"Humble Submission"

Scripture: James 4:4-12

In case you hadn’t heard any news recently, Pope Francis is paying our country a visit! While we were on vacation in D.C. last week, we even saw his entourage of vehicles when they passed us after his speech to the joint session of Congress. We heard a couple of his speeches on TV, and even though I’m not an advocate for the papacy, the one thing that struck me was how different his approach to life is when compared to that of our nation. Over and over, it seemed that his call was for us to return to our founding principles, instead of remaining fixed on our current direction. He didn’t directly address some of our most trying issues, but instead, spoke to what the Church should be about. He spoke of the vital importance of protecting the right of religious freedom for all, and he called the Church to be vigilant in faith. He even spoke of unity of voice in striving for protection of the dignity and rights of all people.

It is almost as though he read our text for today before he arrived in the U.S.

Read James 4:4-5

James tells us that there is only one “friendship”, one wisdom, that can have any meaning for us, and it isn’t the one that so many seek in the world. Note that he doesn’t say that there is only one allegiance that we should submit to. Romans 13:1-7 tells us that God has not only established his authority over earth, but that he has created secular authority for our well-being, too. The point being that if we rebel against governmental authority, it’s the equivalent of rebelling against God!
Authority is one issue, but friendship and wisdom is a completely different matter. This is about where, and with whom, we find comfort; it’s about where we look for truth; it’s about claiming and following the standards that govern the way we live our life. Friendship implies agreement, or a common vision, whether it is with the Lord, or with the ways of earth, and we have to decide which one holds the most importance for us.
And let no one say that they didn’t know the right choice! James writes that the Lord has placed his Spirit in each of us, and that this Spirit “envies intensely”! Isn’t that an interesting phrase – especially since Galatians 5:19-21 (v. 20) says that one of the acts of a sinful nature is envy!
So what do you think the Spirit envies, and why isn’t this a false way? The Spirit of God strongly desires our friendship, which is what “envies intensely” is referring to, especially when we choose to seek friendship with the world! Even the 10 Commandments tells us that “the Lord your God is a jealous God”. (Exodus 20:1-17, v. 5) This isn’t the envy or jealousy that the world hands out – it is God’s overwhelming desire that we might live our life in his way, the way that is life, and not in the way that is death. This desire is so strong in God that he sent his Son to earth to not only win our salvation, but to create an unmistakable and unerring way to the throne of God.
That is how “intensely” God desires our “friendship”.

Read James 4:6-10

Have you ever known someone who was actually proud of their salvation? They may even have bragged that Jesus died for them! In Psalm 10:4, we read that pride keeps us from even seeking God’s grace, and that when we are proud, it takes up all the room in our lives and that there is no place left for the Lord. And Proverbs 16:18 says “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
James tells us that the opposite of pride is humility. Pride tears down, humility builds up. Pride is the way that trips us up, humility enables God to lift us up. Pride draws us near to Satan, while humility leads us ever closer to God. Pride is the mantle worn by the people of the world, while humility must be the choice of God’s people.

In verse 8, James uses the term “double-minded”. The implication is that even those who profess Jesus Christ as their savior can fall into the trap of pride! “Double-mindedness” says that we are of two minds - specifically that we are in one mind that calls out to the Lord, while simultaneously attempting to live in another desire that seeks the glory of earth.
And this brings us back to God’s jealousy! The truth is that duplicity doesn’t work - we can’t have it both ways! That is why the Lord is “jealous” for our faithfulness – either we are all in for him, or we aren’t his at all.

Read James 4:11-12

These two verses almost seem out of place – that James has inserted some unrelated thought into his discussion of submission to friendship with the Lord. But as we think about it, this may actually be a continuation of his discussion on pride.
So, what is slander? Isn’t it more than just lying about another person? Isn’t it more than judging another person for who they are or what they do? Slander is actually more about elevating the slanderer than it is about tearing down the victim! And that act of promoting yourself to the determent of someone else is nothing less than “pride”!
And there isn’t much difference between slander and gossip, either! There are several passages in Proverbs about gossip, but consider one of them - Proverbs 20:19 - ”A gossip betrays a confidence.” Every time we spread a story that we have heard, with the intention of showing just how much we know, and just how wrong another person may be, we have gossiped. Slander comes into play when we add a few juicy, but false, tidbits to the story, just to make it sound a little better!

