to live out our faith practically with mercy, mercy and no form of favoritism.
I know, I know, I know, I know. It's easy to hang with people who think just like you. I mean, and you can talk about, you know, stuff. And you know, yeah, they're gonna agree with you because they believe just like you. It's harder to go beyond those barriers and talk with people who do not think like you do.
You guys were amening me more than time. Okay, I'm just getting off on a soapbox. I'm gonna get back off, and we're gonna spend our time in James. But you see, here's what I want you to understand: that real faith is not just a belief. It's not just a belief. It's just not words. Real faith is action. It's the way we live our lives every single day, not just when we're in church and we're really dressed nice. We've got our best behavior on. We're saying amen to everything the pastor says. No, all the time.
Real faith is demonstrated by our actions. And that's what really the rest of chapter two is all about. And it's gonna be the focus of this message today: faith in action. Okay? And faith works. That's our first point: faith works. And this goes along with the main theme of James' letter that honestly, genuine faith in God is going to produce genuinely changed lives.
Turn to your neighbor and say, "Hey, how changed are you?" Those of us who have received the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus are supposed to act out the truth—not that faith every day in the lives. According to James, faith that doesn't produce change, faith that doesn't work is not faith.
I mean, you know, sometimes we kind of play lip service to this. I want us to really get a hold of this, that faith work is not even faith. That's what the word says. Now understand that works do not save us. Okay? But works reveal the character and the quality of our faith.
I'm reading now from James 2, verse 14: "What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith, but you don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?" That's what James is laying out his case. He said faith without actions, you know, in other words, simply believing in God is not enough.
Everybody from the front to the back, just believing in God is not enough. He mentions, you know, the devils even believe in God. And they shudder, they tremble. So yeah, believing in God is not enough. Believing is not enough. James vigorously questions the value of faith that is just a mental assent or agreement with truth.
Okay? Religious faith that does not do good works is dead. It's not real at all. To have faith, you know, if you've got faith, you really trust God. You trust God to the point that you will obey Him and do the works that He planned for you to do in advance. Remember? That's in Ephesians, chapter number 2, verse 10.
You know, if you truly believe, then you're going to truly trust God, and you're going to obey God every day of the week. I'm going to read now from Ephesians, chapter number 2, verses 8 and 9: "I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourself. It was a gift from God. You are not saved by the things you have done. So there is nothing to boast about."
The reason I bring Ephesus into this discussion on James is because I want to make it very, very clear that saving faith is free. Okay? When we come to God, when we come to faith in Christ, when we come to Him, it is free. It's not about works at all. But we're not talking about saving faith today. Okay? We have to understand the differences.
Neither are we talking about natural faith. Natural faith is that faith that we use every day, whether you're believers or unbelievers. I don't know what is natural faith. It's just...
The message is not talking about saving faith or even natural faith. We're going to talk today about the faith that we have after we come to Christ. Faith that should always be growing and always demonstrated by our actions. Amen, everybody? Amen.
So we want you to understand that, well, I think James says it best. Let's just read James 2, 15 through 17: "If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and is lacking in daily food, and one of you say to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
So James uses this very simple illustration to show how faith and actions work together, hand in hand. He gives this example. He describes an encounter where someone is meeting someone who is in need. They need clothes or food. They need something. He asks, is it simply enough to say to them, "Oh, man, I'm so sorry for what you're going through. Oh, I'm so sorry. I really hope that you find something to eat or some clothes. I'm really busy. I'm going to be thinking about you." And then go on your merry way.
James asks, is that enough? Okay, you got to help me now. Jet lag from Turkey is sinking in. So I want you to turn to the neighbor and say, "No, that's not enough." It's not enough.
I'm going to give you some examples about this because I don't want us just to limit this because this passage really, the full scope of it is so big. And I want to give you some examples.
So, for example, to say, "God bless you," is not enough. I'm going to rock some of your boats. I'm sorry. Just, it's going to be all right. It's not about, if you just say, "God bless you," and you have the ability to be God's blessing to them, if you have something that they need and you can share it, then you need to share it. Whether it's food or clothing, whether it's yard work or help with the kids or a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, someone to help you with technology.
See, you said yard work. I'm going technology. Technology, filling up floors. See, the list is endless because faith works. Everybody say, "Faith works."
Now, to say, "I'm praying for you," is not enough unless you pray for them right then and there. Then you continue to pray for them until you know that God has intervened. Or God just says, "Okay, you're done." You know, sometimes He'll just say, "That assignment is over." But you actually have to pray because faith works. Everybody say, "Faith works."
