June 3, 2013 · 12:23 pm

James – The Cure for Fighting and Arguing

Peninsula Community Church

June 2, 2013

Fighting and Arguments – The Cure!

James 4:4-7-10 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

In last week’s message we looked at the symptoms of fighting and arguing. Today, we will transition to understand the correct diagnosis and cure for these issues. To understand the cure we must make a proper diagnosis. Without a proper diagnosis we cannot prescribe a correct cure or treatment. 

The diagnosis is simple in many ways. The diagnosis is that we tend to fight with ourselves, with others and with God because of our misguided and broken hearts. It is for that reason when we boil it down we find that the biggest issue is our hearts. Now James does not state directly that the heart is the issue but it is implied by the terms he uses and it is confirmed throughout the New Testament. The heart is the seat of our passion. The heart is the reservoir of our emotion. The heart is the place where our desires flow from. It is for that reason that Jesus warns us about the power of the heart. Jesus says “‘It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person.’For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

In this passage before us today, James offers a solution to the problem of fighting and arguing. These are not hard solutions but they are none-the-less solutions to the problem of fighting and arguing. In the remaining verses we are even given steps to take to avoid conflicts that grow into wars. 

The first step to take is to select your friends wisely. We have heard it said that your friends will often determine your future. It is for this reason that James speaks to the issue of choosing our friends wisely. In particular he is addressing our friendship between God and the world or more correctly world views that are opposed to God’s view of life. The importance of the choice is clarified by the simplicity of the alternatives. Choose God or choose the alternative. The seriousness of this choice is seen in the directness of James stating that your denial of God and one’s unwillingness to follow after God is like committing adultery. In particular, James lets us know that friendship with the world is to be at enmity with God’s way and His commands. James is saying is that the mindset of the world opposes the mindset that God desires for us to have. We cannot live out of an earthly mindset and expect God to bless us. In so doing we cannot expect that there will not be unnecessary trials and troubles in our lives as a result. Let me illustrate this in this way. Have you ever tried to honestly deal with issues in another person’s life only to find that they lash out, become angry and fight against your counsel. The fact is they are trying to live with one foot in the world and one foot in God. It is for this reason that James uses the strong analogy of adultery to define this relationship. The word picture of the relationship of Christ to believers is that of a bride and bridegroom. Because of the magnitude of this choice, he gives us grace to live according to the ways God has intended. 

The second step outlined by James is to align ourselves in the proper order so we that know who your orders come from. He does this by stating that we should submit ourselves to God. The term here is a military term which means to get into the proper rank. It means to bring ones self under another. In this case James is saying that we should submit to God. We are to come under his will and his word. It also means to come into agreement with God’s will and purpose for our lives. We must hear, know and apply God’s word to our lives and to each situation that confronts us. When we submit to God it becomes harder to argue and fight. For example, we will submit our will in a way that seeks for peace and not division. We seek to trust one another rather than distrust others. We seek to see the best in others rather than always looking to find fault and wrong in another’s life. We seek to see others as God would see them. We seek to love others as God would love them. Too often if we are fighting and arguing it is because we have failed to submit to one of God’s commands. 

To do this will mean that we must resist the devil, and in so doing he will flee from you. While our own wills are at play we also recognize that we have an enemy that would desire nothing more than to position us to fight and argue. He will present well timed opportunities for us to have our feelings hurt and to be insulted. He will whisper lies to us. He will exploit opportunities that are innocent and make issues out of some things that were never intended to be issues. But, we must take every thought captive to honor God. Listen to 2 Corinthians 10:3 in this matter. For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

 When anger and frustration builds in your life don’t give into the temptation to strike back. Forgive as Jesus forgave you. Love your enemies and pray for them. If you resist, you can’t blame the devil. Our number one problem is ourselves.

The third step is to reposition your heart; and to draw near to God by cleansing your hands and purifying your hearts. As we have noted there are times when our hearts are out of position and need to be repositioned so that we are aligned with God’s word and with God’s will. We do this by drawing near to God. The story is told of a wife that was complaining that her husband never set next to her in the car. The husband chuckled for a moment and said “which of us moved as I have always been in the driver’s seat.” The reality is that it was the wife that had moved to the other side of the car. We treat God like that at times. We wonder where he is but he is present in every situation. He has not moved. He is still there.

Notice that this is an action that must be taken on our part. We are to draw near to God. James knowing our tendency to want details gives us two ways to make this happen. First, he notes that we are to cleanse our hands. This relates to the wrongful acts we have committed. When we commit sin we need to ask God to cleanse us. 

Second, he states that we are to purify our hearts. Notice that the issue here is double mindedness. This refers to the carnal nature which seeks to go after other gods and to follow other ways rather than those ways prescribed by scripture. When we are double minded about our life in Christ we are ripe for failure because we fail to take a stand and try to please everyone. 

Notice that David in Psalm 51 cried for God to cleanse his heart and restore a right spirit in him. He was living a duplicitous life. He wanted the ways of the world and had used ungodly means to achieve what he wanted by lying, murder and taking what did not belong to him. He recognized that the only way to be healed was through a healing of the heart.

The fourth step is to be sober about the condition of your life. This passage speaks of heartfelt repentance which is recognizing the sin in our lives for what it is and then repenting of it. Repentance is another military term which means to change course. When we repent we change the course of our life and we change our minds to set our minds on heavenly things. Rather than rejoice in our sin. Rather than revel in our mistakes we are to understand the seriousness of them and then walk in repentance. 

The fifth and final step is to walk in humility and you will be exalted. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. The Bible is filled with great paradoxes. Humble yourself and you will be lifted up is one of those great paradoxes. The world’s view is to promote one’s self. The world says to get a PR company to transform your image. I understand that the Health and Human Services Department has hired a PR firm to help the government sell the new Affordable Care Act. My question is if the act was so great why would we need to spend the multi millions set aside to promote the act. 

It is hard to fight and quarrel when we walk in humility. Instead of looking for a fight we will look for ways to bring peace. Instead of disunity we will seek for ways to bring healing and restoration. This calls for us to be humble rather than being prideful and rebellious. You are not God so stop pretending. Humbling yourself simply means you realize He is God and you are not.

As we close, obeying all these commands will not ever prevent all fighting and quarreling but it will certainly diminish the effect of fights and arguments. The resolve to bring healing will be paramount and God will allow us the privilege of winning souls and winning others to our way of thinking.

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May 27, 2013 · 8:34 am

James – Why Do We Fight and Argue?

Peninsula Community Church
May 26, 2013
James – How to Fight Well

James 4:1-3 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

James asks his readers a rhetorical question. While he is the one asking the question he is already prepared to answer his own question. The question here is “what is the cause of quarrels and fights among you?” As he answers the question he raises, he does so by showing us the symptoms of the heart as well as the solution for the issue at hand which is why are their quarrels and fights in our lives?