And pride is the driving force behind it all. Is it any wonder that scripture tells us over and over that a humble heart is the only means available to us if we wish to receive the Lord’s grace!

Henri Nouwen, the noted Christian theologian and author wrote:
Trees that grow tall have deep roots. Great height without great depth is dangerous. The great leaders of this world, like St. Francis, Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., were all people who could live with public notoriety, influence, and power in a humble way because of their deep spiritual rootedness.

Without deep roots we easily let others determine who we are. But as we cling to our popularity, we may lose our true sense of self. Our clinging to the opinion of others reveals how superficial we are. We have little to stand on. We have to be kept alive by adulation and praise. Those who are deeply rooted in the love of God can enjoy human praise without being attached to it.

—Henri J. M. Nouwen, Bread for the Journey (Harper Collins, 1997).

James is talking about our depth of faith. Pope Francis was talking about the depth of our faith. Jesus was all about depth of faith. It is only when our faith is shallow that pride has a chance of worming its way into our lives, destroying every chance of having a meaningful relationship with Almighty God.

How is your relationship with Jesus? Can you honestly say that you and the Lord are good friends? Of course, as soon as you speak these words, you may have just thrown your “humility” right out the window, so the best approach might be to keep the thought to yourself!

But consider the question, just the same. Are you the best of friends with the Greatest friend you will ever have?

Vacation - September 20th

Thanks for stopping, but I'm on vacation and will return next week.

Many Blessings.

Pastor Bill

"Whose Wisdom Is It?"

Scripture: James 3:13-18

In Bishop Will Willimon’s book “Sinning Like a Christian”, which focuses on the 7 deadly sins, he writes that of the seven, pride may be the worst of all. He writes that this is true because, first, it is the most attractive of all sin, and second, it nearly always leads us to embrace other sin. Proverbs 16:18 tells us that pride is the precursor to destruction! And it seems that it is the very gifts that God grants us that we become the most prideful over!

But how do we know when pride is beginning to worm its way into our life? How do we see it for what it truly is, that it is nothing more than pure negativity that can only lead us away from God, and blocks our vision of the blessings that the Lord is providing? How do we see it for what it truly is – namely sin?

In our text today, James tells us that there are two kinds of wisdom, or vision. There is the kind that comes from the Lord, and the kind that is elevated and adored in the world. So with that, let’s see what each of these tell us about the effect that Pride has on our lives.

Read James 3:13-16

“If your life is filled with envy and selfish ambition, don’t brag about it!” Strange commandment, isn’t it! Why would anyone do that?
After all, who goes around saying “I like the car he just bought – I want it!” Or “I want to have more power and money than my boss has!” Oh, there may be a few folks that think and talk that way, but very few.

But how about those who so admire the status, or job, or life style that someone else has, that they want to be just like them? That is just as envious as the first example!
How about those who never had much prestige or success as a child, but expect great things – those “great things” that they never had (!) – for their children? To be a sports star, to be president of Honor Society, to become a lawyer or doctor, to be wealthy, and to never have to be a plumber, or laborer, or a “stay at home Mom”, all because that is exactly who Mom or Dad are but never wanted to be. This is a form of envy, too.

And what about “selfish ambition”? Is it wrong to want to be the best at what you do? Certainly not, but the “selfish” part comes when the desire is intended to make you look better than someone else! There is nothing wrong in wanting to improve your skills, or to learn new ways, or to be recognized by your employer for doing an exceptional job, but when we brag about it, when we use these to show off to others, when we use our benefits and successes to belittle someone else, that’s when we get into trouble.

