by weareclctinley on Jul 28, 2024
### Summary
Hello, CLC! Today, we delved into the Book of James, specifically chapter two, to explore the profound wisdom it offers. James addresses the early Jewish Christians who were scattered and under immense pressure, particularly economically. He begins by admonishing the church against showing partiality, emphasizing that favoritism towards the wealthy at the expense of the poor is inconsistent with Christ's teachings. James makes it clear that real faith is more than just words or beliefs; it is demonstrated through actions. Faith without works is dead.
James uses practical examples to illustrate this point. He describes a scenario where merely wishing someone well without providing for their physical needs is meaningless. True faith compels us to act, to do something tangible to help those in need. This extends beyond mere words of comfort to actual deeds that make a difference in people's lives. James challenges us to show our faith by our works, emphasizing that our actions reflect the quality of our trust in God.
We also examined the examples of Abraham and Rahab to understand faith in action. Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac demonstrated his profound faith, believing that God would raise Isaac from the dead. Rahab, despite her limited knowledge of God, acted on her belief by protecting the Israelite spies, which led to her being part of Jesus' lineage. These examples show that regardless of where we are in our relationship with God, our actions of faith honor Him.
Finally, we discussed practical ways to live out our faith daily. This includes immersing ourselves in the Word of God, praying for God's compassion, getting involved in ongoing ministries, and being alert to the Holy Spirit's nudges. Living faith is a lifestyle, and it requires us to be proactive in our actions, demonstrating God's love through tangible deeds.
### Key Takeaways
1. **Faith Without Works is Dead**: James emphasizes that faith must be accompanied by actions. Merely believing is not enough; our faith should compel us to act and help those in need. This means providing tangible support, not just words of comfort. True faith is demonstrated through our deeds. [49:47]
2. **No Partiality in Christ**: James warns against showing favoritism, particularly towards the wealthy. In Christ, there should be no partiality or prejudice. We are called to treat everyone with grace, regardless of their economic status, race, or political views. This reflects the inclusive love of Christ. [45:37]
3. **Faith in Action**: The examples of Abraham and Rahab illustrate that faith is demonstrated through actions. Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac and Rahab's protection of the spies show that true faith leads to obedience and tangible deeds. Regardless of our relationship with God, our actions of faith honor Him. [07:34]
4. **Practical Ways to Live Out Faith**: Living faith involves immersing ourselves in the Word of God, praying for God's compassion, getting involved in ministries, and being alert to the Holy Spirit's nudges. These practices help us to demonstrate our faith through actions and make a real difference in people's lives. [16:04]
5. **God Honors Faithful Actions**: God rewards our acts of faith, whether here on earth or in heaven. Our actions, motivated by faith, honor God and reflect His love. This is true regardless of our spiritual maturity or background. God sees and appreciates our efforts to live out our faith. [11:42]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[41:37] - Introduction to the Book of James
[42:15] - Historical Context and Economic Pressures
[43:39] - Warning Against Partiality
[45:04] - Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
[46:24] - Treating Everyone with Grace
[48:08] - Real Faith is Action
[49:47] - Faith Without Works is Dead
[51:16] - Saving Faith vs. Natural Faith
[53:36] - Faith and Action Illustration
[55:24] - Practical Examples of Faith in Action
[58:23] - Do Something Meaningful
[01:00:35] - Avoiding Christian Platitudes
[01:03:31] - Challenge to Show Faith by Works
[01:05:04] - Examples of Abraham and Rahab
[01:08:40] - Faithful Living and Obedience
[01:11:42] - Honoring God Through Actions
[01:14:24] - Living Faith Through the Word of God
[01:16:04] - Praying for God's Compassion
[01:18:07] - Getting Involved in Ministry
[01:19:13] - Being Alert to the Holy Spirit
[01:23:17] - Prophetic Words and Prayer
[01:27:56] - Final Prayer and Worship
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. James 2:8-9 (NIV) - "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers."