So, to say, "If there's anything I can do for you," oh, I told you I was going to rock your boat. It's not enough because it's putting the responsibility of the hurting or the broken, the wounded person to come up with something and verbalize it to you.
Now, I know that you probably don't know what to do, but neither do they. Please understand. They don't know. That's why you need to put yourself in their place and think, "What would I need if I were in their shoes?" And then do that. Do that. And then afterwards, you can always say, "If there's anything else you need, let me know." And they will believe it.
Now, the reason I'm passionate about this is because I have experiences. Since I was a teenager, way back, my best friend, my next-door neighbor and best friend was killed by a truck when we were 16 years old. And there were all kinds of people who said to me, "If there's anything I can do to help." And that didn't help me at all. Saying those words did not help me at all.
But there was a young woman in church who held me throughout the service where they announced Janet's death. And her just holding me, that helped. And then there were students at the school who kept inviting me out when all I wanted to do was isolate myself. But they kept at me. That helped.
So what I'm saying to you is, please, do something. Because faith works. Everybody together: faith works.
One more thing. To say, "It's all going to be all right," to give Christian platitudes or even quote scriptures at people is not enough. Yes, I know God is alive and it's powerful and it has all the answers and it heals and it gives life. But if you are hurting or you're in desperate need, quoting a scripture at you feels like a club to the head. It does not help.
And again, I'm talking about years of difficult experience. I've had experiences since the death of my best friend to know that these things, they don't really help. In fact, some very well-meaning Christians have ended up hurting me more than helping me.
But if you do something, if you do something helpful, if you do something meaningful, even if it's small, if you do something that will help more than all the words in the world, please, please don't. Let me just put it this way. I'm not trying to hurt anybody's feelings, but I really, I want to help us help people.
Okay, so if you do something and you touch their lives, then you have the right to speak into their lives with the word. Okay? So you do something first and then you speak the word. But no platitudes and clichés.
Does anybody know what a cliché is? Okay. You got that? You know what a cliché is? "Everything's going to be all right." I have one exception to that. There are times when I'll look to my husband and I'll say, "Please tell me everything's going to be okay." And because I asked for it and because he says it with conviction, when you say it with conviction, it does help.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I remember that. Thank you so, so very much.
Reading now from James 2, verse 18: "But someone might argue, some people have faith and others have good works. My answer would be that you can't show me your faith if you don't do anything. But I will show you my faith by the good that I do."
James is really ushering a challenge here, isn't he? He's challenging us that you got to show your faith by the things. The truly humble, obedient, and graceful works that you do will show, will demonstrate your faith in God. That's what we need to understand.
That really, you know, you can say you have faith until you're purple in the face. But by your demonstrating your gracious and humble and obedient works, that will show, that will demonstrate faith in God. Now, and this includes showing love by giving someone sacrificially of yourself works. That's the kind of works I'm talking about.
I'm talking about works like sharing your faith in Christ with those who need it. That's really a work of faith and a work of love and comfort. That's comforting fellow believers and encouraging fellow believers. This is also a work of faith. Our faith is shown through our good works. Everybody say it with me. Thank you so much.
I'm going to talk about faith in action. In the final section of James chapter number two, James continues to explore this whole relationship of faith and works to assert again that faith without works is dead. And he does it through two biblical examples.
The first, James talks about the faith of Abraham when he offered his son Isaac in Genesis chapter number 22. Now, Abraham had a tremendous relationship with God. And he'd already shown his faith because when God told him to leave everybody and everything he knew, he did it. He left. He didn't know where he was going. He didn't know what route to take. He didn't know how long it was going to take to get there. He didn't know anything, but he still obeyed God and acted out his faith with his actions through his life.
And you would think that would have been enough. Wasn't that enough? But obviously not because God wanted something else, something more. God asked him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, his beloved son, Isaac, as a burnt offering on a mountain in the land of Moriah. And Abraham obeyed. He took his son to the mountain God showed him.
And he was about to plunge the knife into Isaac's chest when the angel stopped him and said, "Stop, stop, stop! Now I know how fearlessly you fear God because you didn't hesitate. You didn't hesitate to put down your son, your dear son on the altar."
Now, I want to mention here that Hebrews, the book of Hebrews tells us that Abraham was able to do that because of his faith. It goes on to explain that he knew that Isaac was the promised son. He knew it. He knew it way down deep. And so he knew that if God asked him to kill him, then God was going to raise him from the dead.