Conflict is an issue of the heart. Another way to look at this is to ask the question “why is it so easy for us to take the gloves off?” Why is it that we have so many fights and quarrels in life? His answer is in essence his way of making application of the fundamental principle Jesus taught in Matthew 15:19. This teaching of Jesus is at the crux of conflict both personally and corporate. Jesus taught his disciples and us that, “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony and slander. In Luke 12:13-15 we are reminded that our hearts are the wellspring of all our thoughts, desires, words and actions. Therefore the heart is the source of conflict, fights and arguments.

Before we look at the heart more closely, let us look at the symptoms of a heart that is divided and in need of help. In this passage, James deals with the symptoms, cause and cure for fighting and arguing. So what are the symptoms that point to the issues in our lives?

James states that the first symptom is that we have a misdirected focus as a result of our passions which are at war within us. We can define passions as desire. The word here for passion literally means pleasure which prompts you to desire. The Greek word is the same word were we get our modern word hedonism. The word means to seek pleasure.

Once again I am reminded that we have been fearfully and wonderfully made. As a creation of God we have been created with passion and a desire to seek pleasure. It is for that reason that we love to laugh. We all have passion. It may be manifested in different ways and for different reasons, but we all have passion. One person may have passion for golf while another has a passion for fishing. One person may have a passion to cook and prepare great meals while another one may have a passion to eat what has been cooked. One may have a passion for evangelism exclusively while another may have a passion for discipleship exclusively. Still another may have a passion to seek after the things of God while another may have a passion to seek the ways of the world. The bottom line is that we all have passion.

The problem is when our passion drives us to sinful pleasure and to disobedience and things contrary to God’s commands and his ways. The problem exists when are passions collide with another reality. Paul knew about this issue when he penned the words of Romans 7:8 “But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire.”

While passion is a part of our lives so is conflict and problems. The story is told of a man who was stranded on a dessert island. When his recusers came to save him they noticed that there were three structures on the property. The rescuers asked him what the structures were. He said that the first structure was his home and the second was his church. When pressed about the third structure he said that was his previous church. You see even on a deserted island one can argue and fight with themselves because of the war within them.

James states that the second symptom is unmet expectations as we desire and do not have. Because we cannot have the things we desire we end up committing murder. Although unmet expectations may lead to actual murder this is not to be construed as murder but as the potential to destroy by one’s words and one’s actions. When our passions are not controlled we can begin to literally conceive how we will destroy and injure others. So often this action is a result of fear and doubt about one’s self. Sometimes this is self evident and sometimes it is a subtle ploy of the heart. The problem with unmet expectations is that they begin to wear on us and we begin to believe that we must put another down in order to elevate ourselves. We see this in America today where people are more concerned with blaming others and putting others down rather than dealing with real issues and problems.

James states that the third symptom is misplaced affections which causes us to covet but cannot obtain. When we cannot get the results we want we fight and quarrel. Here James suggests that we covet and want what others have to the point that when we cannot obtain those things we resort to fighting and arguing. When we covet something that much we are raising that item to the place of an idol in our life.

James states that the fourth symptom was a lack of trust because we do not have because we do not ask. We do not have because we do not ask. A lack of asking is symbolic of a not trusting the one that can give all we need.

James states that the fifth symptom is a wrong motivation. We ask and do not receive because we ask for the wrong things. He says that you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly so that you can spend it on your passions. Sometimes God withholds from us because the motivation of our heart is wrong and inappropriate.

These symptoms point to a divided and uncommitted heart. Fights and arguments are therefore symptoms of the condition of one’s heart. These symptoms point to the unmet desires of our hearts. It is much like a the symptoms of a disease. Symptoms are not the disease but they point to a problem or concern. In our physical bodies we may experience aches, chills and a fever. These items in themselves are not the disease but they point to the fact that we might have the flue. So it is here in this text, the fighting and arguments that occur point to a deeper issue of spiritual maturity and inward strive.

In the body of Christ, the church, we can have arguments and fights over things when our passions are left uncontrolled. As the body of Christ, we are made up of different people from different backgrounds with different ideas and different goals, gift sets and vision for the future.
The problem that exists is that we have passion for a particular area of ministry while someone else may not have the same passion. We can believe that our particular way of doing ministry is the only way to accomplish the work of God. When we meet someone who has an opposing view or ideology about ministry it can result in fights and arguments.

We would be amazed at the cause of some church splits in churches. Splits and division has been caused by arguments and fights over carpet color, type of music, the pastor’s hair and so on. Too often we debate and argue over preferences rather than over doctrine. What I mean by this is that sometimes we desire a certain style of presentation but that is a preference rather than an issue of doctrine.

Why do our passions wage war within us? Our passions will either help us to grow and they will cause our growth to stagnate or it will throw us off course all together. Romans 7:25, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” Its our choice. Which choice will you make?

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May 13, 2013 · 9:01 am

James – Spiritual Wisdom Part 2

Peninsula Community Church
May 12, 2013
Spiritual Wisdom Part 2

James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

As I was planning for Mother’s Day, I considered several possibilities and several different directions that could be taken this morning. As I did so, I realized that the message was already in front of me. The fact is the list available to us through this passage gives us the tools to examine who we are and what we are to be not only as mothers but as passionate followers of Christ.

Today, we will continue to look at the book of James and we will continue our study today, on spiritual wisdom. Last week we looked at earthly, natural, and demonic wisdom. Today, we will look at the attributes of spiritual wisdom. As we noted last week, James lists several attributes and characteristics of spiritual wisdom.

While James defined earthly wisdom this week will look at the definition of Spiritual wisdom. Last week we saw that James qualified earthly wisdom as being rooted in selfish ambition and bitter jealousy. James not only qualified what earthly wisdom might look like but he also qualified what spiritual wisdom should be. Below, we will Look at this list of qualifiers for spiritual wisdom. What we understand is that true wisdom is not selfish or boastful.

The first qualifier of spiritual wisdom is that it is pure. The Greek word here is agnos. The original usage of the word signified “that which awakens awe.” Later it began to be used for the ritual of ceremonial cleaning which related back to the temple in the Old Testament. One who is pure has been purified and they are unstained by the world. Clayton a few weeks ago noted that we must remain unstained by the world and the world’s ways. True spiritual wisdom is pure and undefiled by the world’s ways and the world’s motivation and mindsets. The idea of pure here is the idea of a garment that is not soiled by the dirt of the world. This does not mean that one lives a perfectly sinless life, but it does mean that they strive to live sinless to the degree that they are able to and that they take care of any stains before they have time to set in and damage the soul. It means also that they keep a clean slate of wrongs and issues of sin. This particular quality speaks to the condition of the heart. It is for this reason that David in his Psalm of forgiveness (Psalm 51:10) cries out to God to “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Jesus, himself, spoke to his disciples and said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Purity of heart is one of the qualities on living in spiritual wisdom. James understood here the necessity of walking with a pure heart.