2. James 2:14-17 (NIV) - "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
3. James 2:21-25 (NIV) - "Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?"
#### Observation Questions
1. What does James say about showing partiality in James 2:8-9? How does he describe the consequences of favoritism? [45:04]
2. According to James 2:14-17, what is the relationship between faith and deeds? How does James illustrate this relationship with a practical example? [49:18]
3. How do the examples of Abraham and Rahab in James 2:21-25 demonstrate the concept of faith in action? [07:34]
4. What practical advice does the sermon give for living out our faith daily? [16:04]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does James emphasize that faith without works is dead? How does this challenge common perceptions of faith? [49:47]
2. How does the warning against partiality in James 2:8-9 apply to modern-day church settings? What are some ways churches today might show favoritism? [45:37]
3. In what ways do the actions of Abraham and Rahab serve as models for demonstrating faith through deeds? How do their stories encourage believers to act on their faith? [07:34]
4. What are some practical ways mentioned in the sermon to live out our faith? How can these practices help us demonstrate God's love through tangible deeds? [16:04]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you might have shown favoritism, even unintentionally. How can you be more mindful of treating everyone with grace, regardless of their status or background? [45:37]
2. Think about a specific need in your community or church. What tangible action can you take this week to address that need and demonstrate your faith through works? [49:47]
3. How can you incorporate the examples of Abraham and Rahab into your own life? What steps can you take to act on your faith, even when it requires significant sacrifice or risk? [07:34]
4. The sermon mentioned immersing ourselves in the Word of God and praying for God's compassion. How can you make these practices a regular part of your daily routine? [16:04]
5. Identify a ministry or service opportunity within your church or community. How can you get involved and make a consistent impact through your actions of faith? [18:07]
6. Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit nudging you to act in a specific way? How can you be more alert and responsive to these promptings in your daily life? [19:13]
7. Reflect on the statement, "Faith works." How can you ensure that your faith is not just a belief but a lifestyle that actively demonstrates God's love and compassion? [57:46]
Day 1: Faith in Action
True faith is demonstrated through tangible deeds.
James emphasizes that faith must be accompanied by actions. Merely believing is not enough; our faith should compel us to act and help those in need. This means providing tangible support, not just words of comfort. True faith is demonstrated through our deeds. James uses practical examples to illustrate this point. He describes a scenario where merely wishing someone well without providing for their physical needs is meaningless. True faith compels us to act, to do something tangible to help those in need. This extends beyond mere words of comfort to actual deeds that make a difference in people's lives. James challenges us to show our faith by our works, emphasizing that our actions reflect the quality of our trust in God. [49:47]
James 2:15-17 (ESV): "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."
Reflection: Think of a specific person in your life who is in need. What tangible action can you take today to help meet their needs and demonstrate your faith through works?
Day 2: No Partiality in Christ
Treat everyone with grace, regardless of status.
James warns against showing favoritism, particularly towards the wealthy. In Christ, there should be no partiality or prejudice. We are called to treat everyone with grace, regardless of their economic status, race, or political views. This reflects the inclusive love of Christ. James makes it clear that favoritism towards the wealthy at the expense of the poor is inconsistent with Christ's teachings. By treating everyone with equal respect and love, we honor the teachings of Jesus and reflect His inclusive love. [45:37]
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: Reflect on your interactions with others. Are there any biases or prejudices you need to address to treat everyone with the grace and love of Christ?
Day 3: Faith in Action
Faith leads to obedience and tangible deeds.
The examples of Abraham and Rahab illustrate that faith is demonstrated through actions. Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac and Rahab's protection of the spies show that true faith leads to obedience and tangible deeds. Regardless of our relationship with God, our actions of faith honor Him. Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac demonstrated his profound faith, believing that God would raise Isaac from the dead. Rahab, despite her limited knowledge of God, acted on her belief by protecting the Israelite spies, which led to her being part of Jesus' lineage. These examples show that regardless of where we are in our relationship with God, our actions of faith honor Him. [07:34]
Hebrews 11:17-19 (ESV): "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, 'Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.' He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back."
Reflection: Think about a challenging situation you are facing. How can you demonstrate your faith through obedience and tangible actions in this situation?
Day 4: Practical Ways to Live Out Faith
Immerse in the Word, pray, and act on the Spirit's nudges.
Living faith involves immersing ourselves in the Word of God, praying for God's compassion, getting involved in ministries, and being alert to the Holy Spirit's nudges. These practices help us to demonstrate our faith through actions and make a real difference in people's lives. By immersing ourselves in the Word, we gain wisdom and guidance. Praying for God's compassion helps us to act with love and kindness. Getting involved in ministries allows us to serve others, and being alert to the Holy Spirit's nudges ensures we are responsive to God's leading. [16:04]
Colossians 3:16-17 (ESV): "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 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 immerse yourself more deeply in the Word of God this week? What specific actions can you take to be more responsive to the Holy Spirit's nudges?
Day 5: God Honors Faithful Actions
God rewards acts of faith, honoring Him.
