WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:12.240 Well, please turn back to James chapter 2, picking things up this morning at verse 14. 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:22.640 ! I came across an interview this week in a podcast with a relationship expert. 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:24.160 ! That's how he described himself. 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:28.719 I should say I didn't go looking for it because of any problems, but 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:35.519 maybe I should. I don't know. But I came across it and found the discussion, the interview quite 00:00:35.519 --> 00:00:39.679 interesting. The chap is called Paul Brunson. I don't know if you know him. I don't know anything 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:48.640 about him. But he was talking about how he tries to help people find love. And he says the process 00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:53.679 that he goes through will begin by him asking them some questions about their values. So, 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:59.759 tell me, what do you value? And he said, they'll say things like, well, I'm religious and I'm a very 00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:06.640 caring person and I care about health and I'm very disciplined. And he'd stop them and he'd say, 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:10.799 you said you had a day off last Saturday. Tell me about your day off. What did you do last Saturday? 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:19.759 Oh, it was amazing. I went out. I pigged out all day. I ate all day. I went to this concert. I stayed 00:01:19.759 --> 00:01:29.280 up most of the night. Oh, it was great. Brunson says, what we say we value, chances are we don't really value. 00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:37.120 And the host at this point chips in and he says, so true. So true. I've thought about this a lot recently, 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:43.920 about how what I say should be reflected in how my calendar looks. That is the evidence of me living 00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:51.040 my values and really what I do value. And there was this kind of strange thing where they were both 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:58.480 saying these things that I could relate to and that they were both sort of quite ashamed of in the way 00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:04.740 that they were engaging with each other. What they were discussing was the gap that they see between 00:02:04.740 --> 00:02:10.180 what people say about themselves and the values that they hold and how they live. 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:21.319 The all too familiar gap between life and lip. And it's this issue that James takes us to this morning 00:02:21.319 --> 00:02:27.580 in our passage. He asks his hearers about their values. And they say, can you see there verse 14, 00:02:27.580 --> 00:02:35.820 they say, we have faith? And by the way, verse 19, it's orthodox faith. We believe in one God, 00:02:35.960 --> 00:02:42.340 Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We confess the Apostles' Creed. But there's a problem 00:02:42.340 --> 00:02:50.600 because James says it is possible to say this, and yet for their faith, look at verse 17, 00:02:50.599 --> 00:02:57.479 it's absolutely shocking for their faith to be dead. Oh, verse 20, it doesn't get any better. 00:02:57.799 --> 00:03:05.740 Their faith is useless. So much so that James could describe them, verse 20, as you foolish people. 00:03:06.579 --> 00:03:14.680 They're fools. We have faith. We're orthodox in what we believe. It's possible to have dead, 00:03:14.680 --> 00:03:22.599 useless, foolish faith. And to press the seriousness of this problem, I want us to see that James has the 00:03:22.599 --> 00:03:28.480 leaders of this scattered, victimized, persecuted group of Christians, particularly in view. 00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:33.560 We'll see this more next week, Lord willing. But have you noticed that as we've gone through from 00:03:33.560 --> 00:03:41.260 the very beginning of the letter, he keeps referring to brothers. Chapter 1, verse 2. Chapter 1, verse 6, 00:03:41.259 --> 00:03:48.439 verse 19. Chapter 2, verse 