The second qualifier of spiritual wisdom is that it is peaceable. The usage of this word in the languages of James day is enlightening. In the original writings, the word denotes a friendly word of a man as opposed to a divisive rather warlike word. The words one speaks should be distinguished between hard and harsh and the words one speaks softly. God’s wisdom brings peace. In the church when God’s wisdom is evident there is peace. Have you known anyone that enjoyed stirring up trouble and strife. Some they couch this in desire for truth or desire to bring healing when in reality they are only stirring up strife and division. They seem to get a thrill at doing this. They attempt to manufacture or take statements out of context in order to prove their point but in essence they stir up strife and disunity in the body of Christ. James here says that God’s wisdom seeks to bring peace and not strife. It seeks to bring healing and not destruction. Remember that peace is not the absence of strife but it is the evidence of peace in the midst of strife and evil. Listen here to what Paul says. Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Corinthians 13:11). If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all (Romans 12:18).

The third qualifier of spiritual wisdom is that it is gentle. The word used here is one that denotes rulership and how one must rule. They must do so with all gentleness. God’s wisdom is not harsh. Truth can be painful but the one speaking the truth does not have be harsh. Instead it is gentle and it is life giving. Have you ever been confronted by someone who is harsh and bitter. They are like a bull in a china shop. They leave a wake of injury and they wound whoever is in their way. The is that too often the one guilty of such action is not aware of what they are doing. They are everything but gentle. The quality of gentleness is a fruit of the spirit. The problem we have with gentleness is that we often confuse directness with a lack gentleness (Galatians 5:23). Paul also speaks to this issue of being gentle when he communicates they we must serve the Lord with all humility and gentleness (Ephesians 4:2).

The fourth qualifier of spiritual wisdom is that it is open to reason. This exhibits an approachable spirit. This speaks to one who is open to discussion and to new ways of thinking. Spiritual wisdom means that one is teachable. It means that they have not arrived at some level of intellect that they do not need instruction from others. This also means that the one who exhibits spiritual wisdom is not defiant and stubborn. They are open to reason. Another way to look at this is that he or she is not set their ways. They are open to learn new things and new ways of doing things. When error has been pointed out they are open to the reasoning of others.

The fifth qualifier of spiritual wisdom is that it is full of mercy. Spiritual wisdom is gracious and merciful to others. Remember earlier that James says that mercy should triumph over judgement. James returns to this thought by reminding us that spiritual wisdom exhibits a life of mercy and forgiveness. One who lacks mercy does not know how to show another grace. Once again we must not confuse mercy with speaking the truth in love. Spiritual wisdom is merciful, as it recognizes that except by the grace of God we might be in the same place and might be struggling with same sin we see in others.

The sixth qualifier of spiritual wisdom is that it is full of good fruits. A person’s source of wisdom is defined by the kind of fruit they exhibit in their life. When you look at a person’s life what do you see? Are they manifesting fruit that shows Christ in a good a light? We must remember that fruit and not one’s gifts are the measure of a man’s life. Now this does not mean that one’s gifts and talents are not important; it does mean that the exhibition of character is manifested through the fruit of one’s life. A few weeks ago a couple of us went to the FCA dinner. The speaker of the evening shared a message where he compared talent with character. Character always trumps talent. So it is spiritually, our fruit always trumps our gifts.

The seventh qualifier of spiritual wisdom is that it is impartial. James returns to this idea of showing impartiality. True spiritual wisdom is found in the capacity to show impartiality. I am reminded of what a friend of Michelle said about her. She stated, “Whoever Michelle is with, she makes them feel like they are her best friend.” That is the wisdom that is spiritual.

The eighth qualifier of spiritual wisdom is that it is sincere – True spiritual wisdom is sincere. It is not fake. It does presume on others. It doesn’t not say one thing and then do something else.

There is one thing that could be said about spiritual wisdom. True spiritual wisdom does not have to be forced. Spiritual wisdom is displayed the best when we think about it the least. It is a supernatural natural outcome of a life committed to follow Christ.

First, we must make a real evaluation of our lives. We must take inventory of where we are and the areas of change needed. So what if we find that we are falling short in any of these? James has the answer. He states in James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

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May 6, 2013 · 11:37 am

James – What is Spiritual Wisdom?

Peninsula Community Church
James – What is Spiritual Wisdom
May 5, 2013

James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James in this passage continues to define what a passionate follower of Christ will look like. Here he qualifies the difference between wisdom that is earthly or demonic and that wisdom which is spiritual. James notes that false wisdom is earthly, natural, and demonic. You will notice that wisdom here is not defined by one’s education or by one’s intellectual prowess. As James has done through this text he uses a comparative analysis to establish his point. In this case he uses a comparison between spiritual wisdom and earthly wisdom. This is not the first time a comparison of spiritual wisdom and man’s wisdom or earthly wisdom has occurred in Scripture. We have seen this in Paul’s writings of 1 Corinthians chapter one and two. We also see this comparison throughout the Book of Proverbs and for that matter throughout the Biblical story as related in the stories of the biblical characters of both the Old and New Testament.

Wisdom is revealed through one’s actions and lifestyle. James begins this passage by stating that the level of one’s wisdom is witnessed by way of one’s conduct. This is not a new idea as James has highlighted this idea of conduct being a mirror to one’s soul and heart in earlier verses. Wisdom as defined by James is characterized by how one lives their life and what one does in that life. Wisdom is in essence a lifestyle as much as it is something that is accomplished or done in one’s life.

In this passage, James notes two defining characteristics of earthly, unspiritual, and demonic wisdom is defined as bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. He suggests that the one who is walking in earthly wisdom will be defined by a lifestyle of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. Jealousy is defined as an inordinate longing for, being envious of others and being careful to guard or protect something or someone. The problem defined by James is not just having jealously but having a jealousy rooted in bitterness. Bitterness binds us and preempts God’s work in our heart. Jealously is in reality a lack of trust in the person to which we are extending love. It is for that reason spiritual jealously is rooted in a lack of trust in God. It is also motivated by a lack of contentment in God’s ways and his ability to work out the various situations we experience in our lives. The writer of Hebrews has this to say about having a root of bitterness. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled … (Hebrews 12:15).

The second qualifier of earthly wisdom is that it is defined by selfish ambition. Selfish ambition is an act of wanting to put ourselves above everyone one else and to obtain praise and adulation from others. In the Greek, the word used here for selfish ambition is the word eritheia which means to “work for hire.” It is to do things for one’s own gain regardless of the discord it causes. It places self-interest ahead of what the Lord declares right or what is good for others. Some commentators suggest the term represents that person who is politically oriented. They will say and do anything to get votes. They do things to gain recognition rather than to glorify God. They commit to serve Him so that they will be patted on the back and not to honor God. Jesus dealt with this phenomenon on the Sermon on the Mount. With selfish ambition comes a false understanding of who we are and what we are designed to do. The writer of Proverbs noted, Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips (Proverbs 27:2).