God rewards our acts of faith, whether here on earth or in heaven. Our actions, motivated by faith, honor God and reflect His love. This is true regardless of our spiritual maturity or background. God sees and appreciates our efforts to live out our faith. The examples of Abraham and Rahab show that God honors those who act in faith. Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac and Rahab's protection of the spies were acts of faith that honored God. These actions, motivated by faith, reflect God's love and bring glory to Him. [11:42]
Hebrews 6:10 (ESV): "For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent act of faith you have taken. How did it honor God, and how did you see His reward or blessing in your life?
Hello, CLC!
Hello! Wow, you're looking so good out there. It's so good to be back home. I want to welcome all of you who are joining us online. I just want to say I'm really, really glad to be home. And, uh, I'm excited about this series, uh... focusing on the Book of James. We've never really done this before, where we focused just on one book and really delved into the treasures within. But I believe this, uh... this book can really change our lives.
Now, the Book of James probably, uh... was the earliest written of the New Testament. It's one of the first books, uh... between 40 and 50 A.D. And James addresses his letter to the Jewish Christians who are scattered all over the known earth. Now, the first, uh... chapter of James is so full of wisdom. So rich in wisdom. But today, we're on chapter two.
So, let me just, um... help you maybe understand a little bit. The church back then was under a lot of pressure. The Jerusalem refugees had scattered the whole earth because of threat of death. And so they had to leave their homes, their families, their employment. And, you know, after being in Turkey this past week, working with Iranian refugees, I... I kind of understand better what these Jewish believers were going through. It was tough. It was difficult. They felt this transition in every area of their life, but especially economically, I believe.
And I think also that that's the reason why James begins by saying, telling the church that we should have no partiality. Turn to your neighbor and say, "partiality." I think that it's not a word that we say a lot, but let's just put it this way. James begins by saying, okay, why should a man of wealth come into our church services and receive honor and the man or woman who is poor is told to sit on the floor or stand in the back? Why? You're not going to be one of these hard groups of people that are falling asleep, right? No. Okay, good. You're with me.
So why? Why would a church honor the rich people and then show no kindness to those who are poor? There you go. The money. Yeah. Yeah. Understanding that they were in financial difficulties, I think the church was thinking, this rich person, that could be the answer to all our prayers. So let's give them a place of honor. I mean, I don't know, really. I don't know what was on their mind. I do know that it was just a part of life in a non-Christian environment to show kindness to the wealthy instead of the poor. I mean, that was the norm.
But James was saying, no, no, no, no. Because this is not consistent with Christ's teaching, right? So he said, okay, this can be in the world, but it cannot be in the church. It cannot. I'm reading now from James, chapter number two, verses eight and nine. If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, you should love your neighbor as yourself. You're doing well. But if you show, there you go, partiality, you are committing a sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
I mean, that's kind of harsh, don't you think? But he's giving us a very, the church then and the church now, a very clear warning that we should not show any partiality. We should not show any prejudice, racism, bigotry. That when we put our faith into action, we will put down all prejudice. And if you think you don't have it, we all do. We do. Because you know what? Who do you like to hang with? People just like you, right? People who think like you, talk like you, act like you, especially talk like you.
But see, we are supposed to, when we walk in faith and we act in faith, we are supposed to treat everybody with grace. Even those where the differences might normally separate us. Differences in like economic situations, education, culture, race, political views. Going to meddle just a little bit. So, no trash talking during this, our presidential election year to those who don't see things like you see things.
I'm going to say it again. Because the book of James is very clear that we should show no favoritism to people who talk and act and think like we do. Everybody settling in? James is talking to you. And more importantly, the Holy Spirit is talking to all of us. That we really, we've got to understand that faith, real faith, living out our faith practically with mercy without showing favoritism in any form.
Turn to your neighbor and say, "I'm so sorry, she's preaching right to you today." I'm really, really sorry about that. Hey, because real faith, are you listening to me? Real faith is more than just words. It's more than beliefs. Real faith is actions. It is actions.
Now, according to James, faith that produces no change, a faith that has no works is not even faith at all. That's what the Word says. I'm not making it up. Turn to James. Remember James chapter 2? He's saying, if we don't put actions and works to our faith, it's not even faith at all.
Now, I want to be clear that our works do not save us. Right? I mean, our works do not save us, but they do show the character and the quality of our trust in God. Okay? James 2, 14. What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith, but don't show it by your actions? I mean, he's being plain here. Can that kind of faith save anyone? Whoa.
Now, James is laying out his case that faith, you know, it's not enough to have belief. Okay? Please understand, it's not enough. James even mentions, you know, the devils believe in God and they shudder, they tremble. So just believing is not enough. You know, James vigorously questions the value of a faith that is just mental agreement with truth. Religious faith that does not produce works in our life.
