July 12, 2010

"Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." James 3:1

I have always had trouble understanding people who are ambitious to be the leader. We see a lot of those these days.

Being shy by nature, I shied away from leadership. Early in my life you could have characterized me as a reluctant leader. It seemed like whenever there was a class election at school I would end up nominated and then once I get nominated I usually got elected.

I think I was elected either class president or vice-president most years from middle school on through college. Some of those years I ran for the office and some years it didn't. It didn't seem to matter.

When I started playing Little League baseball and the coaches started assigning kids positions, they put me at catcher. I sooned learned that the catcher is the leader on the field.

As a basketball player I became a point guard - another leadership position.

Leadership seemed to seek me. I am not boasting I am just sharing how it happened in my life.

By the time I got to college and I knew I would be studying for ministry, I began to embrace leadership since I knew I would one day be called upon to lead a congregation. I recognized how God had His hand on me preparing me to be a leader.

Early in my pastoral ministry I was blessed to gain Dr. John Maxwell as a mentor and a friend. He taught me invaluable lessons about how to lead in a way that honors God and builds churches. While he taught me countless concepts about how to lead, the greatest thing he taught me was the heart of a leader. Like James, he taught that leadership is a sacred responsibility that should be assumed carefully by serious-minded spirit-filled people.

If you want leadership but fail to embrace the responsibility and the accountability, you will set yourself on a path to failure.

You will, in fact, lead. But where will you be leading people? What value will you be adding to their lives?

If you find yourself eager to assume a leadership position make sure you are up for the job. Be careful! Make sure the driving force of your desire for leadership is not motivated by selfish motives. Ask yourself, "Why is it that I find myself desiring this position? Is it out of compassion for others and the desire to help them? Or, do I find myself coveting the power and the prestige of getting in a leadership position?"

Don't be too ambitious to rush into leadership. Allow God to prepare you and submit to a mentor who can shape you into a Godly leader. Don't embrace the responsibility until you are willing to receive the correction, the direction and the accountability to those you serve.

In this day we need as many Godly leaders as He can raise up. But we don't need leaders who are self-promoted for purely carnal motives.

Spend some time today reading over these first verses of chapter three and listen to what God wants to say to you about your leadership.

July 11, 2010

"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." James 2:26

Interesting isn't it?

Christianity is known as a "faith" or a "religion" or a "belief" and yet James closes out this chapter by declaring that faith without deeds is dead. In short he says, "Believing alone is not enough! The thing that gives life to your faith is what you do to give expression to what you believe."

The Book of James is known as being the guidebook for practical Christianity. You might say James is "Christianity 101". And it is written to the Church spread abroad following the persecution in Jerusalem. So, he is telling them that they are the first generation of the Church and of believers that their communities are going to see. What their neighbors think about the Church and the Faith will largely depend upon them!

Those things being true, you might think James would have spent more time dealing with doctrines and Biblical insights. But, instead, he gets right down to the issue of their witness and their testimony. How are they to live out their faith? What actions and lifestyle will they demonstrate as validation for their faith? That is what matters to James.

I believe that is what matters to your neighbors and your boss and your co-workers - how do you live? Are your actions and attitudes saying more than your words? Because if they don't, your words will have no credibility.

Too often, Christians allow themselves to get caught up in the debate over this doctrine or that doctrine or what version of the Bible is best and lose sight of the fact that it is their personal witness that will convince the unbeliever. I have seen Christians ignore obvious bad behavior among its members and then hammer them because they don't line up with some insignificant Biblical point.

Is James saying that it doesn't matter what you believe? Is he saying that we should fake it even if we don't believe it?

Obviously not! The point is very simple and basic, your faith is only as valid as the actions and attitudes it develops in you. You won't act right if you don't believe right. But your belief needs a means of expression and that is how you act. If you testify to godly beliefs but live like the devil it will do no good!

James was not from Missouri but he knew we live in a "show me" world. He is telling these first generation Church members, "show 'em what you got"!

How about you? What will you show to day? Will your actions animate your faith or kill it?

July 10, 2010

"You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor 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 justified by what he does 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? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." James 2: 20-26

James uses two very disparate examples to illustrate the same truth and then summarizes with a significant statement that "deeds are the spirit of faith".

Let's examine the two examples: Abraham, the hero and patriarch of all Jews. The words "Abraham" and "faith" are almost interchangeable! Every Jew wanted their boys to grow up and be like Abraham. No problem there!

But Rahab? A prostitute? What is she doing in the same sentence with an icon like Abraham?

There is one huge common denominator! FAITH! Each of them acted in a way that proved their faith in God. Each of them put something at risk. Abraham risk the very future of the legacy God had promised him and Rahab risked her life!

In addition, I think James is communicating the vital truth that faith is a growing and ongoing experience. Abraham had been on a long faith journey with God. He had walked with God and followed God for decades. He had demonstrated his faith time after time. The crowning achievement of his faith was his son, Isaac. It had taken a series of faith decisions to receive this son of promise. Now God tested his faith once more by asking him to sacrifice this precious son. This was no entry level faith! This is faith 501 or 601! But Abraham passed the test!

In contrast, there was Rahab. While there is some dispute over the exact nature of her profession, some say prostitute, some say innkeeper, and some say she ran a restaurant. But of no dispute is her kindness to the Israelite spies that preserved their lives and allowed them to complete their crucial mission into Jericho. She would have been dragged into the street and publicly executed had she been discovered hiding the spies. It was risky what she did but she understood it was her chance at salvation and she took it.

As far as we can tell, this was her intial act of faith. This was Faith 101 and she passed with flying colors. You can be sure their were many other tests to follow.

