Remain In the Love of God

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 3rd of March, 2024 - the third Sunday in Lent.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, today is the third Sunday in the season of Lent, our time to look deep inside ourselves to see if we are living as God would have us live.  Lent reminds us of the 40 days and 40 nights that Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and praying, all the while being tempted by the devil.

Fasting may not be at the top of our list of things to do, but we can easily spend more time in prayer.  And like Jesus, we are constantly bombarded by Satan’s temptations and traps.  Just as prayer helped Jesus resist them all, prayer will help us survive the devil’s attacks, too.

Last week we opened the Apostle Jude’s letter to the early church.  This morning we’ll finish this short epistle and, along with it, we’ll finish look at the apostolic letters.

Remember that Jude was a brother of James and a half-brother of Jesus.  And while Jude had initially intended to write about salvation through God’s grace and Jesus’ sacrifice, he ended up being rather forced to deal with the more pressing issue of false teachers worming their way into the churches with their incorrect teachings and bad influence.  Jude wrote this letter to defend the apostolic faith against these false teachings.  He reminds his readers of what our Lord’s apostles had already told them.  We would do well to pay attention to his words, too.

So please listen and follow along to the closing nine verses – 17 through 25 - of the Apostle Jude’s letter to an early Christian church, and I’ll be reading this from the Living Bible version of our Holy Bible…

17 Dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ told you, 18 that in the last times there would come these scoffers whose whole purpose in life is to enjoy themselves in every evil way imaginable. 19 They stir up arguments; they love the evil things of the world; they do not have the Holy Spirit living in them.

20 But you, dear friends, must build up your lives ever more strongly upon the foundation of our holy faith, learning to pray in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit.

21 Stay always within the boundaries where God’s love can reach and bless you. Wait patiently for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in His mercy is going to give you. 22 Try to help those who argue against you. Be merciful to those who doubt. 23 Save some by snatching them as from the very flames of hell itself. And as for others, help them to find the Lord by being kind to them, but be careful that you yourselves aren’t pulled along into their sins. Hate every trace of their sin while being merciful to them as sinners.

24-25 And now — all glory to him who alone is God, Who saves us through Jesus Christ our Lord; yes, splendor and majesty, all power and authority are His from the beginning; His they are and His they evermore shall be. And He is able to keep you from slipping and falling away, and to bring you, sinless and perfect, into His glorious presence with mighty shouts of everlasting joy. Amen.

Jude

--Jude 1:17-25 (TLB)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, thank You for ensuring that we would be warned about those who would come bearing false witness against Your word.  There have always been people who only care about themselves, about enjoying themselves even if at the expense of others.  And then there are those who are working against Your Christ, trying to convince us that evil is good and that wrong is right.  Father, please help us recognize these false teachers who are carrying out Satan’s deeds.  Please help us see the truth even as they hide it with their smoke and mirrors.  And please forgive us when we allow ourselves to be drawn in my their lies.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Help us always stay within the boundaries of Your love and blessings.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

A certain medieval monk announced he would be preaching next Sunday evening on, "The Love of God".  As the shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the cathedral windows, the congregation gathered.  In the darkness of the altar, the monk lighted a candle and carried it to the crucifix.  First of all, he illumined the crown of thorns, next, the two wounded hands, then the marks of the spear wound.  In the hush that fell, he blew out the candle and left the chancel.  There was nothing else to say.

Jesus said, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  He then showed that love by taking our punishment upon Himself.  He who was without sin, the Spotless Lamb, washed us clean of our sin and redeemed us with His own blood.  This is the epitome of love.  This is God’s love.

Our reading this morning opens right where we left off last week, as Jude wraps up his defense against the false teachers invading the church.  We’ve been warned, by Jesus Himself in our Gospel accounts and by His apostles in their letters, about the devil’s little helpers, “scoffers” as Jude calls them.  Their only purpose in life is to enjoy themselves, primarily by doing any imaginable evil.  They relish making trouble and causing difficulties for others.

You know the kind – they think practical jokes are all in good fun, especially if someone else gets hurt.  And making fun of other people is the height of humor.  They love starting fights and arguments among others, and then stepping back to watch.  Sex and lust are just for fun, and for the enjoyment of all people, especially them.

And then Jude gets to the root of the problem: they do not have the Holy Spirit living in them.  They have not accepted Jesus as Lord so they have not been baptized by the Spirit, nor do they have the guidance He provides.

The trouble is, these people can be very convincing.  Their lies make it all sound too good.  Why can’t we enjoy ourselves a little?  After all, we’re saved, right?  Jesus came to wash us clean of our sin, so aren’t we now sinless?  If we should do something wrong, won’t we immediately be forgiven again?

Their arguments can even make sense, in a way.  God loves us all and doesn’t want anyone to have to suffer endlessly.  And besides, there’s so many different ways we can get to heaven, all we need to do is give a little to charity and maybe do a good deed once in a while.  Then we can do whatever else we want and enjoy this life to the fullest.

Now family, we know this is not true.  We know that Jesus said to repent, to turn away from our sin, to go and sin no more.  And when we do sin, we know we are to seek God’s forgiveness anew, promising to be better.  Yes, we’re saved, but we’ve also been set aside from the rest of the world for God’s purpose, so we must not act like the rest of the world.  Instead, Jude urges us to reinforce our faith, to build up our lives ever more strongly on the foundation of our faith, praying in the power and in the strength of God’s Holy Spirit within us.  We must stay within the boundaries where God’s love can reach and bless us.

Now this is not a physical perimeter, not like staying within Davidson County, or even some vast globe.  Jude is talking about spiritual boundaries.  I think the Apostle Paul can give us a good example of this concept.  In the first six verses of the 5th chapter of his letter to the Romans, he says we can know and feel God's love even as we face adversities…

1 So now, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith in his promises, we can have real peace with him because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 For because of our faith, he has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us to be.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us — they help us learn to be patient. 4 And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. 5 Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

6 When we were utterly helpless, with no way of escape, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners who had no use for him.