Are you ready for this? It's not faith. Got my work cut out for me. I can tell. Just trying to go against, I'll be honest, I'm trying to go against some preconceived ideas that we have. And I want us to really get into what the Word of God says. Not what we believe, but what does the Word of God say?
And the Word of God tells us that our lifestyle, our lifestyle, okay, let me put it this way. If you really have faith in God, then you'll trust Him to the point that you will obey Him, do the good works that He has created for you to do. That's in Ephesians chapter number 2 and verse 10.
I'm going to read now verse 8 and 9. I believe that you have been saved by grace because you believe. You did not save yourselves. It is a gift from God. You are not saved by the things you have done. So there's nothing to boast about.
Now I'm bringing Ephesians into this study about James because I want to make it clear that saving faith is free. I thought there'd be all kinds of "Amens" going on? Saving faith is free. It has nothing to do with our works at all. I'm not talking about saving faith. I'm talking about saving faith today. Okay? Saving faith is free. No works required. You can't be saved by your good works. It's not possible.
Saving faith is free. I'm not talking about natural faith either because natural faith is something that all of us experience, believers and non-believers alike, on an everyday experience, everyday basis. Let me show you.
Everybody stand up. I know you're all comfortable. Stand up. Okay. Everybody standing up. You're being obedient. Okay. Sit down. You just demonstrated the faith because you didn't check out the chair and think, okay, is this thing going to hold me? Let me check it out a little bit. You just plopped. Sorry. You just elegantly sat yourself down because you believed the chair would hold you up.
So today we're not talking about saving faith. We're not talking about natural faith. We are talking about the faith that we have once we come to Christ, a faith that should be constantly growing and demonstrated by the things that we do. Amen? Good. Praise God.
Now, I want you to understand James 2:15 is really a very powerful verse. We're going to read it together. If a brother or sister is wholly clothed, lacking daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things that they needed for the body, what good is that?
Also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. That's what the word is saying. James is using this very simple illustration about how faith and action work together hand in hand. He describes an encounter with a person who does not have enough food or clothing, and he says, okay, is it enough for you to say, "Oh, I'm so sorry for what you're going through. Oh, that is so awful. You know, I really hope that you find some food and clothing soon, and I believe you will." And then go on your merry way.
He asks, is that enough to do that? Everybody say, "No." It is not enough. He said, James is saying that those kind of words are absolutely meaningless. They accomplish nothing unless they influence you to act. The words in your mind or in your mouth mean nothing unless those words influence you to act.
Now, I'm going to give you some examples to give you a full scope of what we're talking about here today because it covers much more than we realize. So if you say, "God bless you," it's not enough. It's not enough if you can be the blessing for them. If you have what they need and you can share it, then you need to share it. Food, clothes, yard work. Somebody is feeling the yard work. I was feeling it yesterday. Yard work, help with the children, a drive to the church, help with technology, I'm really feeling that one. Help with forms. The list is endless because faith works.
Everybody say it with me. Faith works. Okay, to say, "I'm praying for you" isn't enough unless you stop and pray for them right then. Actually do it and then continue praying for them until you know that God is intervening in some way. Or until God just says, "Okay, you're done." And sometimes He does. He just says, "Okay, you've accomplished what I need you to accomplish. You don't have to pray anymore."
But unless you're doing that, unless you're actually praying, oh, yeah, I'm going to do it anyways. How many of you have ever said, you know, "I'll pray for you"? How many of you ever said that? Okay. You're afraid to raise your hands, aren't you? Gotcha. Yeah, I knew it. Okay. You don't have to raise your hands now, but how many of you have ever forgotten? Okay, let's be real, right? We say we're going to pray and then we run out of gas or something happens and it just goes out of your brain.
So I'm saying if somebody asks you for prayer, pray right then. Right then, so you don't forget it. And then as God brings it to your mind, continue to pray for them until the answer because faith works. Everybody together. Faith works.
So to say, "If there's anything I can do for you, let me know," is not enough. This is where I start touching toes, stepping on them anyways. What I'm saying is putting the responsibility for the person who is hurting or in need to tell you something is not enough. It's not good.
You know that you're probably thinking, "I don't know what they need," but they don't know what they need either. And to make them be responsible to tell you is not right. What you and I need to do is to put ourselves in their place and think about what would we need? And what would we need in their shoes and then do that? Are you hearing what I'm saying? You do that, then you can always say, "If there's anything else you need, let me know," and they'll believe you because you've already shown it.