He was able—Abraham was able to obey God because he trusted that God was going to take care of the situation. Now, that's really faith in action. And I talk about, you know, Abram because he was old. I'm telling you today, as long as you're breathing, check it out. You're breathing? Okay, good. Because as long as you are breathing, you must continue to grow. You must continue to grow in your faith.
And you must continue to do the works that God has for you. As long as you are alive, God wants you to be growing in faith. Now, I'm going to be honest. Sometimes this walk of faith is challenging and it's even painful. This last year has been the most challenging year of my life in every area of my life.
And I really... I really wondered if I was going to be able to go to Turkey with everything that was going on. But I went anyways. I went anyways. And every prayer, every conversation, every teaching moment, and every hug by Iranian refugee youth had made it all worth every sacrifice.
Faithful living can be difficult at times and painful. But we keep pushing forward. Whether it's difficult or not, we keep pushing forward. We keep obeying God. Because God does reward. He does reward every effort. It was a beautiful, powerful trip. And I'm so thankful that I went.
But unlike Abraham, the first example James gave us, Rahab, really, she knew little of God when the Israelites came to Jericho in Joshua, chapter number 2. But she had heard that Israel's God had rescued them from Egyptians and every enemy after that. And she really believed that God was going to help them destroy her city too.
So she hid and rescued and protected the Israelites' spies. Her faith in Israel's God, though she didn't even... She didn't have a personal relationship with him yet. But her belief in God caused her to do something. Faith in action. And as a reward, she was preserved with the conquest of Jericho.
Not only that, but it's so remarkable that Rahab is in the lineage of Jesus. Rahab is in the bloodline of Jesus because of the faith action that this woman took. In choosing these two examples, James shows how our actions of faith can honor God. No matter where we are in our relationship with God.
You can be serving Him for 50-some years or just five days. Regardless of how long you have been serving God, your faith actions honor God. I mean, Abraham had an established, long relationship with God. And in contrast, Rahab was a prostitute from an idolatrous background. But God was honored by both of their acts of faith. Both of them.
And so we need to get that. That God is pleased with our acts of faith. Our actions of faith. I'm going to just go on one last point. Can you hold on just a little bit longer? Okay, good. We're going to be talking about living faith. Really, like, faith is a lifestyle.
Reading from James chapter number 2, verse 26: "A person's body that does not have a spirit is dead." Yeah, we know that. It is the same with faith. Faith that does nothing is dead. So James, throughout chapter number 2, he's just reemphasizing that faith results. It results in doing something.
Actually, four times in that passage, in some form or another, he's emphasizing that faith and works, they go together. And right here then, he summarizes the point by saying that faith, faith of works, faith without works, is like a dead body. Okay? A body that has no spirit, that has no breath, is not alive, is dead, and so is faith with no actions, with no works.
Faith with no works is also dead. So I want you right now to picture with me a cadaver. Are you doing it? Oh, I'm surprised. I thought you'd say, "Meh, it goes." But the reason why I asked you to do that was because I want you to get that picture in your mind because that's what faith is without actions. It's a cadaver. It is a dead body.
We don't want to be zombies, do we? Well, thank you, baby. I'm glad you don't. Let me ask you a question. Yes, we're going to take a vote. How many want to be a zombie? Raise your hand. Just check it. How many do not want to be a zombie? Raise your hand. You don't want to be walking around dead. Good.
So the question is, how can we have the living faith? How can we live this faith lifestyle every single day? And the first thing is through the Word of God, through the study, through the reading, through the hearing of God's Word. That's the first way.
Because I have to tell you that seeing a miracle does not increase your faith. Having your prayers answered does not increase your faith. Oh, it's encouraging, absolutely. But Romans tells us very clearly, Romans 10, 17, "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." The Word of God is it, folks. It will instruct you. It will correct you. It will guide you. It will cause you to grow and be more like Jesus.
And it is the key ingredient for living faith. Without the Word, you won't grow in faith. Everybody say, "You've got to have the Word." Amen.
Also, prayer. Ask God. Ask Him to break your heart with what breaks His heart. Ask for His compassion. Now, this is not a casual request. I'm telling you, it will hurt. It will cost you something. But it's His compassion that enables us to really serve and live out our faith with works.
Without God's compassion, without that love that burns, that hurts even, then our works will end up just being duty and responsibility. So we need to really pray and ask God, "God, give me your heart for the broken. Give me your heart for the wounded. Give me your heart."
Also, ask Him, "Give me opportunities to share, walk out my faith from my heart." Everybody say, "From my heart." Okay, and get involved. That's the third point. I want to thank again, Pastor Carlton already had you stand, wave your hand. I want to thank you again for everyone who participated in the National Serve Day. You are awesome. Amen. Kudos.