--Romans 5:1-6 (TLB)

Do you see how this is completely opposite of the mindset of the false teachers Jude warns us about, how this opposes the world viewpoint that says we shouldn’t have to suffer, we should only enjoy life?  In these verses, Paul reminds me of the saying, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”.  Problems and trials allow us to exercise our faith, and we know that good exercise indeed makes us stronger.

And no matter what befalls us, we know that God dearly loves us, for His Holy Spirit fills our hearts with His love.  But Jude cautions us to remain in God’s love, to stay where His love can reach us and bless us.

So how do we know for sure if we are in God’s love?  The Apostle John, in the first five verses of the 2nd chapter of his 1st letter to the early church, tells us we can be sure of God’s love by obeying His Son’s commandments…

1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, there is One Who will go between him and the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the One Who is right with God. 2 He paid for our sins with His own blood. He did not pay for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.

3 We can be sure that we know Him if we obey His teaching. 4 Anyone who says, “I know Him,” but does not obey His teaching is a liar. There is no truth in him. 5 But whoever obeys His Word has the love of God made perfect in him. This is the way to know if you belong to Christ.

--1 John 2:1-5 (NLV)

Right off the bat, John gives us the truth that we quite likely will sin again, even after being forgiven, even though he strongly encourages us not to.  But if… when we do sin, Jesus is still there to intercede on our behalf with our Father God.  We just need to obey Him, obey what He taught us, obey His word, and God’s love will be made perfect in us.

Jude gives us some great ways to remain in God’s love and obey His brother’s commandments.  And we can start by being patient as we wait for the eternal life that has been promised us.  As we wait, we should try to help others, even those who argue against us – pray for them.  Be merciful to those who have doubts, lovingly trying to tell them the truth of Christ Jesus.

And while we do as Jesus commands, trying to save others from the flames of eternal hell, we must be very careful to not let ourselves be tempted by the lures of the world and pulled back into its sins.  Hate the sin, but love the sinner, being merciful to them.  For this is how Jesus treated us, coming to us when we were hopelessly lost in our sin, loving us, giving of Himself for us, hating our sin, but being merciful to us sinners.  Let us be ever diligent and faithful to follow His example so we can remain in the love of God.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Son of God, who came in the flesh to redeem us, and who is coming again to judge us all.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You showing us your love by sending Your own Son to take our punishment, to take our sin upon Himself so that we might be forgiven.  He came to us in our darkest time, shining His light that we might see our way.  And His light shines brightest in Your love.  Please help us always remain in Your love, where Your love can reach us and bless us.  Sometimes, Father, the lures of the world tempt us.  Sometimes the lies of the false teachers start to make sense.  Forgive us these times, please Father.  Help us see through the false teachings, focusing on the truth Your Son and His apostles shared with us.  Please help us be more faithful and true in reading and sharing Your word.  And please help us do a better job of sharing our Lord Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what the world throws at us or holds out before us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, we know we must obey You to always remain in reach of God’s love, but Lord, sometimes it’s just hard to love some people.  We’re supposed to love the sinner while hating their sin, but too often we hate the sinner, too.  Please help us be more like You, Jesus.  Help us be more loving, more merciful, even to those who would do us wrong.  Please help us see through Your eyes so that we will be more righteous in our words and acts, and more pleasing in God’s eyes.  And Lord, please help us reach out to the non-believing world with the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.

Lord Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations and all the false teachings.  Help us fend off his attacks.  Please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Defend the Truth

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 25th of February, 2024 - the second Sunday in Lent.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, today is the second Sunday in the season of Lent, our time to look deep inside ourselves to see if we are living as God would have us live.  Lent reminds us of the 40 days and 40 nights that Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and praying, all the while being tempted by the devil.

While fasting isn’t observed too much these days, we are certainly encouraged to spend more time in prayer.  And we are definitely facing constant temptations from Satan and the world, including those that directly assault our faith.  Just as prayer helped Jesus, prayer will help us survive the devil’s attacks, too.

Last week we finished looking at the Apostle James’ letter to the early church.  This morning we’re going to move on to the last of the Apostolic letter – the one written by Jude.  Jude was a brother of James, which also makes him a half-brother of Jesus, too.  Where James wrote about how we should live and act as Christians, Jude realized the need to see to a more pressing issue.

Jude’s letter is short, and our canon provides it all in one chapter, but we’ll be breaking that into two pieces for our examination.  So please listen and follow along to the first 16 verses of the Apostle Jude’s letter to an early Christian church, and I’ll be reading from the Living Bible version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 From: Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and a brother of James.

To: Christians everywhere — beloved of God and chosen by Him. 2 May you be given more and more of God’s kindness, peace, and love.

3 Dearly loved friends, I had been planning to write you some thoughts about the salvation God has given us, but now I find I must write of something else instead, urging you to stoutly defend the truth that God gave once for all to His people to keep without change through the years. 4 I say this because some godless teachers have wormed their way in among you, saying that after we become Christians we can do just as we like without fear of God’s punishment. The fate of such people was written long ago, for they have turned against our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

5 My answer to them is: Remember this fact — which you know already — that the Lord saved a whole nation of people out of the land of Egypt and then killed every one of them who did not trust and obey Him. 6 And I remind you of those angels who were once pure and holy but turned to a life of sin. Now God has them chained up in prisons of darkness, waiting for the judgment day. 7 And don’t forget the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, all full of lust of every kind, including lust of men for other men. Those cities were destroyed by fire and continue to be a warning to us that there is a hell in which sinners are punished.

8 Yet these false teachers carelessly go right on living their evil, immoral lives, degrading their bodies and laughing at those in authority over them, even scoffing at the Glorious Ones. 9 Yet Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, when he was arguing with Satan about Moses’ body, did not dare to accuse even Satan, or jeer at him, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you.” 10 But these men mock and curse at anything they do not understand, and like animals, they do whatever they feel like, thereby ruining their souls.

11 Woe upon them! For they follow the example of Cain who killed his brother; and like Balaam, they will do anything for money; and like Korah, they have disobeyed God and will die under His curse.