And it all seems to center on that age old bug-a-boo PRIDE! And James tells us that these attitudes are not from God! But how do we know that, and what are we to do about it?
In Micah 6:6-8, the prophet asks the question “What of my life should I bring with me as I come to honor the Lord?” And he offers a number of suggestions that have to do with physical sacrifices such as burnt offerings, and great numbers of animals, and even the sacrifice of your first born child, all as a sign of regret for your sin. But the prophet answers his own question with these words – “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Think about it:
How could we possibly “act justly”, if we are constantly trying to appear better than someone else? The justice that we are to show can never be about ourselves – it is about offering, and revealing, the truth in a way that benefits the other person - even if it puts us in a less than honorable light!
How could we possibly “love mercy” if we withhold our best from another? The Lord blesses us with success and resources and position, not for our own benefit, but so that we can help, and provide for, and bring blessings to another.
How could we possibly “walk humbly with God” if we think that we are better than everyone else? In Mark 9:33-35, Jesus tells us that greatness has nothing to do with being first, about placing ourselves above all the rest! Greatness in God’s Eyes is about taking last place so that another can be first, that being the best can only come by being a servant to others.

The wisdom that comes from the world is all about being on top and making sure that everyone else knows that! You are in charge, you have the authority, and everyone had better respect me for that!
Sounds like pride at work, doesn’t it? And it is!

Read James 3:17-18

It’s interesting that James reveals the attributes of heavenly wisdom - not simply as the opposite of that which comes from the world, but as what will result from living in God’s brand of wisdom. The list that James offers is reminiscent of Paul’s list of Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-26. And just as a reminder, the list includes “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Exercising Godly Wisdom, Paul writes, can only occur when the earthly wisdom that is in us has been crucified – or put to death – by faith in Christ. The point is that the two can never co-exist in our life!

So how can we readily recognize the difference between God’s wisdom, and that which is espoused by the people of the world? Even though James doesn’t actually mention it, it is in what comes from the use of each brand of wisdom.
Earthly wisdom brings nothing but conflict and oppression and contention and bitterness. Heavenly wisdom brings unity, and cooperation, and encouragement, and the Fruit of the Spirit.
Heavenly wisdom is about equality – not in the way that God distributes his blessings, but in how the blessings are used and shared by us. The earthly version is about disparity, and discrimination, and imbalance in life.
Heavenly wisdom bring satisfaction and contentment to all, and not just for a few. Earthly wisdom brings the best for only a few, and dissatisfaction and discontent to everyone else.

So look around you – which is at work in the world today? Which of the “wisdoms” do you see playing out? The answer isn’t all that hard to come to, is it! But it also isn’t about being a Robin Hood – stealing from the rich and giving to the poor! It’s about those who will use their blessings to bless others. After all, that is the basis behind God’s blessings, first to Israel, and then to the Church, and the Lord wants us to use his Wisdom, and to completely reject the ways of earth.
Genesis 12:2 – “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.”
1 Peter 3:8-9 – “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil, or insult with insult, but with blessings, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

It seems that we who have been blessed, in whatever way that has come, are to share it with others. There is a saying making the rounds today – “pay it forward”. There is a “Pay It Forward Foundation”, there is even a “Pay It Forward Day”. Personally, though, we shouldn’t need to be reminded to share our blessings, and we shouldn’t confine the act to one day a year! It should become a way of life for us.
We should be looking for opportunities to live in Godly Wisdom every moment of every day, and not just wait for them to become obvious.
In Luke 14:12-14, Jesus tells us that when we host a dinner, don’t invite friends and others who can repay us for the kindness, but to invite the poor, the homeless, and all who could never even begin to reciprocate the favor. And the implication is that we shouldn’t limit it to meals – it should include every aspect of life!

Just remember that you will never be able to out give God! But when you do all that you can to make another life a little better, the Lord will remember that you walked in Godly ways, and lived in Godly wisdom, and that you rejected the prideful and selfish ways of earth.
And when we do, the Lord will be praised, instead of us! And that's the way it should be.

The Cross

The following is the message that I offered on September 11th at a tent revival held in our community from Sept. 10-13

Good evening, Church!

My name is Bill Prentice, and I’m a sinner redeemed by the Blood of Jesus!

A pastor was greeting folks at the door after the service when a woman enthusiastically shook his hand and said, “Pastor, that was a great sermon!”
Flushed with pride but wanting to appear humble, the pastor said, “Oh, it wasn’t me. I have to give the credit to the Lord.”

The woman hesitated, then looked the pastor in the eye and said, “Pastor, it wasn’t that great!”