Now I'm sharing this with you because of my own life experience beginning way back, way, way, way back when my best neighbor, next door neighbor and best friend, Janet, was hit by a truck and killed when we were 16 years old. There was all kinds of people said, "Is there anything I can do? Just let me know." And that didn't help me one bit. Those words did not help me. They didn't make me feel good. They didn't help or leave the, or come for me in any way.
But the Sunday in there was a young woman who sat next to me and held me the whole service where they announced Janet's death. Just holding me. That helped me. Her holding me helped me. And there were a lot of teenagers, a group of teenagers that kept inviting me out to go out, to go out when all I wanted to do was isolate myself. But they kept at it that helped me.
What I'm saying is, please do something. Do something. Because faith works. Everybody together. Faith works. Okay. I'm just going to step on one more set of toes and say everything is going to be all right. To give Christian platitudes or even quote verses is not enough. God is all powerful. The word of God has all the air. The word of God answers. The word of God heals. The word of God brings life.
But if you are really hurting badly or in desperate need and someone quotes the scripture at you, it's like they club you over the head with it. It does not help. Again, I know from the years of difficult situations that I've been in since the death of my best friend Janet. You know, well-meaning Christians have actually hurt me more than helped me.
So what I'm saying is, do something. Do something helpful. Do something meaningful. Even if it's just a small thing. That young woman holding me made all the difference in the world. You don't have to do something traumatic. But just do something because your actions will speak more than all the words in the world. Your words will not help, but when you say and do something.
Everybody say, "Do something." Okay. And once you have acted, once you've done something, then sharing scripture at the right time will help. Okay, I'm not saying you never share scripture with someone. I'm just saying, in the midst of a really bad, bad situation, a quote of verse and someone's not going to help them.
But if you do something, there will come a time when the word will bring life and help. But I will say this, never, never say, "It's all going to be okay." Never use, ever use Christian platitudes or clichés. It's going to be all right. Don't say that. Well, I've got maybe an exception to that. Unless somebody asks you to say it.
Now there have been times I've asked my husband, I said, "Baby, please, please tell me everything's going to be okay." And because I asked for it and because he said it, or when he said it with conviction, it helped. So everybody, faith works. Thank you so, so much.
Reading now James 2:18. 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. Was James plain or what? But I will show you my faith by the good that I do.
You know, in this verse, James is definitely issuing us a challenge to show your faith by your works. The gracious, obedient, humble works that you do will show, will demonstrate your faith to other people. So things like, you know, showing love and grace to someone in need by really giving of yourself. That's one way to work.
Another way is to share your love of the Lord to someone who needs Jesus. That's work. Comforting and encouraging is something we can do. Our faith should be shown by the works that we do. Everybody say it with me one more time. Thank you.
Now we're gonna talk about faith in action. The final section of chapter 2, James, you know, continues to explore this relationship between faith and works and continues to talk about it because he's trying to really assert it. He's trying to drive home the point here, trying to drive home this point of how important it is.
And he does this through two biblical examples. First, James uses the example of the faith Abraham had when he sacrificed his son, Isaac. Now, Abraham had a relationship with God. I mean a long time relationship with God. God told him leave everybody, leave everything, and he did. He left everybody, everything to go to a land that God was gonna show. But he didn't know where the land was. He didn't know the route he was gonna take. He didn't even know how long it was gonna take for him to get there. He knew absolutely nothing.
But he obeyed God anyways and acted according to God's word. Now you would have thought that would be enough to show and demonstrate his faith. But obviously not. Because then God asked him to sacrifice his son, Isaac, his only son, the son whom he loved as a burnt offering on a mountain in Mount Moriah. And Abraham obeyed. He brought Isaac to the mountain and he had raised a knife and he was about to plunge it in his son.
He stopped and said, "Now I know how fearlessly you fear God because you willingly put your dear son on the altar for me." Now it's kind of a troubling passage, especially for those of us who are parents or have been parents. It's troubling. But Hebrews tells us that the reason why Abraham was able to do that was because of his faith.
You see, Abraham believed that if he obeyed God and sacrificed his promised son that God was going to raise him up. He believed. Hebrews tells us that Abraham was willing to do all that because he believed God was going to raise him from the dead. That's how he could do that. That, my friend, is faith in action.
And even though Abraham was later in life, I want you to know that as long as you have breath... Well, let's test it. How many of you got breath? You got it? Okay, then you're not done growing in faith. As long as you have faith, you do not stop growing in faith. You do not stop doing what God has for you. Because it's just faith in action.