12 When these men join you at the love feasts of the church, they are evil smears among you, laughing and carrying on, gorging and stuffing themselves without a thought for others. They are like clouds blowing over dry land without giving rain, promising much, but producing nothing. They are like fruit trees without any fruit at picking time. They are not only dead, but doubly dead, for they have been pulled out, roots and all, to be burned.

13 All they leave behind them is shame and disgrace like the dirty foam left along the beach by the wild waves. They wander around looking as bright as stars, but ahead of them is the everlasting gloom and darkness that God has prepared for them.

14 Enoch, who lived seven generations after Adam, knew about these men and said this about them: “See, the Lord is coming with millions of His holy ones. 15 He will bring the people of the world before Him in judgment, to receive just punishment and to prove the terrible things they have done in rebellion against God, revealing all they have said against Him.” 16 These men are constant gripers, never satisfied, doing whatever evil they feel like; they are loudmouthed “show-offs", and when they show respect for others, it is only to get something from them in return.

--Jude 1:1-16 (TLB)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, thank You for giving those people You chose to follow Your Son the insightful advice and warnings of Jesus’ brothers and His apostles.  When our Lord’s church was still young and new, it faced trials and temptations from all directions, even from within itself, from those who claimed to be followers and teachers of the faith.  Father, we still face many of these issues today, so we need these words now, just as did those worshipers long ago.  Please help us be alert to those who would try to spread a message that runs counter to the life Jesus lived, the examples He set, the words He spoke, and the deeds He performed.  Please forgive us when we let some self-proclaimed authority lead us astray.  Help us be more diligent in this regard, as the Apostle John advised, especially during this Lenten season.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Help us better understand our need to listen to and heed the voice of Your Holy Spirit within us, who will help us discern the truth.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

John of the Cross was a 16th century Spanish priest, a Carmelite friar.  He once encouraged us to, "Live in faith and hope, though it be in darkness, for in this darkness God protects the soul.  Cast your care upon God for you are His and He will not forget you.  Do not think that He is leaving you alone, for that would be to wrong Him."

If we live in faith and put all our trust in God, we know that we are never alone, that He is always with us.  Even during the darkest times, our heavenly Father stands at our side, and protects our soul.  We are His and He will never forget us.

The question is, will we always remember Him?  Will we always stand up for Him, and specifically for our Lord Jesus?  Or will there come a time when the world is pressing in and we fear for our own safety, that we will deny His name, will deny even knowing Him?

That’s what Peter did.  After watching as they carried Jesus off for trial, he feared they’d do the same thing to him.  So when someone mentioned that he had come to town with Jesus and they’d seen him with Him, he denied it all, three times, just as Jesus said he would.  And when he realized what he’d done, Peter regretted it deeply.  We do not want to live with that kind of regret, so let’s be sure we stand up for Jesus and never deny Him.

Getting back to Jude’s letter, we’re not sure which church in particular nor the exact audience he was writing to.  But we do know they were struggling with false teachers among them who were immoral, covetous, proud, and divisive.  Their teachings strayed from what the church had been told by the apostles.  Some of the people believed them, while some held to the old ways, and this was tearing the church apart.

Jude had originally planned to write to the church about salvation, but now these pressing, urgent circumstances forced him to deal with the growing threat posed by these false teachers instead.  So he wrote this letter to defend the apostolic faith against the false teachings.

At this time, there was a rapidly growing trend in the Christian belief and practice of a form of Gnosticism that held that everything material is evil while everything spiritual is good.  So the adherents of this belief cultivated their "spiritual" lives while letting their material "flesh" do anything "it" wanted to do.  This led to all manner of lewd and immoral behavior.

Jude condemned this practice in no uncertain terms and exhorted the readers of this letter to strongly oppose it and maintain the true faith.  He tells the church that just because we’re saved doesn’t mean we can do anything we want.  He reminds them of the fate of the children of Israel who did not trust in and obey God, even after He had led them out of captivity in Egypt.  They thought they could do whatever they wanted, in effect denying God’s law, and they were wrong.  God demands our obedience, and especially when it comes to our obeying His Son, Jesus.

Of course, Jude is not the only one to warn us of false teachers, and probably not the first, either.  Hear what the Apostle Peter tells us in the 2nd chapter of his 2nd letter, verses 1 through 9…

1 But there were false prophets, too, in those days, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly tell their lies about God, turning against even their Master who bought them; but theirs will be a swift and terrible end. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching that there is nothing wrong with sexual sin. And because of them Christ and His way will be scoffed at.

3 These teachers in their greed will tell you anything to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago and their destruction is on the way. 4 For God did not spare even the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell, chained in gloomy caves and darkness until the judgment day. 5 And He did not spare any of the people who lived in ancient times before the flood except Noah, the one man who spoke up for God, and his family of seven. At that time God completely destroyed the whole world of ungodly men with the vast flood. 6 Later, He turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into heaps of ashes and blotted them off the face of the earth, making them an example for all the ungodly in the future to look back upon and fear.

7-8 But at the same time the Lord rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a good man, sick of the terrible wickedness he saw everywhere around him day after day. 9 So also the Lord can rescue you and me from the temptations that surround us, and continue to punish the ungodly until the day of final judgment comes.

--2 Peter 2:1-9 (TLB)

Peter and Jude share the same message, that false teachers will say that there is nothing wrong or immoral with sexual sin.  They are clever and will tell us lies that go against God, tell us anything to pull us away from our heavenly Father and turn us against Him.  This is the work of Satan and God will not let it go unpunished, just as He did not spare even the angels who sinned against Him.

The Apostle Paul also warns us against the teachings of those who are working against our Christ, but he also encourages us to spread the true word of God.  Please hear what Paul wrote in his 2nd letter to his young protégé Timothy, from chapter 4, verses 1 through 4…

1 And so I solemnly urge you before God and before Christ Jesus — who will someday judge the living and the dead when He appears to set up His Kingdom — 2 to preach the Word of God urgently at all times, whenever you get the chance, in season and out, when it is convenient and when it is not. Correct and rebuke your people when they need it, encourage them to do right, and all the time be feeding them patiently with God’s Word.