1. Verse 14. Brothers, brothers, brothers. Now, some English translations 00:03:48.439 --> 00:03:55.060 have gone with brothers and sisters here, but that's not in the original. But presumably, James could have 00:03:55.060 --> 00:04:01.379 written brothers and sisters if he wanted to, as he does in chapter 2, verse 15. Now, James has the 00:04:01.379 --> 00:04:08.120 leaders of this group of Christians in view, and he's challenging the provocative rhetoric that this 00:04:08.120 --> 00:04:13.780 leadership is stirring up amongst the people. The leaders who should, in fact, be, 1, verse 19, 00:04:13.920 --> 00:04:21.660 slow to speak, because, as we've seen, their angry speech, their rhetorical kind of stirring up of this 00:04:21.660 --> 00:04:28.139 group doesn't bring about the righteousness of God. And in fact, if this rhetoric is the sum total of 00:04:28.139 --> 00:04:35.780 their faith, it's no good, verse 14. It's dead, and it's useless. So, here's the point. 00:04:35.779 --> 00:04:46.439 Real faith, real Christian faith is visible. James says, it doesn't matter what you say. 00:04:47.119 --> 00:04:52.659 Verses 14 to 17. What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? 00:04:53.000 --> 00:05:00.599 Can that faith save him? You can say what you like, James is saying. How you live tells me what's really 00:05:00.600 --> 00:05:10.620 going on in your heart? Saying, I'm a Christian, doesn't make you a Christian. Saying, Jesus Christ 00:05:10.620 --> 00:05:17.840 is Lord, and I won't stand for the way that God has marginalized in our land, doesn't save you. It's 00:05:17.840 --> 00:05:26.280 true, but it doesn't save you. Nor, James says, the saying, blessed things to someone in need. Look at 00:05:26.279 --> 00:05:31.699 verse 15. If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to 00:05:31.699 --> 00:05:37.279 them, go in peace, be warmed and filled, without giving them the things needed for the body, what 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:46.739 good is that? What good is it? It's no good. Like chapter 2, verse 2. Up at the beginning of the 00:05:46.739 --> 00:05:51.299 chapter, James uses another parable here. These Christians, remember we've been saying they're 00:05:51.299 --> 00:05:55.059 persecuted, they've been driven from their homes, they've been scattered, and they've had to leave 00:05:55.060 --> 00:06:02.959 everything behind for naming the name of Christ. They need other people to help them. But those 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:08.920 other people in this group are also struggling, so they want to hold on to what they have. 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:14.660 Now, they're not necessarily, I don't think they're necessarily being callous. I don't think it's a go 00:06:14.660 --> 00:06:19.500 and be warm and well-filled, and like they're looking after themselves, I don't care about you. 00:06:19.840 --> 00:06:24.420 I think it's more subtle than that. I think what's going on is they're actually just looking out for 00:06:24.420 --> 00:06:30.620 their own needs. They're anxious themselves. So, they just gave that needy person a blessing. 00:06:31.819 --> 00:06:39.860 I really feel for you. May God give you peace and provide for you. I'll pray for you. James says, 00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:47.620 it's not enough. It doesn't matter how sincere, it doesn't matter how holy those words sound, 00:06:47.620 --> 00:06:53.280 if they aren't accompanied by some kind of practical help, James says, no good. It doesn't matter what you 00:06:53.279 --> 00:07:03.639 say. It doesn't matter what you know as well. You notice that, verses 18 to 19. Someone will say, 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:08.899 you have faith and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I'll show you my faith 00:07:08.899 --> 00:07:14.659 by my works. You believe that God is one, you do well. Even the demons believe and shudder. 00:07:14.660 --> 00:07:23.860 James is having a hypothetical debate here, and he's imagining the other person saying, 00:07:24.439 --> 00:07:32.360 look, there are different kinds of Christians out there, aren't there? There are word Christians, 00:07:32.780 --> 00:07:37.000 and there are action Christians. There are Christians who are into their theology, 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:43.120 and there are Christians who are into loving people. And James says, don't be daft. 00:07:44.899 --> 00:07:50.399 Those can't be separated. What would he think of an adulterous husband saying to his wife, 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:56.100 I have love, you have faithfulness. Love and faithfulness can't be separated. 