Let's give them a hand again. Can we do that? But I'd like to make a challenge, to make it a lifestyle by joining an ongoing ministry that ministers to the broken and the wounded, the abandoned and the abused. Throughout the year, you know, get involved on a regular basis, plan on going on a mission trip that ministers to those who are in need. Just make serving people in need a part of your faith walk. Everybody say, "Amen."
And the last thing is to keep alert, okay? Keep your eyes and hearts open and expect the nudge of the Holy Spirit to, you know, alert you to opportunities. I was in Target, in there a lot. We make a lot of Target runs in our family. But I was in Target and someone, I heard someone say, "Pastor Chris."
And you know, it stopped me. You know, you don't expect Pastor Chris in Target. So I stopped, I turned around, I said, "Yes." She says, "You're Pastor Chris." I said, "Yes." Okay. And you know, I didn't recognize her at all. She said, "God told me to give you this," and it was $25.
And it was just, to me, it was a stranger and they gave me the money and I was like, "Thank you very much." But in my mind, you know how we go. In my mind, I'm thinking $25 is not going to help. I did a hundred times that. You know, but I didn't show it on my face. You know, I thanked her warmly.
But you know, in my head, that's what I did. That's what I was thinking. I met with somebody who said, "Oh, I need $25." Click. That's what it was. It was a click. It's like, "Oh, yeah, she gave it to me so I could give it to you." This is a conduit type of thing. It never belonged to me in the first place, which really relieved me because I didn't think God would take $25.
But it was. So what I'm saying to you is just be open to the nudges of the world. Be open to the Holy Spirit. And you can give money or food cards as God directs. I want to thank those of you who sent us so many gift cards, food cards, when I was so, so sick after surgery. Really, I want to thank you so very, very much.
I don't know if I had a chance to do that, but thank you so much, all of you who sent them. I couldn't really eat, but my husband could. And truly, it really helped. It really did encourage me, I have to say. It really encouraged me. So many of you cared. And I knew you cared because you acted.
You see what I'm saying? Yeah, so, you know, send a food card or something like that. Or even you can just, you know, send a card, period, a text, an email with an encouraging word or a scripture. Or just text. Tell them that you love them. You can get sandwiches or blankets or water bottles to people who are not presently housed.
You can be a part of the dream team here at CLC and serve. I'm just saying, listen to the nudges of the Holy Spirit every day of your life. Because this isn't a Sunday kind of thing. This is a lifestyle. Living faith is a lifestyle that we walk out on a daily basis, obeying God to do what we need to do.
Now, I'm gonna ask those of you who have felt just a little bit of a stirring in your spirit. You have felt God nudge you and say, "It's time for you to step up in your faith. It's time for faith to act." I would like for those of you—only those of you who have felt that stirring of the Lord—to please stand right now. Those of you who are online, you can stand right in your, wherever you're watching as an act of obedience.
Now, the Lord gave me some prophetic words for those of you who are standing. And I'm just gonna share some of them with you and then we're gonna pray together. But there's somebody here who have been putting off going on a missions trip because you're afraid. I mean, you didn't admit that you're afraid, but if you really look at it, you've been putting it off because you're afraid.
You're afraid you're not gonna get enough money. You're afraid of a number of things. And God is saying to you, "Time for fear is over. You need to step out and act and you need to go on a missions trip."
There's somebody else here who God says, "You're not done with your education." You might've even just celebrated graduating from college, but I want you to know that you're not done with your education because God has places that He wants to send you, that education will prepare the way.
So if God is saying you're not done with your education, then listen to Him and obey Him because there's places He wants to take you. There is someone here whose family member has... we have a family member who's struggling with mental disease. And God says, "Though it's been very hard, it's been very hard for you that He has allowed this into your life because He's going to use you to help others who are going through similar situations when you're not alone."
He has really allowed this into your life so that you can help other people who are struggling with family members who are hurting in this way.
How many of you know Alice in Wonderland? You know the... okay. How many of you know the Mad Hatter? And God says, "Stop, stop running in every direction. Stop going down all these rabbit trails. Stop doing 12 things at once. Settle in His presence and listen to what He wants you to do and focus your energies and who you are on those things."
Not so much a shotgun approach, not touching a million different things, but God wants you to focus because you will have like a laser. When it's your focus, you will have more impact.
There are more words, but I'm just going to end saying someone here says nobody notices what I do. I work, but nobody notices. And God says, "I notice. And I'm laying up treasures. So don't be weary in well-doing. You know, you're going to be rewarded. Maybe, maybe, maybe not in this life, but all eternity. Don't give up. Don't quit."