3 For there is going to come a time when people won’t listen to the truth but will go around looking for teachers who will tell them just what they want to hear. 4 They won’t listen to what the Bible says but will blithely follow their own misguided ideas.

--2 Timothy 4:1-4 (TLB)

We are urged to share the word of God every chance we get, whether it is convenient to do so or not.  And Paul says we should make this a matter of urgency, for the Lord Jesus will return someday to judge us all, the living and the dead.  We should encourage each other to do what is right, correcting and rebuking wrong behavior as needed, all the while patiently spreading the word of God.  For there is going to come a time when people just will not listen to the truth, but instead will choose teachers who will tell them what they want to hear.

And family, that time has come!  People blithely follow their own misguided ideas and beliefs, thinking like those Gnostics of old that they can do anything with their bodies because their souls are saved.  This is not true to our belief system, to our faith.  And this is why Jude strongly urges us to steadfastly defend the truth that God gave, once for all, to His people, to keep without change throughout the ages.

So let’s be ready to stand up for Jesus and defend our faith whenever and wherever necessary.  Let’s be faithful and true in spreading the Gospel message as we walk this earth.  Let’s defend the truth.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Son of God, who came in the flesh to redeem us, and who is coming again to judge us all.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You inspiring Your Son’s brothers and apostles to record Your truth in their words of advice, encouragement, and warning.  And thank You for seeing that we would have these words to study even today.  No matter what we are facing, Father, no matter who may say they are speaking for You, please help us discern the truth of their words by listening to Your Spirit within us.  Please help us pay closer heed to the urgings of Your Spirit.  Sometimes we think we know what we’re doing and don’t need Your help.  Sometimes we ignore Your Spirit as He tries to guide us in the righteous way.  Forgive us these times, please Father.  Please help us remember that Your gave us Your Holy Spirit to help us, not to hinder us.  Please help us be more faithful and true in sharing Your word.  And please help us do a better job of sharing our Lord Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what the world throws at us or holds out before us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, Your brothers followed You and served as Your apostles as You ministered to us during Your walk on earth as a man.  We can only imagine what it would have been like to grow up with You as children.  Please help us be as true and faithful to You as were James and Jude.  Help us share Your Good News of salvation with the world.  Please help us stand up for You and defend the Christian faith whenever needed.  And Lord, please help us reach out to the non-believing world with the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.

Lord Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations and all the false teachings.  Please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

The Power of Prayer

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 18th of February, 2024 - the first Sunday in Lent.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, the Lenten season began this past Wednesday and today is the first Sunday in Lent.  This is our time for intentional introspection, to make it our purpose to look deep inside ourselves to see if we are living our daily lives as God would have us live.  It commemorates the 40 days and 40 nights that Jesus spent in the wilderness shortly after His baptism in the River Jordan.  During these days He fasted and prayed, and resisted all the temptations of the devil.  So what better way to begin our journey through Lent than with a confession of our sin and an emphasis on prayer?

We’ll be finishing up the Apostle James’ letter to the early church this morning, where he tells us to confess and pray, reminding us of the power of prayer.  Throughout this letter, James has given us good, solid advice, along with some warnings, on how we should live, how we should behave during our daily walk through this life in preparation for the next.  And he continues that trend as he closes this letter.

The early church needed these instructions and words of encouragement, for everything was still very new to them.  They were getting mixed messages from the different people who came through their churches - some preaching the true Gospel, some spreading false teachings.  The letters from James and the other Apostles were an important resource for them, and for us today.

So please listen and follow along to verses 12 through 20 of the 5th and closing chapter of James’ letter, and I’ll be reading this from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible…

12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.

13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

--James 5:12-20 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, thank You for letting us know how important a good prayer life is in our daily walk.  We know that we should spend more time with You, in Your word and in personal conversation.  Father, please help us be more earnest and faithful in our prayer life.  Please forgive us when we don’t set aside enough time each day just to talk with You.  Help us be more diligent in this regard, especially during the Lenten season.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Help us realize the great power we hold within us, the power of Your Holy Spirit, and how He can work through us when we pray to You.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

While researching for this morning's service, I found some interesting information about prayer.  Did you know that there are 650 prayers listed in the Bible, and that of those, about 450 have recorded answers?  The first time prayer is mentioned in the Bible comes in Genesis 4:26, where we read in the NASB that, "To Seth also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then people began to call upon the name of the Lord."  Before this, conversations were initiated directly by God.

The Bible records Jesus praying 25 different times during his three year earthly ministry.  And the Apostle Paul mentions prayer 41 times.  In Jesus' model prayer, He gives us five areas to focus on: (1) to focus on God's everlasting glory, that His name be hallowed and honored; (2) to focus on God's eternal will, that His Kingdom come; (3) to focus on our present, that God's provision - our daily bread - continue to be given; (4) to focus on our past, that God has forgiven our sins; and (5) to focus on our future, that God's deliverance will be provided.

The Bible lists at least nine main types of prayer: prayer of faith, of agreement, of request, of thanksgiving, of worship, of consecration or dedication, of intercession, of imprecation, and praying in the Spirit.  And lastly, the word "Amen", which means "let it be" or "so be it", makes its first appearance in the Book of Numbers, chapter 5 verse 22.  In that passage, God commands it to be said by a person who is yielding to His examination.

If prayer isn’t important, do you think our bible would place so much emphasis on it?  650 prayers listed, with 25 of them being raised by our Lord Jesus during His short, three-year ministry.  And those 25 are just the ones listed by the Gospel writers – I bet He lifted a whole lot more than that.  While in the wilderness for 40 days and nights, He did little more than pray the whole time!

And that part about saying “Amen” when we conclude a prayer…  I think most of us know that “Amen” means “so be it”, but did we understand the full meaning of “so be it”?  By saying “Amen”, we are in effect saying, “OK, God, look deep within me and see if I am truly being faithful in my prayer.”  And if we are being faithful in our prayer, we should willingly be open to His examination, for we will be doing what is right in His eyes.