00:07:56.100 --> 00:08:04.960 So it is with Christian faith. If you separate what you believe from what you do, all you have is 00:08:04.960 --> 00:08:13.260 orthodoxy. And do you know who else is orthodox? Verse 19, the demons. You're no better than the demons. 00:08:16.840 --> 00:08:24.879 Believing that God is one, it is a beautiful and an essential truth at the very heart of Christian faith. 00:08:24.879 --> 00:08:29.659 But knowing that simply intellectually doesn't distinguish you from the demons. 00:08:30.180 --> 00:08:34.399 And it doesn't save the demons. All they can do with that truth is shudder. 00:08:35.860 --> 00:08:41.860 The devil's servants are orthodox. You know that. We see this in Jesus' ministry. The evil spirits 00:08:41.860 --> 00:08:47.740 recognize Jesus before the disciples do. Mark chapter 1. Do you remember that story? It takes 00:08:47.740 --> 00:08:52.860 the disciples ages to believe that Jesus is who He says He is. And yet, right at the very start, 00:08:52.860 --> 00:08:58.200 when the demons see Jesus, they cry out, Jesus of Nazareth, I know who You are, the Holy One of God. 00:09:00.060 --> 00:09:06.919 The demons believe in one God in three persons, but they don't possess real saving faith because they 00:09:06.919 --> 00:09:20.279 don't serve the Lord. Theology, even true, orthodox, right, beautiful theology, if it remains at the level 00:09:20.279 --> 00:09:26.579 of simply what you know is dead and useless. And that makes it dead useless. 00:09:26.580 --> 00:09:37.840 Now, for all of James' direct and punchy and no-holds-barred approach here, there's something 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:42.220 that doesn't feel quite right about what he's saying here, isn't there? It seems to contradict 00:09:42.220 --> 00:09:46.139 stuff that we've heard elsewhere in other parts of the Bible. It doesn't sound very much like the 00:09:46.139 --> 00:09:50.280 great apostle, does it? The apostle Paul. Romans 3, 28, 00:09:50.279 --> 00:09:55.000 for we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. 00:09:56.079 --> 00:10:01.480 Ephesians 2, verse 8, couldn't be clearer, for it is by grace you have been saved through faith, 00:10:01.959 --> 00:10:04.639 not by works, so that no one can boast. 00:10:07.620 --> 00:10:15.959 This is what we call the doctrine of justification by grace through faith alone. It is the doctrine upon 00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:23.820 which the church stands or falls. So, what's going on when James says, verse 24, have a look, verse 24, 00:10:24.280 --> 00:10:28.080 you see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:36.879 Martin Luther, the great reformer, was particularly offended by this. He called James 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:45.759 an epistle of straw because of this. He wanted to, quote, whip little Jimmy out of the cannon. 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:53.420 What we need to understand here is that what Paul and James are saying don't contradict each other. 00:10:53.740 --> 00:11:00.000 They are simply speaking to different audiences who need to hear different things. James is writing a 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:05.960 decade or so before the apostle Paul. So, he's addressing believers. You remember these were 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:10.879 Jewish believers from a Jewish background who'd been scattered in the persecution after the stoning 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:17.779 of Stephen, and he's speaking to them. So, questions about the status of Gentiles in the Christian 00:11:17.779 --> 00:11:24.139 community and, quote, works of the law and the place of circumcision and so on that so concerned 00:11:24.139 --> 00:11:31.039 the apostle Paul, they're not in view for James. That comes later. He is not talking about how you get 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:37.899 right with God, the doctrine of justification by faith alone. But he's talking about what will justify 00:11:37.899 --> 00:11:46.860 or what will vindicate his hearers before God and before their enemies, what