Paul also reminds us in Philippians 2:4-5 that we are not to do anything “from selfish or empty conceit but with humility of mind; let each of you regard one another as more important than himself and do not merely look out for euro personal interest but also for the interest of others.”

How do we know we are selfish and jealous? One way to know is to answer a few questions. Do we get angry when we are confronted? Do we reject counsel? Do we feel that no one else is capable of teaching or sharing a particular truth? Do we try to force others to accept our viewpoint or our way of thinking? Do we become angry when someone else gets credit for something we achieved? Are we able to rejoice when others are rewarded? Your answers to these questions will let you know if you are dealing with selfish ambition.

Now before we move on let me say that ambition is a good thing. It is a God given trait. But as in every God given gift, the enemy of our souls and our carnal nature can drive us to unhealthy expressions in life.

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April 28, 2013 · 2:09 pm

James – The Tongue Part 2

Peninsula Community Church
April 28, 2013
The Power of the Tongue – Part 2

James 3:1-5 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

This morning we will continue to look at the tongue. As we noted in last week’s message the tongue has the power to bring life and death. The tongue is capable of bringing healing or it can bring additional hurt and pain to those we encounter.

In the text before us today, James uses several word pictures to explain or illustrate the power of the tongue. Words pictures are great tools of communication as they grab and direct our attention. Word pictures also bring communication to life and have the power to lock thoughts into our minds. The inspired authors of the Bible have a unique ability to present word pictures to illustrate the point(s) the author is trying to make in a way that causes us to remember the lesson being taught.

The first set of word pictures used by James are used to illustrate that the tongue has the power to steer and direct. James uses the word picture of a horses bit and a ship’s rudder to illustrate the ability of the tongue to steer and direct one’s life and one’s actions. Not only can they steer one’s personal life but the life of the people they influence and those they encounter.

He states that a small bit enables the rider to control a horse, and a small rudder enables the pilot to steer an entire ship. The bit in a horses mouth is able to direct the whole body of the horse in the direction the rider would desire. The same is true of a ship’s rudder. A small rudder has the possibility to guide a ship in the direction dictated by the pilot of the ship. These instruments of guidance have the capability of directing the actions of the horse and the ship respectively.

Since these small items have the power to direct and thus they have the ability to affect lives, can you imagine the damage that could be caused by a run away horse in a crowd or the damage realized by a ship that has lost its ability to be guided. When my daughter was younger I remember that she was riding a horse at a friend’s house in Florida. She was doing very well until her foot slipped out of the stirrup and when she bent over to get her foot back in the stirrup she did not realize that she had jerked the reigns to the right. The horse responded immediately and turned right, throwing her from the horse. Fortunately, she was not seriously hurt but she had a fear of riding that horse after that.

A second illustration of this power is a story related to me by my son who was in the Navy and whose ship was sent to the Persian Gulf. While stationed there the ship lost all power, including its guidance systems and steering capability. When all the systems were restored they found that they were within five miles of Iranian waters which could have caused an international incident. Fortunately, there was no incident but the potential was there.

Just as the bit and rudder are small, the tongue is also a small member. As a small part of the body, the tongue has the power to accomplish great things. The tongue has the power to effect the course of history. The tongue has been known to start wars and it has the power to end wars as well. Both the bit and the rudder must overcome contrary forces to successfully accomplish its task. The bit must overcome the wild nature of the horse, and the rudder must fight the winds and currents that would drive the ship off its course. The human tongue must also overcome contrary forces. Our carnal nature, sinful desires, past experiences and our heart condition all direct the action of the tongue. We must control if we will speak words of healing or words of destruction.

The second word picture illustrates the tongue’s power to destroy. James relates to us that it only requires a spark to start a fire. Listen to the words of the writer of Proverbs who noted “For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body” (Proverbs 26:20-22).

Fires start small and then grow. Studies have shown that most of the wild fires on the west coast were started by either a lightning strike or by an unattended fire. When our kids were younger we would take them camping. We decided to take a weekend trip to the end of Long Island where we would camp. I had started a fire and we had enjoyed an evening of food and songs and stories around the fire. When the night was over I took care of the fire and had put it out; so I thought. About three in the morning, we awoke to a fire blazing in the fire pit. Why? One of the embers had been flamed by the wind which had been blowing through the night and it erupted into a fully ignited fire.

Fire burns and it hurts. Our words can burn and hurt as well. Fire spreads, and the more fuel you give it, the faster and farther it will spread. James reminds us that the tongue has the power to “set the whole course of one’s life on fire” (James 3:6). Once the fire has started the damage is done. And when we give fuel to the fire by not controlling our tongue the fire grows out of control.

Not only does James compare the tongue to a fire but he also proclaims that the tongue “is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:5-8) All it takes is a little poison to do damage. Poison can kill or it can debilitate one’s ability to function. Words kill and they debilitate us to the point where we can cannot function.

The third word picture used is the spring and the tree has the power to delight. (James 3:9-12) “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig-tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.” (James 3:9-12)

The spring and the tree has the power to delight. I can remember going to my grandfather’s house in upstate Alabama. On the way to his house, we would often stop at a spring on the side of the road where we would fill jugs of water with the fresh water that came from the well. The fact is when a spring is right, what comes forth is good water. The good fresh water refreshes and renews the thirsty body. The same is true when we are filled with the word of God so that what comes forth from us refreshes and renews.

What James is saying here is that the tongue is not the real issue, the real issue is with our heart. What we put into our minds shape and mold our hearts. What is in our hearts will be revealed in how we live and in what we say. The fact is we cannot have both fresh and bitter water coming from the same source. If we think we do, something is wrong and we must begin to admit that we are duplicitous and need healing. We need to have our hearts cleaned up so that we speak life and life alone. We must cease presenting a persona that all is well while at church and then treat our spouses and family members with evil intent. We can be so good at being sweet when we want to and bitter at other times but this does not define the life of a passionate follower of Christ.

There is life and death in our words. Life begins with an honest appraisal of who we are and how we act. Too often when we are duplicitous, we are actually being untruthful with ourselves. As we gain control over our hearts and our minds we will have a greater capacity to control our tongue. Secondly, the more we surrender our ways to Christ’s ways and we surrender to the direction of the Holy Spirit, the more we will be able to control what we say and how we say it.

When we are passionate followers of Christ, we will make sure that sweet water come from our mouth. This does not mean thy we are always perfect as we all fail to speak in a way that honors God, is truthful and loving all the time. The key is that we are honest with ourselves and with God.

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April 21, 2013 · 5:07 pm

James – The Power of the Tongue

Peninsula Community Church
James – the Power of the Tongue
James 3:1-5

James 3:1-5 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

We are finally moving to chapter three of our study. Once again James returns to a discussion of the tongue and the power of our words. He does this I believe because there is power in our words to bring life and death. This is confirmed by the writer of Proverbs who states, The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21).

