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FAITH THAT WORKS - "Marks of Maturity" - February 22, 2015 - Pastor Scott Christenson

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St. Paul's Lutheran Church Orange, CA

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Melissa said we were kicking off a new sermon series today on the New Testament book of James and James of course has a lot to say to us tonight a lot of commands to give us and this is not unusual book of James the Book of James in fact has a hundred and eight versus in it total and of those hundred and eight versus 54 Mr commands  and the problem is in the midst of all of these commands it's really easy to start to miss the forest for the trees easy to lose sight of what's most important here and so as we I walk through a bunch of these commands tonight here's what I'd like you to do I'd like you to see if as we do this you can figure out what is most important about all the things that James are saying which one of these things is most important fact I'm going to actually ask you to vote on this in a few moments okay so you got to pay attention to the screens as we go along and you're going to cast your vote and just a minute so here we go what's the most sing James has to say to us tonight option one is in verse 19 the first command is be quick to listen be quick to listen that's that's a good counsel isn't it I'm many of us are are terrible listeners and and need to do better at this I'm one of them and I learned that when a lot of people learn it when I got married  I'm serious actually in the early years of our courage Linda and I had some real communication problems and struggles and I was not oblivious to it I saw it I just what that the problem was Linda obviously the problem could not be me I'm a professional Communicator this is what I I do Olivia I've never had an unexplained in my life  I knew I was really good at talking I still am in fact but I truly was a terrible listener  an overtime I learned how serious that is the problem wasn't stop I was a bad listener the problem was that when I failed to listen to my wife I was devaluing her of course I didn't mean to do that but I was doing that can see when you aren't quick to listen the the non communication that you're giving off says I'm not listening to you because you're not that important to me you're not worth listening to and I needed to grow on that quite a bit maybe some of you do tonight so is that the most important thing that James has to say what's tonight  here's a second option also verse 19 he says be slow to speak slow to speak that's that's good counsel to  I went to a Barnes & Noble store week or so ago and I spent about an hour there you know what you find out when you do that  you learn there's a lot of books out there  a lot about that what that says about us we all think we have so much to say  you know it wasn't that long ago that people struggled with being under resourced I distinctly remember this I had a conversation many years ago with a senior remember of my former Church where I served and and she said to me she said you know you you younger parents today you're so fortunate to live in the age that you do she said when we were young and raising our kids we didn't have all these parenting books and magazines and web play like you have today we had nothing and we didn't know what we were doing I thought about that for a moment I said you know what I asked do you think parents today have exactly the same problem just in the opposite way today we are buried Avalanche of information we have so many books and so many magazines and websites and blogs and all of them give advice it at all fix each other in so we don't know who to believe  I said are you know you had nothing and you didn't know what you were doing we had everything and we don't know what we're doing neither  people are so quick to speak that we struggle to find true wisdom from God amidst all the drivel so what do you think is that may be the most important thing James has to say to a might be slow to speak here's option 3 again verse 19 you says be slow to become a are you sad is that the most important thing  you notice he doesn't say don't be angry anger in and of itself is not on even the Lord got angry sometimes  but be careful James says you you're not the Lord you can get angry but you better go about it slowly be careful  hard to be angry and not sin is that the most important thing he has to say tonight could make a good case for that I I know I see people all the time who are consumed with anger and it's just destroying their lives I see couples who used to love each other do now truly hate each other  people who cannot forget they can't do it because they're just seething with have an option for sin verses 21 and 22 he says get rid of all the moral filth and evil that's so Clinton humbly accept the word planted in you now what you have to understand about this is that this command is not a call to conversion when he says humbly accept the word planted in you when he says that he's not speaking to unbelievers he speaking to believers  what is commanding to do is to live out what they say they believe that's the real command  he says it more succinctly and verse 22 you says don't merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves do want its ads God wants people of Acts not just people who give some mental assent to a few key doctrines that never affect their lives  show the most important thing  start a couple other options for you option fives and verse 26 keep a tight rein on your pause James says in chapter 3 James is going to go into this quite a bit more will look at this later he's going to talk there about how the tongue is like the the bit in the mouth of a horse or we're like the rudder of a ship it can steer your whole life for good or evil so maybe that's it  or maybe it's option 6 It's the final choice you have for today it's in verse 20 what Evan look after orphans and widows in their distress  is that the most important thing seems like it's got to be fairly high on the list doesn't James says right after that that's the definition of pure and faultless religion to go so what do you think will stop the sermon here for just a moment it is now election time time to cast your votes I'm going to ask you for a show of hands we got them all up on the screen as they are you ready to vote you going to vote for one of the six how many of you thank the most important thing James has to say tonight is be quick to listen raise your hands alright man if your wife who's are raising their hands you should pay attention to that that's it be slow to speak most important thing be slow to speak okay a couple votes for that option 3 be slow to become angry most important thing raise your hand if you votes option for get rid of all the moral Theodore of it live out what you say you believe all that got lots of votes very good option 5 keep a tight rein on your tongue anyone thinks what's their option 6 look after orphans and widows in their distress thank you all for voting now who's right  I'm going to tell you what I think the answer is none of you are right buy every one of these commands is a good thing it's an important thing it's to be heated but you have to understand that none of these are the most important thing James is saying to us tonight and the reason I say that is because while all of these things are definitely marks Christian maturity  none of them tell you how to get there if you turn all the most important thing James is saying here you have to remember who he's writing this book 2  who is original audience he's writing to to Christians of course but specifically we know they were Jewish Christians former Jews who had now calmed leave in Jesus as the Messiah  can you can figure this out a from certain phrases in the book like in the very beginning of the