will show them to be genuine 00:11:46.860 --> 00:11:55.059 believers. So, to be very clear, if you're here this morning and you're not a Christian, I don't want you 00:11:55.059 --> 00:12:02.620 to leave with any doubt in your mind. If you will be forgiven of your sin, if you will be reconciled to the 00:12:02.620 --> 00:12:09.899 God who made you for a relationship with Himself, there is only one option. You must fall fully and 00:12:09.899 --> 00:12:15.340 solely on the grace and mercy of God. You must put your faith in Jesus Christ and nothing else. 00:12:18.419 --> 00:12:26.419 When you do that, His life is credited to you. His death is counted as yours. His resurrection 00:12:26.419 --> 00:12:32.740 guarantees that you will one day rise again, that death will not hold you, that you will have victory. 00:12:33.139 --> 00:12:41.339 That is your only hope. Your only hope is Christ. Don't think that you must do anything in order to be 00:12:41.339 --> 00:12:47.199 saved because you can't. Our sin condemns us before God's holiness. However hard we might try to get 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:55.680 ourselves right with Him. The only thing we can do is go to His Son. You must go to Christ and nothing 00:12:55.680 --> 00:13:02.640 else. If you do that, you will be saved. He will redeem you from your sin. He will reconcile you to 00:13:02.640 --> 00:13:07.860 the God who made you. You will have a relationship with the living God. You can call yourself Christian. 00:13:07.860 --> 00:13:16.779 But when we do this, there's more to say. Look again at verse 24. 00:13:25.220 --> 00:13:33.240 For the body, sorry, verse 24. Lost my place. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith 00:13:33.240 --> 00:13:39.840 alone. It's important we see this here. When James is saying, you see, using the words, 00:13:40.860 --> 00:13:45.220 he's not using the words the way I often do it in a sermon when I preach like this. You see here, 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:53.080 the point is this. You see this? You see that? No. He means it literally. You see that the wall is made 00:13:53.080 --> 00:14:01.820 of bricks. You see that the doors to the old chapel are closed. You see that a person is justified. 00:14:01.820 --> 00:14:08.740 Not by what they say, not by what they know, but by what they do. The faith we profess, 00:14:09.100 --> 00:14:15.580 the truth that we know, it must be visible in good works. And in the course of his rebuke here, 00:14:15.680 --> 00:14:22.220 James provides us, he points us to what these will look like. He doesn't provide a checklist, 00:14:22.980 --> 00:14:27.940 but he gives us two broad areas in which our faith should be visible. 00:14:27.940 --> 00:14:36.500 Point number one, our faith is visible in our compassionate care. Verses 15 and 16, 00:14:36.700 --> 00:14:40.880 our compassionate care. If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 00:14:41.780 --> 00:14:48.000 give them the things needed for the body. If there are basic needs that you can meet, 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:58.440 meet those needs. Don't say, go in peace. Don't say, I'll pray for you. Say, what can I do to help? 00:15:00.299 --> 00:15:08.980 Say, here, have this. We should have compassion on those who don't have what they need in the life 00:15:08.980 --> 00:15:17.159 of the church. These practical needs should be met. We want to say, oh, look, it's all very complicated 00:15:17.159 --> 00:15:21.840 in our culture. There is a benefit system and all of that. It's very difficult. There's nothing 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:27.639 complicated about a brother or sister needing food and you cooking a bit more. There's nothing 00:15:27.639 --> 00:15:31.899 complicated about paying for their car to be fixed or their children to have Christmas presents. 00:15:31.899 --> 00:15:38.379 There's nothing complicated about that. If there is a need in the life of the church that you can meet, 00:15:38.500 --> 00:15:43.519 you can't meet every need, but if there is one that you can meet, show your faith by meeting that need. 00:15:47.559 --> 00:15:54.100 I've been very encouraged by how much of this goes on in this church. Quietly, without any fuss, 00:15:54.740 --> 00:16:00.279 people stepping in to meet needs and to provide for others and to take responsibility for a shortfall. 