So, James is ready to close out his letter and send it off to the young Christian churches scattered throughout the known world.  But first he has a little more advice and a few more warnings.  And he starts off with a warning about taking an oath.  In this, James echoes something Jesus said during His sermon on the Mount.  The Apostle Matthew recorded Jesus’ words in the 5th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 33 through 37, when Jesus said…

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’, ‘No’. For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”

--Matthew 5:33-37 (NKJV)

Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and other passages in our bible warn that if we swear by God’s name and fail to do what we are swearing to, then there will be condemnation upon us.  To swear by heaven or earth is a spiritual-sounding way to get around using God’s name, in that it gives us an escape clause in case we don’t carry out what we are pledging to do.  Jesus said to let our “Yes” be “Yes” and our “No” be “No” so that there would be complete honesty and integrity about our word and the commitments we make.

And then James moves right into the subject of prayer.  Is life causing hardships and troubles?  Pray.  Not feeling very well lately?  Pray, and call the elders for more prayer.  Oh, and if everything is going well, then sing praises to the Lord for He is good.  Prayer offered in faith can heal the sick and bring forgiveness to the sinner.  James says we should confess our sins to each other and pray for each other.  Confessing our sins to someone else may be very tough to do, but it can bring peace to our heart, and support and encouragement from another.

And the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and can bring wonderful results.  The Apostle Paul defines earnest, fervent prayer for us, in chapter 4 verse 2 of his letter to the Colossians, when he instructs us to…

2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

--Colossians 4:2 (NLT)

There’s three keys words in this verse.  “Devote” – make the time to pray, set aside some time, be purposeful to make this part of our daily activity or routine.  “Alert” – be completely aware and conscious of what we are praying for, don’t just recite some memorized mantra, be thoughtful in our prayer.  “Thankful” – each prayer should begin and end with giving thanks to God, for He is a good Father, He provides everything we have, and by His mercy we are forgiven of our sin and granted eternal life.

Oh, and don’t hesitate to be a name-dropper.  Jesus assures us that anything we ask in His name will be granted if we ask in faith and it is for a righteous reason.

Paul also encourages us to pray without ceasing, and in any and all circumstances.  In his 1st letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 5 verses 16 through 18, Paul writes…

16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

--1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)

Now Paul isn’t suggesting we do nothing but pray.  I mean we have to eat and sleep sometimes.  But we must not allow ourselves to get to the point where we just give up and stop praying altogether.  Life gets tough and can beat us down to where we don’t want to get up again, to where we don’t even try to pray anymore.  Instead, we should stop and take stock of all the things we have to be thankful for.  When we see God’s hand at work in us and around us, we will be joyful.  And this joy will further fuel our thankfulness.

Jesus told us that in this world we will face tribulations, but we can be joyful in this because He has conquered the world.  These trials and troubles can be a joy to us for they help us mature in our faith.  So we can be thankful, no matter what we face, for this is God’s will for all who belong to His Son Jesus.  Besides, when we face troubles, we often turn to prayer, and this is God’s will for us, too.  He likes to spend time with us.

Family, the Lenten season is a great time for us to stop, look deep within, and open ourselves up more to God’s will.  Let’s try to make time in our busy day to spend solely with our Father God, reading His word, talking with Him in prayer and introspection, listening for His reply.  Let us be earnest and faithful in our moments with God, striving to be ever more righteous in His eyes.  For there is great power in prayer.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Son of God, who came to us to redeem us, and who is coming again to judge us all.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for always being with us, through good times and bad.  No matter what we are facing, Father, we know that you are watching over us.  Thank You, Father, for seeing to all our needs and giving us even more so that we can share with others.  Sometimes, though, we take Your gifts for granted.  We forget to thank You for Your generosity, for Your help.  Sometimes we get so weary and worn from life’s trials that we don’t even come to You in prayer.  Forgive us these times, please Father.  Please help us remember the power of our prayer.  Help us make time to pray in any and all circumstances.  Help us be more faithful, earnest, and fervent in our prayer life.  And please help us do a better job of sharing our Lord Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what the world throws at us or holds out before us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave us a great example in how to pray to our heavenly Father, in what we have come to call our Lord’s Prayer.  In it we see that we should glorify and honor God and recognize His sovereignty and will, that we should thank Him for our daily provision, for seeing to our needs both now and in the future, to thank Him for His forgiveness and mercy.  Please help us pray from our hearts, in our own words, using the pattern You gave us.  Help us pray through God’s Holy Spirit within us when the words just won’t come.  And Lord, please help us reach out to the non-believing world, sharing the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.

Lord Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations.  Please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

With the Cross In Sight

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Ash Wednesday evening, the 14th of February, 2024, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Today we enter into the Lenten Season, which commemorates the 40 days and 40 nights that Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting, praying, and being tempted by Satan.  We are challenged to use this time for self-examination and introspection, to see if we are living as God would have us live.

It’s a great time to dig deeper into our Bibles, studying the Gospels, listening to Jesus, witnessing what He did while He walked among us.  And we can read the letters His closest friends and followers wrote to help the early church.  For by watching Jesus and studying the letters, through the eyes and the words of those who walked alongside Him, we can see how we, too, should live and act.  And while we may think we can’t do miracles like He did, and perhaps some are beyond our reach, what to us may seem a simple act of kindness may, to the recipient, be a miracle indeed.

By reading the accounts of the Gospel writers – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – we can see that Jesus was well aware of how His ministry, His life on earth, would end.  And He knew when.  So He spent a good bit of time trying to prepare His disciples for that day in their future, a day that will change mankind’s fate forever.

Through most of this, Jesus was a little circumspect in how He tried to get this message across, just giving out little pieces of info at a time, knowing His followers would not be able to grasp the full impact of what would all too soon occur.  And then came what would be His final trip into Jerusalem, and the last meal that He would share with His friends.  The cross was now clearly in His sight.