We don’t want to admit that we are sinners, do we! And yet, there we are! And we are confused about a lot of things in faith. Tonight, I want to talk a bit about one of the most confusing issues within the Christian faith – the Cross. Why is it such a core belief in the faith? And why can’t we get our arms around it?

Tonight, I want to offer you 3 views of what the Cross is all about – First, how the Romans of the first century used it, second, why the people of earth find it so terrible to see it as God’s blessing, and third, why God chose this device to bring salvation to the people of earth.

FIRST, THE ROMANS

Rome didn’t invent the cross – it was already in use by other nations, but Rome perfected the excruciating experience. It was always used as a means to not only punish criminals, but to cause them maximum pain and torture, as well as great humiliation.
First, they crucified their victim naked and in public.
Second, paintings of crucifixion generally show nails as penetrating the palms of the hands, but Rome discovered that, due to the weight of the person, many times, the nails tore through the flesh, requiring a second attempt.
Third, we also notice that the feet are usually depicted as being nailed together at the front of the cross. But Rome found a way to make it even more brutal – they nailed each foot to the outside of the beam, which put the feet behind the criminal’s body.
These improvements resulted in the slowest death, the greatest torture, and the most humiliation. Death usually resulted from suffocation, but it could also come from stroke, from pulmonary embolism, or any of several means.

As the body hung from the nails, the rib cage would be compressed, making each breath agonizing and insufficient to sustain life.
So the person would use his, or her (!), legs to relieve the pressure, but in doing so, the back would arch outward, causing muscle spasms and excruciating cramps.

And if death took too long, the soldiers overseeing the execution would be commanded to break the person’s legs to cause suffocation quicker.
This entire process could take as long as several days, and after death, the person would be left on the cross for a few more days as a message to anyone who was considering defiance of the Roman law.

THE WORLD'S VIEW

Is it any wonder that the world sees this as such a terrible image? And as a symbol of God’s grace and forgiveness? Are you kidding! What kind of god would accept this brutality to be forced upon himself, let along on humanity in general?

It doesn’t make sense! It is appalling!
The only reason that the world can see for this travesty is that the Christian God is either weak or crazy, or both! And who in their right mind would follow such a being?

GOD'S PURPOSE

God’s purpose for using the Cross was to break the power that sin had on his creation. But let’s go back to the beginning.

In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, God finishes his creation by creating a caretaker for all that he has put in place, and he calls him “ADAM” (a-‘dam). In the Hebrew, ADAM quite literally means “humanity”. All is in place, but in order to make the male and female ADAM perfect, God gives them the gift of “choice”, or free will. He didn’t want ADAM to be forced and controlled to love him – he wanted us to choose to love their Creator.

But with that choice came a danger. ADAM could not only choose to love God, but could also choose to turn away. And then came the temptation to do just that.
God had told them that all of creation was theirs to care for – to nurture, to harvest, to consume for sustenance – EXCEPT for one thing – the Tree that grew down by the river. “You can eat of anything in all the garden, EXCEPT for the fruit on that tree!

I grew up across the street from a guy named Wayne. We did a lot together, including getting in our share of trouble. One day, Wayne and I were going to do some exploring down at the creek behind my house. I told my Mom, and she said “OK – but don’t go to the river!” I had never mentioned the river and protested, but she said again “Don’t go to the river!” I assure her that we wouldn’t, but you exactly what we did – the very thing I was told NOT to do!

And so did ADAM (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-6). And because they chose to defy God’s word, they were forced to leave the most beautiful place in all creation. God could not abide disobedience.

But throughout the ages, humanity continued to sin, to defy the commands of their God, and the Lord would put Phase 2 into action.

There was a man known as Abraham. Abraham and his wife Sarah were God loving, and the Lord chose them and their descendants to be his representatives on earth. And God put a Covenant in place – “I will be your God and you will be my people. And your descendants will be as numerous and the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the shore.”

Now just a word about the difference between a covenant and a contract. A covenant is simple, has no loop holes, and the intent is to establish a trusting relationship. A contract is legalistic, spells out every possible consequence and every responsibility, and is, nearly always, easy to find ways around.