In this particular discussion James begins this discussion by interjecting the idea that teachers will be judged with greater strictness. For that reason he speaks to those who desire to be teachers. He states that, Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. In James day there were many who wanted to be teachers or at least they wanted to present themselves as teachers. They often had a genuine desire to educate people but while this was a noble desire, James reminds them that they will be judged at a greater degree.

We also must remember that we influence others by our words. We will also be held accountable for these words as well.

The fact is teachers must use their tongue to share truth and as godly teachers we must teach God’s truth. The concern today is the same as it was in James’ day. Teacher’s must not sin with their tongue by way of gossip, antiChristian rhetoric, false judgment and so forth. They must preach the fulness of the Word and the entire gospel and not pick and choose which parts of the gospel they will teach. Teachers must also practice what they teach; otherwise, they fall into the sin and deception of hypocrisy. James also reminds us that teachers are not the only ones who are tempted toward sin. Every Christian must admit “We all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). It seems that sins of the tongue are at the top of the list. A measure of one’s spiritual maturity is one’s ability to control their tongue. He insinuates however that even the mature in Christ will slip up and at times say things that prove that we continue to need to grow in Christ and submit our tongue to God’s ways.

As a teacher, we face judgement from two sources. We will be judged by God himself as we will be held accountable for what we teach and to whom we teach. Not only will we be judged when we stand before God but we will also be judged in this life as well. When we teach we will either inform or we will confuse our listeners. We will challenge people in their growth in Christ or we can cause them to become stagnate and be stunted. Now we must note that while this is true we cannot be accountable for how people receive the word we speak as there are many issues that exist to prevent people from receiving the intent of our message. It could be the hardness of their heart. It could be that they do not like the one speaking so they shut them off. It could be that they are not interested in real growth so while they listen to what is being spoken they do apply the word into their life.

Second we will be judged by others. This is most interesting as when one knows they will be judged by others there is a tendency for them to be more accountable and honest. There is also a judgment that will come from people that will be unjust and will be filled with anger and bitterness. This is the tough one. To be judged unfairly is painful and causes emotional pain. We must guard our hearts against being judgmental of others. It is in this arena that James states that we must show mercy over judgment.

Then James makes the statement that we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man. This again has a two pronged force to it. First, for those who are teachers we must attempt to guard our words and speak the truth in love so as not to misspeak or say the wrong thing. Second, the idea here is that no one has reached the point of perfection in what they may say. There will always be the possibility of saying things that are hurtful, crude, inappropriate, gossip, and judgmental. It is unfortunate but I have sat with some pastors and Christian leaders who have caused me to blush with their language, their jokes, their criticism of others, and their gossip. Their message in the pulpit did not match their life off the platform.

Another thought is that the tongue has power but man struggles to control the tongue. Here James deals with the power of the tongue and the inability of man to control the tongue. It is a rare person who can control their tongues without any slip up or mistake in their speech. I am sure you may have heard the term “loose lips sink ships”? This phrase was used by the government during WWI. During the war, enemy spies would hang around British pubs to hear loose talk about ship movements. Sailors would talk about their next assignments, where they were going, when they were leaving. This was all vital information for the German submarines. Just a few careless words remind people of the terrible devastation that could result from words ill spoken, “Loose lips, sink ships.” The problem of careless talk was so great that the government began to put up posters like the example I have on the overhead. As believers if we are not careful we will have loose lips that destroy relationships and cause division in the body of Christ.

Would you like to have a control z function on your tongue?

Listen to what the Bible has to say about the words we speak. Proverbs 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. James 1:26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

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April 14, 2013 · 6:57 pm

James – Faith VS Works

Peninsula Community Church
James – Faith vs. Works
April 16, 2013

James 2:14-26 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe-and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”-and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Today, we will look at the issue of works and faith. For some theologians this has been a thorny theological issue. For others there has been questions about the difference, if any, between faith alone and James’ intimation that faith without works is dead. Still others will argue if it makes a difference at all.

We begin with the premise and understanding that salvation is a free, unmerited gift of God. Ephesians 2:8-9 states For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. It is the result of the death and resurrection of Christ. We do not merit or warrant the gift by our actions prior to salvation. Prior to coming to Christ we are enemies with God and because of our carnal nature we are hindered in our ability to seek the things of God because we were being led by our flesh (John 14:17). Jesus himself says that we cannot receive the Spirit of Truth because we did not know Him but we are led to an understanding of the truth, which is Christ by the Holy Spirit. We have also come to understand that our need for salvation is a result of the Holy Spirit drawing us to the place of decision. It is the role of the Holy Spirit to convict of sin and to draw us toward righteousness (John 16:8-11).

Most of the gifts we receive today are not really free at all. As I was preparing this, I thought of a time when you would receive a “free gift” for opening up a checking account at the local bank. It might be a toaster or a new radio but in fact this was not a free gift at all. They gave you the toaster or the radio because you opened up an account in their bank so therefore it was not free. When we receive the free gift of salvation there is nothing we can do to merit the free gift at all. On the other hand once we are saved there is within us a new desire for obedience to God’s will, His commands, and His purposes for us. The old saying goes. He paid a debt He did not owe. We owed a debt we could pay. He took care of it. In that moment, we were powerless but he gave us His spirit to draw us to Him.

We must also understand that while the gift is free, there is a response required on our part. God has created us with free-will therefore we must choose to follow Christ. I would disagree with some who say that there is no response required on our part in regard to salvation. There is a difference between choosing to accept the gift and not doing anything to merit the gift. There are some that imply in their teaching that you have no choice in receiving the gift. God never works in you in such a way that your free will is removed in total. But there is a choice for us to make. This is born out by Paul who stated “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:9-10). What is our part? We confess and we believe. How does that belief come? It comes by way of the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the ministry of the word of God. John reminds us that God so loved the world that He sent His only son that whosoever believes in Him would have eternal life. His part eternal life. What is our part? Our part is believe in Him and trust Him.

But how do we believe? Let us return to Romans 10. In Romans 10:14-15 Paul reminds us that the Gospel is a source of faith and belief that leads one to salvation. Paul stated “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” While God is sovereign he also created us with the ability to chose. While He draws to Himself, we must make that decision to follow Christ and to obey His commands. We see this in Romans 10:9-10, John 3:16; and Acts 2:21.

The question then that is being posed in this passage is how do we show that we have faith in Christ? James is in essence countering a problem that resulted in misunderstanding of Paul’s writings by the church of James’ day. They believed that since Paul preached that faith in Christ was absent of works that they therefore did not have to be active or obedient to God’s law. James is not contradicting Paul’s comments rather he is advancing the truth that if you have been saved by faith then your salvation will be witnessed by the works you exhibit.