This year, I'm going to just be honest with you, this has been the most difficult year of my life. Challenging year. In every single area of life. And with so much going on, I didn't know how I was going to be able to go to Turkey. But I pushed through and I did anyways. And every prayer, every conversation, every teaching moment, and all the hugs from the Iranian refugee youth made it all worthwhile. Worth every sacrifice.
Faithful living sometimes can be difficult. But we still push forward. Do you hear me? We still push forward. Obedient to God. The God who rewards. You see, you can't ever out give God. I'm not talking just about finances. Finances is true. But you give of yourself, God is going to reward you back.
I'm thinking right now, unlike Abraham, Rahab knew little about God. I mean really, she knew little about God when the spies came to Jericho in Joshua chapter number 2. But she had heard how God had delivered Israel from the Egyptians and every enemy since then. And she believed that God would deliver them from her city as well. So she did something. She hid and protected the spies.
Her faith in Israel's God, she didn't even have a personal relationship with him. But she believed. So she acted. And then because of that, the spies made sure that Rahab survived the conquest of Jericho. And then we read that Rahab, listen to this, Rahab was part of the lineage of Jesus. This non-Jewish woman was a part of the bloodline of Jesus. God really, really does honor and reward every act of faith that you do, every action.
You know, He is not going to be beholden to you. He will reward. Now sometimes the rewards are here. Sometimes it's going to be in heaven. Now honestly, can I just be honest with you? If I'm going to have rewards, I don't want them now. I want them in heaven because that lasts for eternity. Rewards here, they're very short, but rewards in heaven, all in eternity.
And when we act out our faith, we're honoring God. And by choosing these two examples, James is showing us that the actions of faith do honor God regardless of where your relationship with God is. Because remember, Abraham had an established and long relationship with God. Rahab, in contrast, was a prostitute from an idolatrous background, but God honored both of them.
So regardless of where you are in your relationship with God, turn to your neighbor and tell him, "God's going to honor it." Honor when you act out your faith. Amen?
Last point, we're going to keep on moving. We're talking about living faith and I would kind of like to call it lifestyle faith. Reading James 2:26, a person's body that does not have a spirit is dead. In the same way with faith. In the same way in faith. Faith that does nothing is dead.
James argues that true faith always results in you doing something. He repeats it four different ways in this chapter alone. And he's just to drive home this point. And he summarizes this whole discussion, teach on our faith and works and lack of works by graphically describing it as a dead body. I mean, he's saying, you know, if a body doesn't have any spirit, if it doesn't have any breath, it's not alive, it's dead.
If it doesn't demonstrate through works, your faith is also dead. Think of it as faith without works. It's a cadaver. So, sit there and think about it for a second. Picture a cadaver. Are you picturing it right now? I know some of you are thinking, "No, gross." The reason I want you to picture it is because that's what you've got to keep in mind if your faith is not acting, it's a corpse. It's dead. It's not alive.
And so, how many of you want to be zombies? You know, corpse, walking dead. Raise your hand if you would like to be a zombie. Just double checking who I needed to pray for. Okay. So, if you don't want to be walking zombies, if you don't want your faith to truly be dead, then how do you have a living faith? A faith that's a lifestyle.
I'm going to tell you first of all it's through the Word of God. Through reading and studying and hearing, feeding on the Word of God. You see, faith doesn't come because you see a miracle. It doesn't come because God answers your prayer. Oh, those things encourage us. Absolutely. It gets us excited. True. But the only way that faith comes is through the Word of God. Romans tells us in Romans 10:17, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
Absolutely. The Word of God will inspire you, correct you, guide you, help you be more like Jesus, and the Word of God is the main ingredient for living faith. That's why we need God's Word. You can't have it without it. You can't have living faith without this, His Word.
And all I'm talking about is sitting on your desk somewhere. For this to be active, you have to be reading it, studying it, meditating on it, listening to it on a daily basis. That's what's going to make your faith alive.
The second thing is pray. Ask God to break your heart with the things that break His heart. To pray for His compassion. Now I'm telling you, this is not going to be a casual prayer. Because it's going to take something out of you. It's going to actually hurt. But we need to have God's compassion flowing through us. Because otherwise our works will end up being duty and responsibility.
The only way that our works and our actions can truly change lives is if it is from a basis of God's love. Loving people. I challenge you. I challenge you. Ask God to break your heart with what breaks His heart. I challenge you. Our heart often gets broken by the things that are happening to us and our families. But ask God, what breaks your heart? But break my heart. Because then out of that brokenness, out of that compassion, there's going to be life-changing works because of it.