00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:09.959 It's great. Many of you have plenty of privileges at your disposal, and the cultural narrative at the 00:16:09.959 --> 00:16:15.839 moment is that you should feel guilty about that. You should not feel a single ounce of guilt about 00:16:15.839 --> 00:16:22.019 how God has chosen to bless you. But as a Christian, you should be generous, and generosity is visible. 00:16:22.019 --> 00:16:31.819 And in this church, I want to say, it's been a huge encouragement to me. I can see that lots of 00:16:31.819 --> 00:16:39.720 you are justified, for your faith is visible in the compassionate care that you show. I praise God for 00:16:39.720 --> 00:16:47.740 that. It's a wonderful thing. Christian faith is seen in compassionate care. It's also seen, 00:16:47.740 --> 00:16:56.560 number two, in our costly choices, our costly choices, 21 to 25. This is what ties together 00:16:56.560 --> 00:17:02.560 these two people that James points to as examples of good works from Israel's history. Remember, 00:17:02.659 --> 00:17:08.259 these are Jewish Christians. He's writing to them. They would have known every twist and turn of the 00:17:08.259 --> 00:17:15.339 Abraham story, and they would have been very aware of Rahab, this figure, as a beautiful part of their 00:17:15.339 --> 00:17:22.179 heritage. And in both cases, Abraham and Rahab, their faith was clear to all to see their sacrifice 00:17:22.179 --> 00:17:30.539 and their courage in the costly choices that they made. Verse 21, was not Abraham our father justified 00:17:30.539 --> 00:17:38.379 by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You remember the story of Abraham when God 00:17:38.380 --> 00:17:46.240 promised him a son and an heir when he was old? He was about 75. Sarah, his wife, 65, made this promise 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:53.560 to them. But time passed. Chances were looking very slim that this promise was going to come to pass. 00:17:53.640 --> 00:17:59.240 Then God showed him the stars in the sky and told him that his offspring would be as numerous as they. 00:18:00.260 --> 00:18:04.920 And we're told at that point, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. 00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:11.500 Genesis 15, verse 6. Abraham's faith was credited by God apart from works. 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:16.680 But then a further 14 years passed before the son Isaac was born. 00:18:18.220 --> 00:18:23.019 Several years after that, when Isaac was a young boy, God told Abraham to take him to Mount Moriah 00:18:23.019 --> 00:18:25.100 and to sacrifice him. 00:18:25.099 --> 00:18:35.919 After all these years of waiting, the child of promise, and God tells him to go and sacrifice him. 00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:39.759 Abraham's a hundred-plus years old at this point. 00:18:40.779 --> 00:18:44.579 What possible hope would there have been that this promise of stars in the sky, 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:46.959 of offspring, would have come to pass? 00:18:47.819 --> 00:18:50.519 But what did Abraham do? He chose, at that point, 00:18:50.519 --> 00:18:53.619 to trust God and do what God called him to do. 00:18:55.700 --> 00:18:58.720 His faith led him to do what God said. 00:19:00.639 --> 00:19:05.579 His faith in God led him to take God at His word, 00:19:05.940 --> 00:19:09.500 even though he didn't know how on earth things were going to go. 00:19:09.500 --> 00:19:15.420 And he took Isaac up the mountain, and he tied Isaac to the altar, 00:19:16.519 --> 00:19:18.880 and you know the story as he lifted the knife. 00:19:19.019 --> 00:19:20.559 Genesis 22, verse 12. 00:19:20.700 --> 00:19:21.279 God said, 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:24.119 Stop. Now I know that you fear me. 00:19:25.920 --> 00:19:29.180 Now I know that your faith is genuine. 00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:36.039 Hebrews 11 tells us that Abraham believed that if necessary, God could raise the dead. 00:19:36.039 --> 00:19:41.139 He took God at His word, even when he didn't know how things would work out. 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:46.139 Now that story is a remarkable story. 00:19:46.259 --> 00:19:48.819 Can you imagine being asked to do this? 00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:57.079 And yet, it was in embracing this costly choice that Abraham proved his faith. 