In Genesis 15, the Lord calls Abraham to make a sacrifice right there on the ground, and at nightfall, the covenant is sealed. Normally both parties to the covenant would then pass through the blood that soaked the ground, but on that night, Abraham would see a fire – a torch – pass between the pieces of the sacrifice, but the man was never invited to do so.
God was saying that if the covenant was ever broken, that he, and he alone, would pay the blood penalty for the sin.

Jump forward about 1,700-1,800 years.

The time had come to make the blood sacrifice to cancel the power of sin that gripped the lives of all of humanity. God had made the covenant, and only God would heal it – he would be the sacrifice.
But how could God ever die? How could God shed blood? Humanity had broken the covenant, so why shouldn’t it be ADAM whose blood should be taken?

The answer would be “Yes” to both questions – God would have to become human to complete the healing to repair the brokenness that was so prevalent. So by the power of the Holy Spirit, and the willingness of a young righteous woman, God became incarnate – he took on the flesh and bone and life of humanity.

Jesus became the Son of God AND the Son of Man, and as such, could become that perfect settlement for the sin of ADAM. Jesus would become the fulfillment of ADAM, and would willingly accept criminal punishment for the sins of all time.
And it would be by the most brutal, the most appalling, the greatest means of torture and humiliation that ever has been devised. The new ADAM, Jesus Christ, would pay the blood penalty that you and I and all of humanity so well deserved.
But only God could live beyond that death penalty, and so, Jesus had to be both the Son of God AND the Son of Man.

Jesus tells us in the Gospels that he is the New Covenant, and that by faith in him, by believing that he truly is the new ADAM as well as the Son God, that he is the only means to making the old covenant right.

But we still have to choose – to choose to accept the New Covenant made in the Blood of Jesus, or to suffer the penalty of the old covenant, which is death. Have you made that choice? Have you made that commitment by faith in Jesus Christ? Or have you made that commitment before, but due to the ravages of this life, have fallen away from the grace of God?

Think about your life for just a moment, as our brother Bob Harris offers us moment of contemplation (note: Tomorrow):

If you have been putting Jesus off until Tomorrow, won’t you stand, or raise your hand tonight, and a trained counselor will come along side of you to help you.
(Note: The entire assembly was then led in the Sinner’s Prayer, and those who made a commitment were invited to go to the prayer tent for discussion and prayer, while anyone else who would like general prayer was invited to come forward in the main tent.)

"The Proof Is In the Tasting"

Scripture: James 2:14-26

I’m sure that you have heard the old saying “The proof of the pudding is in the tasting.” The point, of course, is that you can create the most beautiful pudding that has ever been seen, but the real test is not what it looks like, but how it sits on your palette! The same is true in faith.
Why has the Church, for all of its 2,000 years of existence, experienced so much turmoil that false faith - faith without “flavor” - has always been able to linger in the corners of our lives?
Consider the evidence inherent on Resurrection Sunday – many of the disciples were huddled together in the Upper Room, refusing to go outside for fear that they might be recognized and arrested. Even when Mary came to them with the announcement that Jesus was alive, no one believed her, and even John and Peter had to rush to the tomb to see for themselves. And even then, most remained skeptical until the Lord actually appeared to them inside the locked room. (John 20)
Consider Cleopas and his friend as they attempted to flee Jerusalem that day, heading for parts unknown. They were met on the road by a Stranger who began to unfold the scriptures for them as proof positive that Jesus was, indeed, the long awaited Messiah! They continued to be confused by it all until the “Stranger” broke the bread at the evening meal, and only then were their eyes opened to the truth of Christ. (Luke 24:13-35)

Humanity has always had a difficult time in believing in something that they have never experienced, until the moment comes when absolute proof is laid out in front of them. Even the state of Missouri is known as “The Show Me State”! At least they’re honest about it!

And people still struggle with believing the most basic precepts of Christian Faith, because they aren’t convinced that it’s true. They don’t want to just hear about our faith – they want to experience its “flavor”! They want proof positive!