Let’s take a brief look at that night, just after the meal is finished.  Please listen and follow along to what the beloved Apostle John recorded for us in chapter 13 of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 3 and verses 31 through 38, and I’ll be reading from the Living Bible version of our Holy Bible this afternoon…

1-3 Jesus knew on the evening of Passover Day that it would be His last night on earth before returning to His Father. During supper the devil had already suggested to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that this was the night to carry out his plan to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given Him everything and that He had come from God and would return to God. And how He loved His disciples!

31 As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “My time has come; the glory of God will soon surround Me — and God shall receive great praise because of all that happens to Me. 32 And God shall give Me His own glory, and this so very soon. 33 Dear, dear children, how brief are these moments before I must go away and leave you! Then, though you search for Me, you cannot come to Me — just as I told the Jewish leaders.

34 “And so I am giving a new commandment to you now — love each other just as much as I love you. 35 Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are My disciples.”

36 Simon Peter said, “Master, where are You going?”

And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with Me now; but you will follow Me later.”

37 “But why can’t I come now?” he asked, “for I am ready to die for You.”

38 Jesus answered, “Die for Me? No — three times before the cock crows tomorrow morning, you will deny that you even know Me!”

--John 13:1-3, 31-38 (TLB)

Let us pray…  Father God, one of the most useful features of our Bible is that it provides us with a wealth of examples of what to do and what not to do.  If we carefully follow these examples, we can be seen as righteous in Your eyes.  This is especially true if we try our best to do as Jesus did.  Father, please help us follow the examples Your Son set for us.  Help us remember all that He told us, including the warnings, so that we don’t die in our sins.  Help us follow His example of how to interact with others.  Forgive us when we deny knowing Him by our actions and reactions that mimic the world rather than show us as separate from the world.  This we pray in the name of Your Son Jesus.  Amen.

Each year, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and is always 46 days before Easter Sunday.  Lent is a 40-day season (not counting Sundays) marked by repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately celebration.  The 40-day period represents Christ’s time of temptation in the wilderness, where he fasted and where Satan tempted him.

Lent asks believers to set aside a time each year for similar fasting, marking an intentional season of focus on Christ’s life, His ministry, His sacrifice, and His resurrection.  And, of course, the best way to focus on Jesus’ life and ministry is to read and study our Bible.  So let’s look a little closer at our scripture reading.

We open up on the evening of the Passover day.  Knowing that Jesus was arrested that evening and crucified the next day, which we celebrate as Good Friday, we can say that this would be Thursday evening.  Jesus and His first twelve disciples, His closest friends, were gathered together in the upper room of a home.  He knew this would be His last meal, His last night as a man on this earth.  He also knew that one of the twelve, Judas Iscariot, would betray Him this night.

We skip ahead a little to just after Judas leaves to carry out his plan, when Jesus says, “My time has come.”  Now this phrase actually carries a couple of meanings.  The cross is now clearly in sight, and Jesus knows the time to give up His earthly life has come.  But it is also the time to complete the mission God sent Him to earth for.  He must be sacrificed for our sake, for only the blood of the Spotless Lamb can atone for our sin.

He tells His friends that His time is short, the remaining moments they have together grow few.  Soon they will no longer be with Him, and they will not be able to come to Him where He goes - not yet.  And here Jesus says, “just as I told the Jewish leaders”.

This comes from a time earlier in His ministry when Jesus had been teaching in the Temple.  On that particular day, the Jewish leaders and Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery asking Jesus if she shouldn't be stoned for her sin.  This was the "let he who is without sin cast the first stone" incident.

The Pharisees accused Jesus of witnessing to Himself, which He defended by replying that God also witnesses for Him.  And then the following, as again recorded by the Apostle John in the 8th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 20 through 27...

20 Jesus made these statements while in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But He was not arrested, for His time had not yet run out.

21 Later He said to them again, “I am going away; and you will search for Me, and die in your sins. And you cannot come where I am going.”

22 The Jews asked, “Is He planning suicide? What does He mean, ‘You cannot come where I am going’?”

23 Then He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not. 24 That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am the Messiah, the Son of God, you will die in your sins.”

25 “Tell us who You are,” they demanded.

He replied, “I am the one I have always claimed to be. 26 I could condemn you for much and teach you much, but I won’t, for I say only what I am told to by the One who sent Me; and He is Truth.” 27 But they still didn’t understand that he was talking to them about the Father.

--John 8:20-27 (TLB)

Jesus told the Pharisees and Jewish leaders that they would die in their sin because He knew they would never change their ways.  They were of the world and refused to let go of it.  He could have condemned them but He didn’t – there was no need, for they condemned themselves by their refusal to believe that the Messiah, the Christ, had come and stood before them.

So getting back to that Passover evening, with the cross in sight, Jesus gives a new command to all His followers, us included.  We are to love each other just as much as He loves us.  By this the world will know that we are His disciples.

Jesus loves us enough to accept our punishment, to endure a horrible, painful death on the cross so that we can avoid dying in our sin like the Pharisees.  Does He ask us to give up our loves for each other?  No, not in the literal sense, but, as Paul puts it, to give of ourselves to others as a living sacrifice, giving of our time and resources, putting others’ needs ahead of our own.

We are to love as Jesus loves.  And we are not to deny Him and His effect in our lives.  Peter swore he was ready to die for Jesus if necessary.  But Jesus knew better, and we know that this highly emotional disciple did indeed deny even knowing Jesus, three times before morning.  Rather than deny knowing Him, we should be filled with joy and excitement to tell anyone and everyone all about what He has done for us, how He has given us new life, new hope.  Jesus can and does still work miracles in a person’s life.

As we begin our walk through this Lenten season, let us be sure to keep the cross in sight.  Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus and our focus on all He did and taught.  And let us love one another, just as Jesus loves us.  In the glorious name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, You sent Your Son Jesus to redeem us of our sin, to save us from ourselves.  He gave everything for us, asking only that we follow Him and love one another.  Thank You, Father, for loving us this much.  Please help us keep the cross of our Lord in sight, through this Lenten season and all the days ahead.  May we never forget or take for granted the sacrifice He made on our behalf.  Please help us share the message of the cross and the empty grave with non-believers so that they too might be saved.  In the beautiful name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

Be Patient

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 11th of February, 2024, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, is money bad?  Is it bad to be financially wealthy?  Doesn’t the bible say that money is the root of all evil?