So pray for that. Pray that God would indeed break your heart with what breaks His heart. And to give you also, pray that He gives you opportunities to share His, to share faith through His love, through the heart of it. So pray for opportunities. Everybody say, "I'm praying."
Oh, so good. Also get involved. Pastor Carlton also already talked to you, thanked you for the National Serve Day. And I just want to commend you again. Thank you for the sacrifice of your time and get real sweaty and dirty. Most of you did. But thank you for doing that. That means the world to so many people you may never even meet.
But here's my challenge to you. I think you need to get involved in an ongoing ministry that ministers to the broken and the wounded and the abandoned and the abused so that it's not just one time a year. Turn to your neighbor and say, "Now she's whipping you." It just can't be a one-time thing. I mean, it's good. We need to have a lifestyle of serving people in need for a walk of faith.
Go on a missions trip. Do whatever you can to truly step out of your comfort zone and minister to those who are in need. Everybody say, "Amen." Amen. Good, because I've got one more point. One more thing that will help you have living faith. Help you to walk this thing out on a daily basis. And that is just for you to be alert.
Be alert. Keep your eyes and your heart open throughout the day for any nudges of the Holy Spirit to alert you to something you can say or do. I talked about the fact that to pray and ask God for opportunities. If you've prayed it, you need to be alert for it.
I have an example. I was shopping in Target. Surprise, surprise, surprise. Target, you know, Target runs. How many make Target runs? More than once a week? Sorry. I was in Target and someone said to me, "Pastor Chris, Pastor Chris." And I turned around and looked at them. I didn't recognize them at all. I really didn't.
And she said, "Are you Pastor Chris? God told me to give you this." And she put something in my hand and I looked at it. It was $25. And I said, "Well, thank you very much." She says, "Well, I just wanted to be obedient." And then she turned around and walked away.
Now, can I be really honest? I'm looking at $25 and I'm thinking, "That's not going to help anything." Just be real. I think if you multiply that by 100 maybe that's going to help. But I think $25 I just put it in my purse and I was like, "Oh, that was strange." Again, I'm just being real.
But later on that day I ran across someone who told me I need $25. Bing. Oh. It wasn't for me anyways. God wanted her to give it to me so I could give it to the person that I was going to meet that day that needed exactly $25. It's so cool.
Give people money or gift cards, food cards. I have to thank you for all the people who gave us gift cards when I was so, so, so bad sick after surgery. You know, I honestly couldn't eat very much but my husband could. And he appreciated it very much. But I hope I did also because it meant so much to me that so many of you cared. It really did.
So you can give gift cards. Or you can just write a card, an email, a text with encouraging words. Just tell somebody that you love them. You can give sandwiches or blankets or bottled water to people who are not housed that have no home of their own right now. There is so much that we can do. You can serve on the dream team here at CLC.
I'm just saying be open to nudges. You pray, "God, give me opportunities to show your love and my faith through words." You pray for it then you open your heart and you listen to the Holy Spirit.
Now, I'm going to pray in just a minute. I'm going to pray over those of you who have sensed the Holy Spirit talking to you. I'm not asking everybody, but I'm saying while the sermon was going on there was something that was said that kind of struck like a light inside of you and you're feeling, "You know, I really need to be acting out my faith."
If you have that touch of the Lord on your heart during this message, I would like for you to please stand. Just those of you who just sensed that God was definitely speaking to you, I would like for you to stand. Thank you so, so, so, so, so much. I'm going to be praying for you in a moment.
But first I have some prophetic words that God gave me for those, some of you that are standing right now. There's someone here that God wants you to help others with their legal problems. It's not because you have a lot of legal expertise, but you have experience. You have had experiences and God wants you now to share your experiences with others that are having legal problems.
For you to be effective in truly acting out your faith, you're going to need to forgive. And there's some here that have been holding onto some things for too long. And God is just encouraging you today. Let it go. When you let it go, then He can use you much more.
God is also stirring up the gifts in some of you. He's talking about spiritual gifts that He wants to use with people beyond these four walls. People in what I would call the marketplace. And He's stirring it up right now and God is going to use you in the supernatural. And by doing that, you're going to be able to win souls to Christ. Just like they did in the New Testament.
There's somebody else whose job here is not challenging. And you're thinking about leaving. But God says stay a little bit longer. Because He's preparing a door for you that will open if you wait just a little bit longer.
And there's just also two different ones that I mentioned in the morning that I want to do again. And one is that many of you know about Alice in Wonderland? Anybody know Alice in Wonderland? Anybody know about the Mad Hatter? You know, rushing, rushing, doing, doing, rabbit holes all over the place. And God says you've got to slow down.