00:19:57.740 --> 00:19:58.379 Verse 23, 00:19:58.500 --> 00:20:00.659 And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, 00:20:00.819 --> 00:20:04.139 Abraham believed God, and it's counted to him as righteousness. 00:20:04.140 --> 00:20:10.380 What's happened there is the promise, the Scripture of Genesis 15, verse 6, 00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:17.860 which Abraham believed that was his internal faith in God was fulfilled in his obedience in Genesis 22. 00:20:18.780 --> 00:20:22.020 It was his actions that proved the sincerity of his faith. 00:20:22.280 --> 00:20:28.480 It was what went on outside in a visible way that proved the hidden work of God on the inside. 00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:35.519 You see that a person is justified by their works. 00:20:36.819 --> 00:20:39.559 Then there's Rahab, verse 25. 00:20:41.319 --> 00:20:46.779 And in the same way, was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers 00:20:46.779 --> 00:20:49.319 and sent them out by another way? 00:20:51.319 --> 00:20:55.680 Rahab was a Canaanite prostitute who sheltered God's spies in Jericho. 00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:58.700 Her story is in Joshua chapter 2. 00:20:58.799 --> 00:21:06.519 She was saving these men from the king, from his men coming to kill them. 00:21:07.220 --> 00:21:08.700 It was a very risky move. 00:21:08.759 --> 00:21:10.039 It could have cost her her life. 00:21:11.120 --> 00:21:13.700 But she did it because she had come to believe, 00:21:13.860 --> 00:21:15.340 Joshua chapter 2, verse 11, 00:21:15.460 --> 00:21:18.660 that the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below. 00:21:18.660 --> 00:21:24.259 Rahab could have said this, 00:21:24.680 --> 00:21:26.540 and we would never have heard of her. 00:21:28.340 --> 00:21:30.920 She could have known it in her head, and she'd still be anonymous. 00:21:33.140 --> 00:21:36.640 But it was when she made the costly choice to serve God's people, 00:21:36.759 --> 00:21:39.080 regardless of the consequences for her, 00:21:40.519 --> 00:21:41.820 that her faith was vindicated. 00:21:41.819 --> 00:21:46.799 And so it is that 00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:56.619 those years before she came to put her faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 00:21:57.119 --> 00:21:59.899 are reminded to us in Scripture, 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:01.740 she's always Rahab the prostitute. 00:22:03.019 --> 00:22:04.859 I wonder if she just rolls her eyes and says, 00:22:04.939 --> 00:22:05.740 can we not get over that? 00:22:05.740 --> 00:22:10.940 But here we are, Abraham and Rahab, the patriarch and the prostitute, 00:22:11.720 --> 00:22:13.880 and they are examples of faith that is genuine 00:22:13.880 --> 00:22:16.620 because it is seen in the works that it produced. 00:22:17.220 --> 00:22:21.819 You see that a person is justified by the works that their lives display. 00:22:25.880 --> 00:22:27.859 The question we ask is, how are we doing? 00:22:29.779 --> 00:22:30.720 How am I doing? 00:22:31.480 --> 00:22:34.839 What sort of faith does your life say that you have? 00:22:35.740 --> 00:22:41.359 Is a Christian faith the kind of faith that genuinely saves? 00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:45.519 If so, you won't just talk a good game. 00:22:45.880 --> 00:22:48.579 You won't just ace the theology test. 00:22:49.120 --> 00:22:51.620 It'll be visible in aspects of your life, 00:22:51.660 --> 00:22:53.819 in all the corners of your life. 00:22:54.299 --> 00:22:57.539 We are justified by grace through faith alone. 00:22:58.539 --> 00:23:02.059 But as Luther said, the faith that justifies is never alone. 00:23:02.059 --> 00:23:06.399 Have we become complacent? 00:23:09.879 --> 00:23:13.679 Yeah, I believe in Jesus, but just leave me alone. 00:23:13.919 --> 00:23:14.759 It's a private thing. 00:23:15.139 --> 00:23:16.259 I do it on my own terms. 00:23:18.419 --> 00:23:19.960 James says, that faith is dead. 00:23:20.819 --> 00:23:22.480 It's like a corpse with no breath. 00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:25.079 The heart has stopped beating altogether. 00:23:25.480 --> 00:23:26.740 None of us want that, do we? 00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:28.259 None of us want dead faith. 