Well, no, no, and no.  The Apostle Paul, in his 1st letter to his young protégé Timothy says that the love of money is the root of all evil – not money itself, but the love of money.  When we begin to lust for money and the power it can bring, we start doing anything to get more and more.  Money becomes our idol, our object of devotion and desire.  We put its acquisition ahead of everything else, including our fellow man and even God.  But no matter how rich we get, nothing we can buy will last.  Nothing made by man will survive the test of time.

So what good is money?  It can be used for doing good, for helping others, for spreading the love of God.  And many people do just that, whether they have vast resources, or just a few dollars left over after paying the bills each month.  But those who lust for wealth need to slow down their pursuit and maybe read a little in our bible.

This morning we will open the 5th and final chapter of the letter the Apostle James wrote and sent to the early Christian church.  He has offered us a lot of practical advice so far, along with some well timed warnings about what not to do in our daily walk.  As he closes his letter, James continues providing a warning and advice, and though this time they may seem a bit unconnected, they do piece together nicely.  So please listen and follow along to the first 11 verses of the 5th chapter of James’ letter, and I’ll be reading this from the Easy-to-Read Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 You rich people, listen! Cry and be very sad because much trouble will come to you. 2 Your riches will rot and be worth nothing. Your clothes will be eaten by moths. 3 Your gold and silver will rust, and that rust will be a proof that you were wrong. That rust will eat your bodies like fire. You saved your treasure in the last days. 4 People worked in your fields, but you did not pay them. They are crying out against you. They harvested your crops. Now the Lord All-Powerful has heard their cries.

5 Your life on earth was full of rich living. You pleased yourselves with everything you wanted. You made yourselves fat, like an animal ready for the day of slaughter. 6 You showed no mercy to good people. They were not against you, but you killed them.

7 Brothers and sisters, be patient; the Lord will come. So be patient until that time. Look at the farmers. They have to be patient. They have to wait for their valuable crop to grow and produce a harvest. They wait patiently for the first rain and the last rain. 8 You must be patient too. Never stop hoping. The Lord is coming soon. 9 Brothers and sisters, don’t complain against each other. If you don’t stop complaining, you will be judged guilty. And the Judge is ready to come!

10 Brothers and sisters, follow the example of the prophets who spoke for the Lord. They suffered many bad things, but they were patient. 11 And we say that those who accepted their troubles with patience now have God’s blessing. You have heard about Job’s patience. You know that after all his troubles, the Lord helped him. This shows that the Lord is full of mercy and is kind. 

--James 5:1-11 (ERV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, thank You for inspiring Your Son’s earthly brother to write this letter of advice and warnings, and thank You for making sure we would still have his words even today, nearly 2000 later.  We know that nothing made by man will last, but Your word, O Father, endures forever.  Father, please help us take the advice James offers to heart, following his counsel, heeding the warnings he gives.  Please forgive us when we don’t spend as much time in Your word as we should.  Help us set aside more time in our daily routine to read and study Your word.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Help us grasp the full meaning of James’ words and how they apply to us as individuals and followers of Your Son Jesus.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

The following appeared in an issue of the magazine Our Daily Bread, but I don’t know the author or the date:

Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "run with endurance" the race set before us.  George Matheson wrote, "We commonly associate patience with lying down.  We think of it as the angel that guards the couch of the invalid.  Yet there is a patience that I believe to be harder -- the patience that can run.  To lie down in the time of grief, to be quiet under the stroke of adverse fortune, implies a great strength; but I know of something that implies a strength greater still: it is the power to work under stress; to have a great weight at your heart and still run; to have a deep anguish in your spirit and still perform the daily tasks.  It is a Christ-like thing!  The hardest thing is that most of us are called to exercise our patience, not in the sickbed but in the street."  To wait is hard, to do it with "good courage" is harder!

You know, it is a lot easier to be patient when you can’t do anything else than it is when you have a ton of options or other stuff to do.  You have the worst cold in the world, and other than take some over-the-counter stuff to help relieve the symptoms, the only thing you can do is wait it out.  On the flip side of the coin, you just sent someone a text and you want the answer now, so you text back again, “Why haven’t you answered me yet?!?  Come on!  I’ve got things to do!”

Patience is a virtue, we’re told.  Have you ever seen the movie, “Evan Almighty”?  It’s the sequel to “Bruce Almighty” and I think the better of the two films.  Evan is a Congressman told by God to build an ark.  Yes, an ark, later to include all the animals two by two.  As things evolve in the movie, Evan has no choice but to comply.  His wife thinks he has gone nuts and finally packs up herself and the kids and leaves him.  They stop at this little restaurant to eat.  When the kids go off to do something, God, played wonderfully by Morgan Freeman, comes up to the wife and strikes up a conversation.  And she starts pouring out all her troubles, without knowing just Who it is she’s talking to.

And this is my favorite part.  God says to the distraught wife, “Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does He give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does He give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does He give them opportunities to love each other?”  The message sinks in and the wife returns home with the kids.

Patience does not come naturally to us.  It is a virtue, yes, but it is one we have to foster and nourish, practicing it at every opportunity.  I guess fortunately for us, God gives us plenty of opportunities.

James opens up chapter 5 of his letter by lambasting the rich.  But as I said earlier, it isn’t the money, or even the people, that James is warning about – it’s the love of money, the lust for wealth.  In fact, he’s telling the rich to be sad, because their riches will not last.  Their money will rot, their fine clothes will be eaten by moths, their gold and silver will rust.  It’s how they got their riches, and how they keep amassing their fortune, that shows their unhealthy lust for more.  They took advantage of good people to their own benefit, when they could have been helping others with their wealth.

And then James turns his attention to the rest of us, and especially to those who likely suffered at the hands of the greedy rich.  Be patient, he says.  Be patient, for the Lord will come and He will set things straight.  Be patient like the farmers who plant their seed and then wait for the rains, before they can harvest the fruits of their labors.  They never lose hope and neither should we, for the Lord is coming soon.