In Jesus' name, I want those of you who are standing, I want you to raise your hands right now in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We release your anointing into these men and women. I pray that your Holy Spirit would nudge them on a daily basis on what they need to be saying and doing to walk out their faith with works.
I pray that you would use them in miraculous ways that lives would be saved and hearts changed, bodies healed. Move through these men and women in your name, Jesus. Amen.
And we will rejoice. We will dance with the joy of knowing that you're changing lives through us in Jesus' name. And everybody said, "Amen."
I want everybody to stand up right now and sing with the praise team as we close.
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "When we put our faith into action, we should purposely put down any type of prejudice that we may have in our lives and learn to treat everyone, everyone, with grace, regardless of the differences that separate us, like differences in economic, economic situations or education or culture or race or political views. You know what, Christians? There should be no trash talking about people who see things differently than you. period." [58:45] (57 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Real faith is not just a, a, a belief. It's not just a belief. It's just not words. Real faith is action. It's the way we live our lives every single day, not just when we're in church and we're really dressed nice. We've got our best behavior on. We're saying amen to everything the pastor says. No, all the time. Real faith is demonstrated by our actions." [01:01:35] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Faith works. And this goes along with the main theme of James' letter that honestly, genuine faith in God is going to produce genuinely changed lives. Turn to your neighbor and say, hey, how changed are you? Those of us who have received the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus are supposed to act out the truth. Not that faith every day in the lives. According to James, faith that doesn't produce change, faith that doesn't work is not faith." [01:02:11] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "To say, I'm. Praying for you is not enough unless you pray for them right then and there. then you continue to pray for them until you know that God has intervened. Or God just says, okay, you're done. You know, sometimes he'll just say, that assignment is over. But you actually have to pray because faith works. Everybody say, faith works." [01:09:42] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "To say it's all going to be all right. To give Christian platitudes or even quote scriptures at people is not enough. Yes, I know God is alive and it's powerful and it has all the answers and it heals and it gives life. But if you are hurting or you're in desperate quoting a scripture at you, it feels like a club to the head. It does not help. And again, I'm talking about years of difficult experience." [01:13:25] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "James asked the question, why should a rich man, a rich person, get a place of honor while the poor are made to sit on the floor or stand in the back? Why? You know, I don't know. Maybe they thought, because of their financial problem, they probably thought, oh, this person, this rich man, he is the answer to our prayers. How many have ever looked at some? No, I don't admit that. Don't admit that. But, you know, they might have thought, I don't know. What I really do know, though, is that the tendency to show more kindness to the rich than to the poor was very... prevalent in non-Christian environments in James' day. But it was not consistent with Jesus' teachings at all." [57:00] (56 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "James vigorously questions the value of faith that is just a mental assent or agreement with truth. Okay? Religious faith that does not do good works is dead. It's not real at all. To have faith. You know, if you've got faith, you really trust God. You trust God to the point that you will obey Him and do the works that He planned for you to do in events. Remember? That's in Ephesians, chapter number 2, verse 10." [01:04:29] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "James is really ushering a challenge here, isn't he? He's challenging us that you got to show your faith by the things. The truly humble, obedient, and graceful works that you do will show, will demonstrate your faith in God. That's what we need to understand. That really, you know, you can say you have faith until you're purple in the face. But by your demonstrating your gracious and humble and obedient works, that will show, that will demonstrate faith in God." [01:15:58] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "In choosing these two examples, James shows how our actions of faith can honor God. No matter where we are in our relationship with God. You can be serving him for 50-some years or just five days. Regardless of how long you have been serving God, your faith actions honor God. I mean, Abraham had an established, long relationship with God. And in contrast, Rahab was a prostitute from an idolatrous background. But God was honored by both of their acts of faith. Both of them. And so we need to get that. That God is pleased with our acts of faith. Our actions of faith." [01:22:55] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "So the question is, how can we have the living faith? How can we live this faith lifestyle every single day? And the first thing is through the Word of God, through the study, through the reading, through the hearing of God's Word. That's the first way. Because I have to tell you that seeing a miracle does not increase your faith. Having your prayers answered does not increase your faith. Oh, it's encouraging, absolutely. But Romans tells us very clearly, Romans 10, 17, cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The Word of God is it, folks. It will instruct you. It will correct you. It will guide you." [01:26:29] (58 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Hi, I'm an AI assistant for the pastor that gave this sermon. What would you like to make from it?
© Pastor.ai