00:23:28.259 --> 00:23:29.920 What a useless thing to have. 00:23:31.259 --> 00:23:33.119 And again, just to be clear, I want to say, 00:23:33.220 --> 00:23:35.640 in coming to this church not that long ago, 00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:38.379 I see lots of people making decisions 00:23:38.379 --> 00:23:40.299 that make no sense in our culture, 00:23:40.660 --> 00:23:42.579 but demonstrate that your faith is genuine. 00:23:44.140 --> 00:23:47.819 Decisions that make you unpopular amongst friends and family 00:23:47.819 --> 00:23:51.819 because you won't deny the obedience that following Christ demands. 00:23:52.879 --> 00:23:54.759 Decisions that might cost you your career, 00:23:54.759 --> 00:23:55.960 or at least a promotion. 00:23:57.379 --> 00:23:59.539 Decisions that have cost you relationships 00:23:59.539 --> 00:24:01.059 because of what the Bible expects 00:24:01.059 --> 00:24:03.440 and because of what it says particularly about sexuality. 00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:10.099 Decisions that mean that you don't have money to spend on yourself 00:24:10.099 --> 00:24:13.180 because you've given it to someone else in need. 00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:16.319 Obedient sacrifice like Abraham. 00:24:17.339 --> 00:24:18.759 Courage like Rahab. 00:24:18.759 --> 00:24:24.720 Of course, not to forget those of you who sacrifice 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:27.900 in order to serve all kinds of other needs 00:24:27.900 --> 00:24:29.140 in the life of the church. 00:24:29.799 --> 00:24:32.160 Those of you who, when you were asked if you would serve 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:34.420 because there was a need in children's ministry 00:24:34.420 --> 00:24:36.660 or the music team or the diaconate 00:24:36.660 --> 00:24:39.079 or on the PA or at the language class 00:24:39.079 --> 00:24:41.220 or tea and coffee or the welcome rota, 00:24:41.779 --> 00:24:44.779 all of these things at times can feel a bit thankless. 00:24:44.779 --> 00:24:47.460 But you didn't say, go in peace. 00:24:48.220 --> 00:24:49.059 God bless you. 00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:50.599 You stepped in and you do it gladly. 00:24:52.339 --> 00:24:54.440 We can see that you are justified 00:24:54.440 --> 00:24:56.519 because we see your works. 00:24:59.740 --> 00:25:01.720 Well, as with last time 00:25:01.720 --> 00:25:05.500 and perhaps some more times than James 00:25:05.500 --> 00:25:06.740 because of the way he operates, 00:25:06.819 --> 00:25:09.500 I want to close with a word to the sensitive among us. 00:25:10.759 --> 00:25:12.039 James doesn't mince his words. 00:25:12.039 --> 00:25:12.700 That's true. 00:25:13.200 --> 00:25:15.859 So, he can send the more tenderhearted amongst us 00:25:15.859 --> 00:25:16.539 into a panic. 00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:18.440 We think, oh, am I compassionate enough? 00:25:20.139 --> 00:25:21.759 Have I made enough sacrifices? 00:25:21.879 --> 00:25:23.099 Am I courageous enough? 00:25:24.059 --> 00:25:25.259 Maybe my faith's dead. 00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:26.220 Maybe I'm useless. 00:25:26.539 --> 00:25:27.879 Maybe I'm not even a Christian at all. 00:25:28.599 --> 00:25:29.759 Some of us think like that. 00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:32.019 Well, I want to remind you 00:25:32.019 --> 00:25:33.819 that James is writing to scattered Christians 00:25:33.819 --> 00:25:35.619 that have begun to adopt the world's message 00:25:35.619 --> 00:25:37.220 and the world's methods 00:25:37.220 --> 00:25:39.000 in the face of their struggles. 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:41.099 He is writing to their leaders 00:25:41.099 --> 00:25:42.400 that make heated speeches 00:25:42.400 --> 00:25:44.640 designed to stir up anger in God's name, 00:25:45.019 --> 00:25:46.279 whose faith is performative 00:25:46.279 --> 00:25:48.599 and who seek to gain favor with the powerful 00:25:48.599 --> 00:25:50.779 by political manipulation. 00:25:51.559 --> 00:25:52.579 And they are doing this 00:25:52.579 --> 00:25:54.180 while neglecting the physical needs 00:25:54.180 --> 00:25:55.759 of those that they're supposed to lead. 00:25:56.539 --> 00:25:58.220 Like, imagine, for example, 00:25:58.359 --> 00:25:59.079 something like this. 00:25:59.200 --> 00:26:00.759 Standing in front of a church building 00:26:00.759 --> 00:26:01.779 holding a Bible up 00:26:01.779 --> 00:26:02.880 for a photo opportunity 00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:04.019 while neglecting the needs 00:26:04.019 --> 00:26:04.859 of genuine believers. 