You're running here, running there, doing this and doing that and you're so busy. God can't truly fully use you. You need to slow down and focus. Like a laser, that light is focused is so effective. God is going to make you so much more effective if you will slow down and really focus on the things He wants you to focus on.
Everybody said Amen. I think that hurts some people. But really, how busy you are is not an indication that you're doing what God wants you to do. Busyness is not a true indication. Slow down. Listen to Him.
And there's also people here today who says, you know, I've been serving, I've been giving, I've been helping people, but nobody seems to notice. But God is saying to you today, I notice. I see you. I see your heart. I see what you're doing. Do not give up. Do not quit. Because I am supporting you. Just know that you're not doing it for people anyways. You're doing it for me. And I appreciate what you do.
I want everybody to please raise their hands that is standing. I'm going to release God's anointing. I want you to receive it. I want you to take it in Jesus' name.
Father, I release your anointing on every man and woman. I pray for those who are even online, who are standing. Lord, I release your anointing to use them as you've never used them before. I release miracles, signs, and wonders. I release joy, peace, and purpose. I release your power into their lives right now.
I thank you for these men and women because you are going to change their world through them. I thank you for their lives. I thank you for what you're doing. And I give you praise, God. Praise that they will demonstrate their faith through their works in Jesus' name.
And everybody say Amen. Everybody stand and join us as we sing.
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Real faith is more than just words. It's more than beliefs. Real faith is actions. It is actions. Now, according to James, faith that produces no change, a faith that has no works is not even faith at all. That's what the Word says. I'm not making it up. Turn to James. Remember James chapter 2? He's saying, if we don't put actions and works to our faith, it's not even faith at all." [48:08] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Faithful living sometimes can be difficult. But we still push forward. Do you hear me? We still push forward. Obedient to God. The God who rewards. You see, you can't ever out give God. I'm not talking just about finances. Finances is true. But you give of yourself, God is going to reward you back." [01:09:17] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Faith works. Everybody say it with me. Faith works. Okay, to say, I'm praying for you isn't enough unless you stop and pray for them right then. Actually do it and then continue praying for them until you know that God is intervening in some way. Or until God just says, okay, you're done. And sometimes He does. He just says, okay, you've accomplished what I need you to accomplish. You don't have to pray anymore." [56:29] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "So what I'm saying is, do something. Do something helpful. Do something meaningful. Even if it's just a small thing. That young woman holding me made all the difference in the world. You don't have to do something traumatic. But just do something because your actions will speak more than all the words in the world. Your words will not help but when you say and do something." [01:01:53] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Be alert. Keep your eyes and your heart open throughout the day for any nudges of the Holy Spirit to alert you to something you can say or do. I talked about the fact that to pray and ask God for opportunities. If you've prayed it, you need to be alert for it." [01:19:13] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "James is talking to you. And more importantly, the Holy Spirit is talking to all of us. That we really, we've got to understand that faith, real faith, living out our faith practically with mercy without showing favoritism in any form. Turn to your neighbor and say, I'm so sorry, she's preaching right to you today. I'm really, really sorry about that." [48:08] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "James is using this very simple illustration about how faith and action work together hand in hand. He describes an encounter with a person who does not have enough food or clothing, and he says, okay, is it enough for you to say, oh, I'm so sorry for what you're going through. Oh, that is so awful. You know, I really hope that you find some food and clothing soon, and I believe you will. I believe you will. And then go on your merry way. He asks, is that enough to do that? Everybody say, no. It is not enough." [54:28] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "James argues that true faith always results in you doing something. He repeats it four different ways in this chapter alone. And he's just to drive home this point. And he summarizes this whole discussion, teach on our faith and works and lack of works by graphically describing it as dead body. mean, he's saying, you know, if a body doesn't have any spirit, if it doesn't have any breath, it's not alive, it's dead. it doesn't demonstrate through works, your faith is also dead." [01:12:45] (53 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "So regardless of where you are in your relationship with God, turn to your neighbor and tell him, God's going to honor it. Honor when you act out your faith. Amen? Last point, we're going to keep on moving. We're talking about living faith and I would kind of like to call it lifestyle faith." [01:12:14] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Faith doesn't come because you see a miracle. It doesn't come because God answers your prayer. Oh, those things encourage us. Absolutely. It gets us excited. True. But the only way that faith comes is through the Word of God. Romans tells us in Romans 10, 17, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Absolutely. The Word of God will inspire you, correct you, guide you, help you be more like Jesus, and the Word of God is the main ingredient for living faith." [01:14:56] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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