Read James 2:14-17

It’s that age old conflict between faith and good works, but in truth, there should never be a conflict! James writes that it isn’t a matter of “either – or” – it’s a matter of “and”! Even during the Reformation, Martin Luther and John Calvin had a major disagreement over the difference between Paul’s teachings on faith, and James’ call for works. Luther’s contention was that James (and Calvin) were “driving us back to the law”.
But James makes an important point of clarification in these verses. In verse 16, he writes that to simply wish, or pray, that a person be warm and well fed won’t make it so unless someone actually does something about their cold bodies and empty bellies! To quote my friend Gordon Brownlow, we are to be “intentionally living [this] life, for eternal living with Jesus”!
He really got me thinking about what “intentional living” might be about, and I think that it is exactly what James is telling us. To intentionally live as Jesus lived is to live out his call to the Church. His “intention” in living life among us was to show us how intentional God was when he breathed life into humanity at creation. The very Life of God was breathed at that moment, and his life has been carried in humans throughout the ages, passing it along from one generation to the next. And if we are to be authentic in our faith, we are to live in his way, and not ours.

The nature of Christian faith, if we live as Jesus lived, can never be passive. Jesus lived an active faith – touching, challenging, healing, teaching, loving, redeeming – and always in a Godly way. Last Sunday afternoon, several of us from the Gibson Corners congregation joined the folks at Elderwood Nursing Home for worship. I was talking about Jesus’ call in Matthew 25:34-46 to feed the hungry, to give a drink to the thirsty, and so on. One dear woman, who has practically no strength and is confined to a wheel chair, asked me “But what if we can’t feed the hungry or care for the sick?” I reminded her that she has a marvelous faith that she is always ready and eager to share with others, and that her radiant smile is a gift that we all need to receive. We can nurture and encourage and “feed” each other in many different ways, and we use the abilities that we have, and not worry that ours might not be as “good” as someone else’s!

Faith must be active in God’s way. Otherwise, James tells us, it is no faith at all.

Read James 2:18-19

While our “good works” can never stand alone, they will always be the proof of our faith – first faith, then the proof. Francis of Assisi is credited as saying “Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.” Not only do we serve God through our actions, we also share the message of Christ through those same efforts. Unfortunately, our actions can also share the lies of Satan, can’t they? And that’s where faith comes in – belief and trust in the Word of God, becomes vitally important if we are to remain faithful in the things we do and say. And it is only by faith in Christ that our “deeds” can bring glory to God.

We also have to be aware that the works that James is advocating for are not the ones that the law requires. These are the works of faith. And for those who still believe that the teachings of James stand in direct conflict with those of Paul, in Galatians 5:6, the Apostle writes concerning circumcision, that it has absolutely no value when it comes to faith. He writes “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Our works are the loving expression of faith, and in that there is great value.

Read James 2:20-26

The question is asked “So you want proof of the intimate connection between faith and Godly works?” James offers the proof of faith through works by reminding us of two people who acted, not out of self-satisfaction, but out of faith. Abraham would gain nothing by the sacrifice of his son Isaac, except to be obedient to God in this inexplicable command (Genesis 22:1-18). Rahab, a sinful woman of Jericho, (Joshua 2; 6:22-25) – verses 8-13) who by faith and trust in Jehovah God, a God who she had only heard about, would not only be saved with her entire family, but would become an ancestor of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17 – verse 5).

This is an interesting combination of examples, as Abraham is known as being righteous in the sight of God (Genesis 15:4-6), while Rahab was not only a citizen of a foreign enemy, she was also a sinner of her own making. The point of James’ thought is this: regardless of who you are and what you have done, trust and faithfulness in the Lord God Almighty, and following his will for our lives, is all that is asked of us. We don’t have to accomplish the great things of this life – we simply have to be faithful to his call, and the Lord will do all the rest.

So what is your story? How has the Lord used you to demonstrate your faith to the world? Now understand that I’m not asking how your life stacks up against Abraham and Rahab’s! I’m not suggesting that anyone is to compare their life in faith to that of anyone else! This is not about meeting some arbitrary standard, such as those we encounter in our secular lives. It is about our response to the relationship that is offered to each of us by faith through the grace of Christ Jesus.
So the issue isn’t how well we compare to the life that anyone else has led – the question is how well we have answered the call that the Lord has placed on our life. And no one can provide the answer for you. It’s all between you and the Lord.