book is addressed to the all of tribes scattered among the Nations very Jewish phrase or in Chapter 2 James says suppose a man comes into your synagogue  t-shirt these are distinctly Jewish sort of phrases  stop why does that matter why does it matter that he was writing to Jewish Christians or not well it matters because if he was then they all of those commands already take a look at this proverbs 10 verse 19 says when we're are many sin is Not absent but he who holds his tongue is wise  sounds a lot like be quick to send and slow to speak to me  look at this one Proverbs 29 22 says an angry man stirs up dissension and a hot-tempered one commits many scenes in other words be slow to become angry earn Ezekiel 33 God does my people listen to your words but they do not put them into practice that's almost word-for-word what number 3 was Proverbs 11 verse 12 says a man of understanding holds his tongue he keeps a tight rein on it in Deuteronomy 10 God says he defends the cause of the fatherless and the Widow and other words he loves them and we oughta love them too you see what this tells you it tells you every command that James is giving in chapter one is something that the people already knew to do and I suspect that that's probably true here tonight as well there's new here  he's not commanding you and I to do anything that we don't already know we're supposed to do and that's why the most thing that he says trust tonight cannot be any one of those commands although they're all very important  I believe the most important thing he has to say  to them and to us is at the very beginning when he says these amazing words my dear brothers that's it that is in my by far the most important thing James is saying tonight  change says my brother's many change throughout the Book You'll see it throughout this serious and it's it's intended to get your attention cuz they usually signals a new topic but James is doing more than that here because he read just say my brother's he says my dear brothers and the problem is that his message gets totally in translation  switch gears for just a moment we'll come back to that in just a second most of you don't know this but in just a few weeks I'm going to be going home I'm going to be staying for a few days with my parents in the house I grew up in in Minnesota and I'm very much looking forward to this because whenever I go there it always sort brings me back in time I'm sure some of you have this experience when you go home it makes me think a lot about my growing up Sears  and everytime I go and visit my parents I realize again that I was and I really am still sleep blessed  I heard a message many years ago now on parenting and the speaker said the most important thing that a parent can do  is the parent their children in such a way that it leaves them to say I am loved  I am loved  I think that's probably true  and you know I realize can I go home my parents did that  my parents were not perfect people by a long shot they made a lot of mistakes they would be the first to admit that  but growing up I can honestly say I knew I was loved in fact I knew that I was deeply cherished by my mom and dad  and you know that's had a huge effect on me and the person that I become today  when a child grows up in those very formative years knowing I am love all kinds of things become possible for them  now I know that some of you sitting here tonight probably didn't grow up in a home like that  I know that and I I grieve for you do end with you about that some of you in fact probably grew up in a home that led you to believe I am not loved  you should have been  but you weren't that's not a reflection on you at all but I'll bet that affects you to this very day  and that's precisely why the most important thing James is saying to you night is this my dear brothers and this applies to Sisters too by the way because the key word here is not Brothers It's the word translated here as deer  but you really hear his message you have to hear it in the original Greek it's adelphoi I got paid toy more literally my adopted ones some of you here maybe know what agape mean for those of you don't the scriptures Define it in no uncertain terms in 1st John 3:16 many Vino John 360 can you should know 1st John 3:16 just as well he says this is how we know what Agape is Jesus Christ laid down his life adopt bay means love but not just any old kind of love Agape specifically means sacrificial love  the kind of love where someone cherishes you so much that they will do anything for you  they will pay any price to give you what you need  they will make any sacrifice require for your good  James the same to them and now to us you are loved like that Brothers and Sisters in Christ  you are loved like that by God himself a James has a lot of rules on a lot of commands to give their all very important but before you really hear any of them first I must remind you of this truth no matter who you are no matter what you've done no matter how you failed you are loved and why is that so important to know let me show you I most of you probably recognize this little guy as Winnie the Pooh  if you look very carefully you will notice quickly that this is not a new this Winnie the Pooh actually was mine when I was a very little boy  and I carry this thing around everywhere I net  and if you look very closely at this little bear you'll notice something about him you'll notice that his nose is off-kilter  it's been way off to one side  why is that that's because who was loved  Agape kind of love my parents love to tell me this when I go home I'll probably hear it again in a few weeks they tell say that everywhere I went with him I held him like this type  who wasn't like that when he was new but because he was loved so much  it changed him  that's what agape love does all of us it changes us it points us in a New Direction  and that's why dear brothers is most important thing James is saying tonight because that's what God would like to do with your life tonight point it in a New Direction these people had heard all the rules before and so have you but James was giving them the power to obey the to actually live this way guilt and pressure don't do that hitting you over the head with a bunch of rules and expectations and laws doesn't do that  it might help you know what to do but it doesn't actually cars you to do it  but when you know I'm truly believe you are loved Love by God himself to the point where he would sacrifice anything even the life of his perfect son for you what happened then  will take a guess I mean if the love of my imperfect sinful parents could form my Earthly life is much as it has try to Imagine by comparison what the agape love of the creator of the heavens and the Earth might do to yours actually you don't need to imagine in 2nd Corinthians 5 pause spells out the implications very clearly when he says this the Agape Love Of Christ compels us she says because we are convinced that one died for all and therefore all died and he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again what does that mean what means among many other things that you really can be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to become angry  it means you really can get rid of all the moral filth and evil that's so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you that can save you  it means you can stop being a hear of the word and become a doer of it no  it means you really can keep a tight rein on your tongue and look after orphans and widows in their distress and so why because the Living God  through the atoning sacrifice of his son has opened up unbelievable new possibilities for you  in just three little words  you are Loft

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FAITH THAT WORKS - "Marks of Maturity" - February 22, 2015 - Pastor Scott Christenson

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