This is also born out by Paul, in the discussion of Abraham’s faith. Abraham’s faith was accredited to him as righteousness prior to him being circumcised. The circumcision was a seal of the work of faith in his heart. The circumcision was not his mode of belief but was a proof of his belief. So in fact from this perspective James and Paul are on the same page.

The offering of Issac was the ultimate sign of his trust and the faith He had in Christ to provide the necessary substitute for his son. This was important for James to note as his purpose was to show that Abraham showed his faith by being willing to sacrifice his son because he had total faith in God.

James illustrates his point by reminding the church about the story of Abraham. As we read the Bible, we must understand that most of the stories related here cover a period of time. In this case, the story of Abraham here covers a period of time of more than 25 years. During that time he developed a firm faith in the ability of God to take care of him and to provide for him in every circumstance. It was for this reason that his actions were counted as righteousness. He was faithful to God because God had been faithful to him.

Theologians often use three terms to discuss three views of Christ or Three views of responding to Christ.  The first idea is to simply take notice (noticia). It is to be aware but there is not much else. The second way is the mental assent, the mental acknowledgment of something’s existence (Ascentia). Just because we have knowledge does not mean that we have faith. James reminds us that the demons acknowledge and believe that God exists. This means that one can have a knowledge of something but not have real faith or trust in that object.Too many Christians fall into this category. They believe but there is no evidence of that belief in them. Even demons know Christ and know what He is able to accomplish.

The third idea carries the idea that there is more than just a mental acknowledgment (Fiducia).  It involves a trust in something, a giving over to it, a complete believing and acceptance of something. This is the kind of faith that a Christian has in Christ.  A Christian, therefore, has fiducia; that is, he has real faith and trust in Christ, not simply an acknowledgment that He lived on earth at one time.  Another way to put this is that there are many people in the world who believed that Jesus lived: ascentia.  But they do not believe that He is their savior, the one to whom they should look and trust for the forgiveness of their sins. Ascentia does not lead to works.  Fiducia does.  Ascentia is not of the heart.  Fiducia is.
So what is the take away for us? It is this. If we have a pure genuine faith in Christ, we will respond by and with good works. This is revealed through our works and through the fruit of our lives. The way we live will match the profession of our mouths. This does not mean we will be perfect but it means that we will begin to see defined improvement in the actions we take.
These works emanate from a heart that is in love with God and one that desires to see him honored by our works and what we do.

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April 7, 2013 · 5:01 pm

James – Mercy Triumphs Over Judgement

Peninsula Community Church
April 7, 2013
James – Mercy Over Judgment

James 2:8-13 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Two weeks ago we began to look at this passage and realized that there was so much here that we needed to take another week to look at what it presents to us. Two weeks ago we looked at loving our neighbor as ourselves and what that means to us as believers. We also discussed how love is a decision and not just a feeling. Today, we will look at the subject of how mercy triumphs over judgement. Before we get to that particular point let’s discuss a couple of issues that will lead us to understanding why this is so important.

To begin with, this passage presents God’s view of life in that we must obey all of the law and not pick or choose which of God’s commands we will obey. From the time of original sin and the fall of humankind, man’s innate desire has been to either reject the law in total or to obey only that part of the law that does not have a direct impact on them or the parts of the law that affects them the least. They also attempt to choose which commands they will obey and which ones others should or should not obey. This is not a smorgasbord or a menu of options but they are commands. This desire to pick and choose is driven by the carnal nature that stands ready to control and divert us away from God’s purpose and plan for our lives.

Here at PCC we have talked a lot about legalism. I want to be clear that this verse does not negate anything we have said about that but in fact brings that discussion into greater balance. Too often, legalism brings us to a place where we pick and choose the commands we will obey and what commands we think others should obey. This was the position of the Pharisees who were the kings of legalism. Legalism is in fact the very thing that James is addressing. Those who follow a legalistic mindset are good at redefining the law to fit one’s life and one’s own desire. We find this illustrated in Luke 10:25-37.

In this story, a lawyer came to Jesus and posed the question of who one’s neighbor might be. The goal of the lawyer was not to seek truth but to minimize the scope of the definition of who one’s neighbor might be. Rather than accepting the law of God at face value, the lawyer was attempting to reinvent the law and diminish the scope of the command to love our neighbor as ourselves. This was not unusual as the spiritual leaders of the day were always trying to bend the law to their favor and to limit the sphere of influence the law would have over them personally. The question posed was a means to diminish an understanding of who one’s neighbor might be and not to expand the scope of understanding. In essence, the lawyer was trying to redefine the law. He in essence was attempting to set precedence because precedence can become the rule of law rather than the law itself. But, not never accepts the precedence, only the law itself.

By James comments this continued to be one of the big issues of James’ day. Rather than living in obedience to the law, the leaders of the day would either marginalize the law or they would expand the law to cover issues never intended to be covered. They would also require perfect obedience to the law by others when they themselves could not keep the law. For that reason, James addresses the issue of how and which laws we should obey. He relates this to us by reminding us that when we break one law we are guilty in essence of breaking the whole law. The bottom line is that we sin by way of both commission and omission. The idea here is that sin is sin and is a result of a sinful nature and the failure of man. That is why we must guard our hearts against settling into a belief that we have reached a point of sinless perfection. We all sin but there is forgiveness at the cross and in Christ restoration for every sin committed.

We too are living in a society where we are bending the law to our purpose and bringing the law down to a human perspective. Society and the church at large is trying to redefine God’s law to make it more palatable and easier to deal with. But, we cannot redefine sin because sin is still sin regardless of the definition or name we use. We can redefine an apple as an orange but it will continue to have the qualities and attributes of an apple regardless of the name or definition we give to it. We can redefine abortion and call it woman’s choice but it is still an abortion. We can redefine a homosexual and lesbian lifestyle and call it an alternative lifestyle, but it is still a sin in the eyes of God. We can redefine the mismanagement of finances as creative financing but it is still a wrong way to handle our finances.

Paul continues his message by intimating that when we show favoritism we become a lawbreaker. That is why James elaborates on this issue in James 2:9-11. The message he communicates is, “Don’t think you are keeping the law of Christ while you are practicing favoritism.” James is straightforward and direct here. If you show favoritism, you sin. He purposes in fact that if one believes showing favoritism is not a sin they are in fact breaking the whole law. In verses 10 and 11, he gives us an analogy that illustrates what it means to be selective in defining sin.

In this case he uses the comparison of murder and adultery. He states that we may not have committed adultery and thus believe that we have kept the law but we are guilty murder by way of our tongues and through gossip every day. For that reason, we are guilty of breaking the whole law. Why is this? Sin is in reality rebellion against God and therefore one sin makes us guilty of breaking the whole law because we are rebellion against God’s will and purpose. Many believe that if they have not committed the big sins they will pass the sin test. We think we can a have little bit of gossip, favoritism and be all right. We think we can reject he spiritual authority placed over us or we disrespect our spouses and be righteous. However, we must understand that the law is not a multiple choice test. We don’t pick six and do our best. We must keep the whole law. And we should note that there are great rewards in keeping God’s law and that it is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to keep and obey God’s will and reap the benefits as promised by Deuteronomy.