00:26:05.259 --> 00:26:07.140 That kind of thing, I imagine, let's say. 00:26:07.140 --> 00:26:10.560 James has hypocrites in view. 00:26:11.220 --> 00:26:12.780 And hypocrites usually aren't worried 00:26:12.780 --> 00:26:14.060 about their level of sacrifice. 00:26:14.820 --> 00:26:16.180 So, if you're asking that question, 00:26:16.360 --> 00:26:17.480 you're probably not the person 00:26:17.480 --> 00:26:18.620 that James has in view here. 00:26:21.320 --> 00:26:23.220 Maybe you want to seek the counsel of friends 00:26:23.220 --> 00:26:24.180 who know you really well 00:26:24.180 --> 00:26:25.560 and ask what they see in your life. 00:26:26.720 --> 00:26:28.900 And remember, there will always be more needs 00:26:28.900 --> 00:26:29.660 than you can meet, 00:26:29.740 --> 00:26:30.940 and God has not asked you 00:26:30.940 --> 00:26:32.460 to carry everyone on your back. 00:26:33.120 --> 00:26:35.120 The question we ask ourselves is, 00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:37.519 is our heart pulled towards others? 00:26:38.779 --> 00:26:41.199 Is our heart pulled towards following Christ, 00:26:41.299 --> 00:26:42.319 whatever the cost? 00:26:44.879 --> 00:26:46.779 It's not about how much you do 00:26:46.779 --> 00:26:47.479 or how often. 00:26:47.639 --> 00:26:49.059 It's about whether you're serving at all. 00:26:52.319 --> 00:26:53.879 So, it's true that for some of us, 00:26:53.939 --> 00:26:55.599 today is a day to start making changes 00:26:55.599 --> 00:26:57.219 that will make our faith visible. 00:26:57.819 --> 00:26:58.959 We talk about it. 00:26:59.319 --> 00:27:00.279 We believe it. 00:27:00.359 --> 00:27:03.019 We know the true things, 00:27:03.019 --> 00:27:05.480 but we need to make it visible. 00:27:06.119 --> 00:27:07.559 We need to start showing mercy 00:27:07.559 --> 00:27:08.619 to those who need it, 00:27:09.619 --> 00:27:12.059 to embrace obedience that is sacrificial, 00:27:12.859 --> 00:27:14.779 to embrace making courageous decisions 00:27:14.779 --> 00:27:18.059 that our faith in Christ requires of us. 00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:22.379 These flow from a deep trust in the Lord, 00:27:23.879 --> 00:27:25.160 where like Abraham and Rahab, 00:27:25.240 --> 00:27:26.579 we can be sure of the future 00:27:26.579 --> 00:27:28.200 or the outcomes of our actions. 00:27:28.200 --> 00:27:29.620 We can't be sure, rather, 00:27:29.700 --> 00:27:32.019 of the future or the outcomes of our actions, 00:27:32.019 --> 00:27:33.059 but we do them in faith 00:27:33.059 --> 00:27:35.559 and we let God deal with the consequences. 00:27:38.920 --> 00:27:39.900 It sounds great. 00:27:40.039 --> 00:27:40.759 How is it possible? 00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:43.180 Can't do it on our own strength. 00:27:43.340 --> 00:27:44.059 How is it possible? 00:27:44.200 --> 00:27:45.580 Well, it's possible when we remember 00:27:45.580 --> 00:27:46.840 that we can only give mercy 00:27:46.840 --> 00:27:48.220 because we have received mercy. 00:27:49.080 --> 00:27:50.740 We can only sacrifice for others 00:27:50.740 --> 00:27:53.200 because there was one who was sacrificed for us 00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:55.000 so that we could become God's friends. 00:27:55.000 --> 00:28:01.339 And it's as we rejoice in Christ's love for us, 00:28:02.220 --> 00:28:06.420 in His mercy, in His sacrifice, 00:28:06.980 --> 00:28:10.180 that we are equipped and empowered to love others. 00:28:11.039 --> 00:28:13.779 It is as we rejoice in that reality 00:28:13.779 --> 00:28:15.680 that our love for Him grows 00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:19.839 and therefore our faith just finds a way to get out. 00:28:21.500 --> 00:28:23.140 Living things do that. 00:28:23.900 --> 00:28:24.839 Dead things don't work. 00:28:24.839 --> 00:28:25.459 Their way anywhere. 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:29.240 But living things find a way to get going. 00:28:30.019 --> 00:28:32.019 And it is as we meditate on Christ, 00:28:32.099 --> 00:28:33.919 as we rejoice in His love for us, 00:28:33.980 --> 00:28:37.579 that our faith just takes legs and goes. 00:28:37.720 --> 00:28:38.899 Living things do that. 00:28:39.899 --> 00:28:40.699 Let's pray together.