So in Rahab we have demonstrated that we enter into salvation by an act of faith. And in Abraham we learn that faith is always being tested. Our faith grows as the tests grow because the spirit of faith is our obedient actions!

Whether you are at the Rahab level or the Abraham level there will never be a time when faith is easy or unnecessary! You please God because He has become pleasing to you!

July 9, 2010

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. " James 2:19

This is a chilling thought. Think about what James is saying here - you could have a "devil" of a faith!

Obviously, faith is much more than just believing! Faith is acting on what you believe, which is how the devils got to be devils! They knew Who God was and what God wanted and disobeyed Him. That is why they are "shuddering" now! They are fully aware of the terror that awaits them.

James is making the point that faith is ultimately revealed by what you do not by what you say! Your works reveal the quality and the validity of your faith. If you really understand Who God is then you will obey Him and honor him in your actions and decisions. If you, like the devils, know Who He is and still disobey Him that is the worst sort of sin!

This revelation underscores the absolute necessity of repentance and trusting God to transform your heart and mind. The easiest way to have genuine faith is to get real with God and receive His Spirit into your life. If you could believe yourself into faith you would not need God. You can't! Don't try!

Faith arises out of the work of grace that God wants to do in your heart and mind. Faith grows from the intial act of faith - trusting Christ for your salvation. That is precisely what Paul means when he declares, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

Real faith is displayed in real godliness! That is the power of faith. That is why faith matters so much. You either trust - or you tremble.....

July 8, 2010

"But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." James 2:18

Talk is cheap!

Anyone can say anything! But unless you can back up your claims with action your words are empty.

I could say that I can beat Tiger Woods in golf, but until I actually get it done, my words would be empty and my claims foolish.

Saying that I could slam dunk a basketball over LaBron James would be a delirious claim I could never substantiate. Until I would do it no one would believe it.

The writer of Hebrews stated, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen."

Certainly, faith has an invisible component, but it also has a tangible aspect. Faith is a spiritual connection with an invisible God that results in visible and tangible evidence. Faith does not deal in wild or fanciful claims. Faith is not delusional.

Real faith, the faith that James talks about, makes an invisible God believable by the visible actions and attitudes that it transforms. When a man who once was a degenerate alcoholic and womanizer suddenly becomes sober and chaste, that indicates something substantial happened. What is behind this incredible transformation? Faith! You cannot doubt this man's faith because his life has dramatically changed.

Faith is a connection between two realities - an unseen spiritual reality and a visible physical reality. While faith originates in the unseen world it is expressed and validated in the realm of sight and sound.

What you think about faith and God are important. What you feel about God matters. But according to James, what really matters is what we do. That is what people see and what people see is what is real to them.

Making faith real - making God believable - is one of the things we are called to do as Christians.

How about you?

Are you talking a good game but not really delivering with the behavior and attitudes? Or is your life indisputable evidence becaue of your deeds, your attitudes, and actions?

Believers are to make faith believable by what they do!

July 7, 2010

"Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:15-17

Good intentions are nice! They are certainly better than evil intentions. But the fact is it really doesn't matter in the end because when you are talking about intentions it really doesn't matter what you intend to do it nothing ever happens! Good intentions make a bad religion.

Faith is defined by actions! That is James' whole point for writing his book! Real faith results in real acts of kindness. Good intentions or kind thoughts do not meet the needs of hungry people or those needing clothing.

How long would your job last if you called into your boss tomorrow to inform him that you are not coming to work but you will stay home and think about what needs to be done? You will feel kindly toward him and your fellow employees, but you won't actually show up at the office.

I think you know the answer to that!

This is akin to those who tell their pastors, "I won't be there Sunday for church - but I will be there in spirit!"

I know one pastor who, when building his new church building, added a "spirit gallery" to his sanctuary for those who only "come in spirit".

One more thought on this since it is fairly obvious in it's foolishness. But what if God would have just thought about sending Jesus to redeem the world? Where would we be? And what if Jesus had come but once He got here just thought about dying on the cross and harbored good intentions of dying on the cross - but never surrendered to the cross?

God has true faith! Jesus modeled true faith! They deliver on their promises and do what they intend to do!

I'm sure you are familiar with the old saying, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." You only have to read these verses to see the truth of that statement.

It is equally true that the road to heaven is paved with obedient actions - aka - faith!

Which road are you on?

July 6, 2010

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" James 2:14

This is one of the key verses for the book of James. It is where I got the title for my series, "Faith Works Out".

Of course, faith is an intangible - you cannot see it. It has to be evidenced by actions. Faith arises out of a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. How do others know that I have been made right with God and received His righteousness. I can tell them, but the real evidence is when I show them. If I have been made righteous then that should be proven by my life and by the right actions and right decisions demonstrated by how I live.

For instance, you can believe that you need groceries. You have no food in the house and you are growing more hungry by the moment and the supermarket is just down the street. What do you do? You can sit there and hope you get around to going to the store. Or, you can talk about going to the store. Or, you can get out and actually go to the store!

Which one of those shows evidence of true hunger?

Obviously, the answer is the last one - getting up and going to the store. Your desire evidenced itself in actions.

In Hebrews 11 there is an honored list of people who are mentioned because of their exceptional deeds they accomplished through their faith.

Abraham didn't just think about leaving his home and his family to follow God - He got up and packed his stuff, took his wife and their servants and headed out! That's faith!

Noah didn't just set around and think about how it should be built or how niv - he got to work and began building it. He evidenced His faith by stepping out and working diligently everyday pounding nails and sawing boards.

Doing good will not save your soul. But, if you have had a supernatural life-changing faith experience with God through Christ that will show by how you act or what you do. You have a better understanding of what faith is and how it operates when you can actually see it lived out!

Is faith worked out in your life?