In the final part of the verse, James states that we are to speak and act as if we will be judged by the law. We are to live as those who will be judged under the law of liberty. Notice that James defines it as the law of liberty. While the law points to our sin, Christ redeems the law and uses it to free us because we do not realize our need for freedom until our sin is recognized. This leads us to a final point. Be careful how you judge others as you will be judged by the judgement you give others according to Matthew 7:1. We must show mercy because mercy always triumphs over judgement. The funny thing about Christians is that we love to have grace and mercy extended to ourselves, but are often judge others quickly. Even in the area of showing favoritism we may find it easier to point out this sin in other people while we fail to own up to it in our own lives. The problem is that it is so easy to deceive ourselves if we are not careful.

Once again James is clear on how we should proceed. Both our words and our actions should exhibit our firm conviction that there is a real God who is really going to judge us. We should speak and act as if we really believe all the doctrine we love to vigorously defend. There should be real, tangible proof in our lives that the gospel has taken root in our lives and is growing and bearing fruit (as Paul would tell the Colossians). It is for this reason that James closes out his statements with one final statement – “Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

Do you try to minimize the definition of sin in your life?

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March 31, 2013 · 4:30 pm

Easter – What’s It All About?

Peninsula Community Church
March 31, 2013
Easter – What’s It All About?

Mark 16: 1-8 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back-it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Easter is one of those holidays that I love. So why is Easter so important? Well, I am glad that you asked. I would be happy to tell you what Easter means and I believe it is one of the greatest holidays. I remember Easter was one of those holidays that my mom would find a church for me to attend so at least I would be influenced in some way by the Easter story. I remember even when my mom could not afford anything else I would have an Easter basket filled with candy and goodies that would last at least a day or two. I can remember the egg hunts and finding rotten Easter eggs several days if not weeks later. I remember also whether I went to church or not my mom made sure I had a new set of clothes. I also remember as a teen and living with my dad that we would have a feast on Easter Sunday complete with chicken, ham, and leg of lamb. But, as we have seen in the skit, this morning, Easter is so much more than candy, dyed eggs, new clothes, and roasted leg of lamb. Now, there is no problem with any of these because they represent and can be symbolic of the meaning of Easter. They can be used to tell the story of Easter or at least open the door for discussion. While these are just symbols, I would like to share with you the real story of Easter.

It was an ordinary week for most people during the week of Passover in Jerusalem the last week of Jesus’ life but it is into the ordinary and the extraordinary that Christ wants to come. Jesus had come to Jerusalem for passover as it was an important custom and time of remembrance for the Jewish. For the most part, it this week seemed to be an ordinary week except that the one called Jesus seemed to be stirring up trouble. For the Romans, he was a threat to their authority. To the religious leaders, He was a threat to their control over the people and their misguided ideas about life, God, and obedience. There were others who were not sure what to do. They had heard the miraculous stories of the miracles of Christ. They had heard of the messages that had brought change to so many. But they still did not know what to do. They were confused by the arguments against Jesus. They were also a very fickle people. They praised Him on Sunday during the triumphant entry but by Friday the fear of the government and worries about the religious leaders had compelled them to cry out for his crucifixion.

The Friday of Passover in Jerusalem seemed like any other Passover Friday. The crowds were gathered to offer sacrifices and present to the priest a perfectly selected lamb that would sacrifice as a substitute that would take away their sin for that year. Little did they know that the Lamb that would take away the sin of the world forever was in town. Even those closest to Jesus did not know this, for he had been arrested the night before. Jesus faced a trial that was brought about with great haste and one that scholars now say was fraught will illegal aspects. Jesus was sentenced to die on the cross which was the most cruel form of death for their day. It s of note that the religious leaders and the government leaders attempted to distance themselves from these acts. But the fact is Jesus was sentenced and on Friday at about 3PM he died for each and everyone of us.

Because of this the emotions of those who were left were varied. In fact, the mood after Christ’s death ran the gamut. Picture with me in that moment the mood of those closest to Jesus. They were filled with fear. They were afraid of the future. They had lost hope. What if the religious leaders came after them? They were confused. They doubted His word. They were filled with questions. Why did He do this? Didn’t He say He was the savior of the world?

For some in that time especially those closest to him thought life was over. They thought He had failed. As I was preparing my thoughts I came across It reminds me of a story that was told after the battle of Waterloo.

The battle of Waterloo, was fought between Napoleon and the British. The battle was fought in present day Belgium. The commander for the Anglo coalition was the Duke of Wellington. The story is told that after the battle of Waterloo the news was transmitted from a ship out on the water. The transmission was intercepted by a person on a hill who transmitted the message on to others who were strategically placed on the hills around the town. The entire nation would eventually hear the news this way. After the battle, a sailing ship signaled to a man on the shore. The first word was “Wellington” and the next word was “defeated.” Just at that moment a fog blew in and no other words were received. The mood of the nation was almost instantly sent into a downward spiral of doubt and discouragement. But, as the fog dissipated two additional words were sent from the ship. Those words were “the enemy.” In a moment, the mood changed from doubt and a lack of hope to one of joy and one of celebrating a great victory.

On a Friday afternoon some 2000 years ago the message that was transmitted to the world was “Christ defeated.” A fog of fear and doubt swept the country side including those who had been with him during his ministry. We see this as the disciples of Jesus ran and hid from the Roman guard and from each other. But, on Sunday morning the fog was cleared away and the rest of the message arrived. “the enemy.” What is the whole message? “Christ defeated the enemy!” What did he defeat? He defeated fear, doubt, sin, the grave and even death. Even death would no longer the power that it once held because of this one event.

While that was a great message then, what does it mean for us today?

Everything changed after the resurrection. Christ defeated the enemy: death and sin. Christ brought hope. Christ confirmed our faith. Christ proved His word to be true and trustworthy. The message is one of hope, victory, and healing. If you want see a person who is truly broken look for the person who has no hope. The person without hope is one who lives a desperate life and a life that that struggles with issues. But hope is the lifeline that helps us through the deepest, darkest days of life. Where do we find hope in a world that is so broken? Where do we find hope in a life that disappoints us over and over again? The truth is, that hope finds us. As we’re walking down those dark and lonely roads of life, Jesus comes to us and opens our eyes to see God’s plans to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us hope and a future.

But how do we make application of this into our lives? What does hope really mean to us? Hope is not just a cute expression that we use when there is nothing else to say? It is not an expression we use without thinking about the full meaning related to the word? Hope is not an arbitrary word but it is filled with meaning especially when it is attached to the act of Christ Resurrection. We have hope for today and we have hope for tomorrow and more so we have a hope after this life.

Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all…As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength. (G. K. Chesterton, Signs of the Times, April 1993.
A man approached a little league baseball game one afternoon. He asked a boy in the dugout what the score was. The boy responded, “Eighteen to nothing–we’re behind.” “Boy,” said the spectator, “I’ll bet you’re discouraged.” “Why should I be discouraged?” replied the little boy. “We haven’t even gotten up to bat yet!”
One of the greatest benefits we have in Christ’s resurrection is that we now have hope.

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March 24, 2013 · 5:03 pm

James – Loving our Neighbor the Way We Love Ourselves.

Peninsula Community Church
March 24, 2013
James – Loving our Neighbor the Way We Love Ourselves

James 2:8-13 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

As we have noted in our previous messages in James, this text today is a continuance of the previous verses. Together these verses answer the question, “What is good religion?” In other words how do we live out the work of God that has come to transform our inner man by way of salvation. James intimates later in the book that “faith without works is dead.” This is in reality the focus of these verses as they serve to illustrate the theme of James. The outward expression of our faith will either confirm or disconfirm our heart’s motivation.

James begins this passage by stating, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Notice this passage begins with the word “if.” The word “If” is a conditional word that warrants consideration of what follows.

In this passage there are three issues presented by James. The first is that James reminds us that we are to love others as ourselves. Second, James addresses the issue of marginalizing the law or narrowing the scope of how we are to obey the law and what laws we are to obey. Third, James reminds us that how we judge others is how we will be judged. For that reason, he reminds us that mercy will triumphant over judgment.

Let us look at the first issue. James says that if you really want to know what kind of religion you have all you need to do is answer the question “Do you love your neighbor? The point being made here is that good religion is measured in part by how you love those around you. He categorizes this by referring to the words of Jesus who summed up the law in two phrases: love God, love people (Matthew 22:36-40).

In Christ’s wisdom, he added the caveat that we are not only to love our neighbors but we are to love them as we would love ourselves. Now granted, we need to understand that in some ways this is a subjective term as we all struggle at times to understand how to love ourselves and each of us will express our love in different ways. Many times we treat others badly as we have a wrong view or understanding of ourselves. How do you love yourself? Loving ourselves means we give loving care to self and to others.
We live in a struggle to forgive. We live with regret. We live with guilt. We live with a sense of failure and mistakes made. As a result of these things, we have a distorted view of ourselves and therefore we have a distorted view of others.

Think about how we respond and relate to others because of a faulty view of who we are. Think about some of the responses we exhibit:
We are suspect of another’s love because we have been wounded by those who supposedly loved us.
We find it hard to trust others because we have had broken trust lived out in our lives.
We abuse and use others because we have been used and abused by others.

The saying that is used so often bears mentioning here, “Hurt people, hurt people.” “Restored people, restore people.”

How do we love ourselves? First, we need to have a personal relationship with God and we need to develop that relationship every day. We need to read, study and apply the Word into our life. Second, we need to deal with unconfessed sin as soon as it is recognized. Third, we need to develop relationships with other believers not to just input into others lives but to also receive from the wealth of their experiences and the fullness of their understanding of God and the ways of God. Fourth, we need to understand that we are a creation of God and that we are His children. We have been redeemed, set free from sin and have surrendered our lives to the one who is able to sustain and direct our lives. As Clayton’s testimony bore out yesterday, there is a point where we have to release control to Him. And He will set us up for just such a discovery in our lives.

We should also note that too often we define love only as a feeling rather than an action to be taken. Love is a part of the will and not just an emotion. You might be asked why you love someone though they might not deserve it “Why I am doing this?” You can answer, “It is the right thing to do.” “How do you feel?” “I do not know but I am doing the right thing.” We should not be motived by emotion, but because it is the right thing. Our emotions can change with or without notice.

The point being made is that love has been and continues to be the ruling principle of dealing with mankind. It is how we deal with people on a daily basis that measures our religion. To love your neighbor as your self, is to do the right thing. It is not a question of feelings but it is a decision of the heart and the mind.

The second issue is that God calls us to obey all of the law and not to be selective in how, when and where we will be obedient. Man’s innate desire is to obey only part of the law or to be selective in which laws he will obey. In Luke 10:25-37 a lawyer came to Jesus and posed the question of who one’s neighbor is. It is noteworthy to observe that the question was one that attempted to minimize the sphere of who one’s neighbor might be. Rather than accepting the law of God at face value, the lawyer was attempting to reinvent the law and diminish the scope of who one’s neighbor might be. In essence, he was trying to discriminate in terms of who his neighbor was. The spiritual leaders of the day were always trying to bend the law to their favor and to limit the sphere of influence the law would have over them. The question posed was a means to diminish the understanding of who one’s neighbor might be and not to expand the scope of understanding.

This was one of the big issues of James’ day. Rather than living in obedience to the law the leaders of the day would either marginalize the law or they would expand the law to cover issues never intended to be covered. For that reason, James addresses the issue of how and which laws we obey. He presents an argument that some individuals obey some laws and disobey other laws. They become selective in the laws they keep but James reminds us that we cannot pick and choose which laws we obey and which ones we do not. He relates this to us by reminding us that when we break one law we are guilty in essence of breaking the whole law. The bottom line is that we sin by way of both commission or omission. The idea here is that sin is sin and is a result of a sinful nature and the failure of man. That is why we must guard our hearts against settling into a belief that we on earth have reached a point of sinless perfection.

This is illustrated in the story of the woman that was in the process of being stoned but Christ intervened and came to her aid. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus who was caught in the act of adultery. They were pressuring Jesus to act on the law of Moses that stated that one caught in adultery should be stoned. It is amazing to observe Jesus’ response. He spoke to those on the sin and stated that the one without in should cast the first stone. While there has been some debate on what Jesus wrote on the ground, it is my belief that he wrote each man’s name down and began to lust there sins.

James returns to discussion of favoritism by reminding us that in showing favoritism you sin. In 10 and 11 he gives us an analogy using other significant analogies. He goes to murder and adultery. Many believe that if we have not done the big sins we are ok. We can a have little bit of gossip, favoritism and be all right. However, we must understand that the law is not one that is multiple choice. We don’t pick six and do our best. We must keep the whole law.

That is why, in 2:8-11, James elaborates on the fact that favoritism makes one a lawbreaker. The message is, Don’t think you are keeping the law of Christ while you are practicing favoritism. It is as much a contradiction as if you claimed you were keeping the law just because you were not committing adultery even though you were practicing murder. James’s language is stark and emphatic in 2:9: If you show favoritism, you sin.

In the final part of the verse James stars that we are to speak and act as if you will be judged by the law. We are to live as those who will be judged under the law of liberty. Notice that James defines it as the law of liberty. While the law points to our sin, Christ redeems the law and uses it to free us because we do not realize our need for freedom until our sin is recognized. this leads us to a final point. Be careful how you judge others as you will be judged by the judgement you give others (Matthew 7:1). We must show mercy because mercy always triumphs over judgement.

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