James repeats himself not because he is forgetful, but because it is very important for us to keep heart and truly know that the Lord Jesus is coming again and He will judge the world, separating the good from the bad.  Be patient, and look to how the prophets endured their times of suffering patiently, never losing faith, never doubting God’s promises, never giving up hope.  Oh and look…  there’s another warning for us not to complain against each other, not to judge, for the one true Judge is coming and we don’t want to be found guilty!

I said that these two seemingly unconnected topics – the warning about greed and the advice to be patient – do fit well together.  Well, when it comes to wealth accumulation, we basically have two choices.  We can do anything and everything necessary to grab up as much earthly treasure as we can, no matter the cost to anyone else, or we can be patient, not worrying about any earthly riches, waiting for the heavenly rewards we have been promised if we remain faithful.  Which do you think God would consider as righteous behavior?

Either of those choices can bring problems with them.  The very rich have their own set of trials that their money can’t always solve.  Studies and surveys have shown that they generally aren’t as happy as folks who don’t put so much emphasis on wealth acquisition.  Of course, those folks have troubles, too.  And here James tells us to accept our troubles with patience.

That certainly isn’t easy.  It’s something we have to purposely work at.  So earlier in this letter, in verses 2 through 4 of the 1st chapter, James encourages us, saying...

2 My brothers and sisters, you will have many kinds of trouble. But this gives you a reason to be very happy. 3 You know that when your faith is tested, you learn to be patient in suffering. 4 If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be.

--James 1:2-4 (ERV)

Be happy in our troubles.  Riiiight… piece of cake, no sweat.  NOT!!!

Seeing someone happy while experiencing a difficulty is a rare sight indeed.  But I’ve seen many people accept their difficult situation with grace, patiently enduring their troubles, knowing their future is secure.  I’ve often said that we have no control over what happens to us in life, but we have full control over how we react to what happens.  We can choose to lash out at the world when things go wrong, or we can endure with patience until everything settles down again.  The former can bring extra grief upon ourselves and others around us, while the latter will help us mature and become complete in the eyes of our Lord.

And yes, we will have problems in this life, trials and tribulations, but these can make us stronger.  The Apostle Paul, in the first 5 verses of the 5th chapter of his Letter to the Romans, almost echoes James when he writes…

1 We have been made right with God because of our faith. So we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through our faith, Christ has brought us into that blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. And we are very happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory. 3 And we are also happy with the troubles we have. Why are we happy with troubles? Because we know that these troubles make us more patient. 4 And this patience is proof that we are strong. And this proof gives us hope. 5 And this hope will never disappoint us. We know this because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts through the Holy Spirit he gave us.

--Romans 5:1-5 (ERV)

Enduring our troubles exercises our patience, and our patience is proof that we are strong.  Strong spiritually, yes, putting all our trust in the Lord.  But also strong physically, by not giving in to adversity and hardship, by not lying down and letting the world take its toll on us.

By our faith we have been made right with God, and by our faith we have certainty of our salvation.  Nothing that this world can do to us can ever take our salvation from us as long as we maintain our faith.  Patiently enduring whatever comes our way strengthens our faith.

So let’s be happy when bad times befall us.  Let’s patiently endure anything life throws at us.  Let’s take advantage of all the opportunities we are given to exercise and grow our patience, letting it work within us, making us more mature in our faith, so that we can be all that God wants us to be.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Son of God, who came to us to redeem us, and who is coming again to judge us all.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for giving us the opportunities to be patient, to be courageous, to love each other.  Through these we grow and mature in our faith.  Thank You, Father, for giving us examples in Your holy word of good men and women who showed patience in the face of trial.  Sometimes, though, we fear in our hearts what happens next.  We are hesitant to give up the things of this earthly life, and this life itself.  Our hope falters a little.  We forget that our future is secured by our faith and acceptance of Your Son Jesus.  Forgive us these times, please Father.  Please help us be more loving, more forgiving, more compassionate.  Help us face our trials with strength and patience, knowing that someday soon You will send Your Son back to call us home.  And please help us do a better job of sharing our Lord Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what the world throws at us or holds out before us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, we read in our bible of a rich young man who valued his wealth more than salvation.  He refused to give up his treasure to help the poor, even when You told him that to do so would ensure his treasure in heaven.  In this You showed that it isn’t wealth that causes us to fail, it’s our love of money, our lust for earthly treasures that keeps us from heaven and its rewards.  Please help us be more patience where wealth is concerned, not caring so much about early treasure as about what will be ours in heaven when we give to help others and follow You.  Help us be more giving, more loving, more patient.  And Lord, please help us reach out to the non-believing world, sharing the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.

Lord Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations.  Please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Do Right

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 4th of February, 2024, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Last week, James gave us a little lesson on humility.  He stated what should be obvious when he said that our conflicts between each other all result from our worldly desires and lusts.  Whether we’re talking wars on a global scale or arguments among ourselves, they are all caused by one party seeking to impose its will on another, wanting something that it doesn’t have, coveting another’s good fortunes.  And even if we ask God for what we want, we’re asking for the wrong reasons, for our own benefit no matter who else may be impacted, so God does not answer.

Our worldly desires cause our problems and make us an enemy of God.  Fortunately, James also provides the solution.  We must set aside our pride and humble ourselves before God.  For when we draw nearer to God, He will come closer to us.

In our reading this morning, James continues on this theme of our need to let go of the world and our worldly behavior.  We tend to acknowledge our faults and weaknesses by dismissing them as just a part of “human nature”.  And it is indeed in our nature to disobey God because we are a fallen, sinful people, beginning with Adam and Eve there in the beautiful Garden of Eden.  We are enticed by all the world can offer, all its charms and promises of happiness and fortune.  We ignore the words of our Bible that remind us that nothing on this earth can come close to comparing to what God has in His heaven.  And it can all be ours if we just do as He commands.

In our reading today we are reminded of some of what God expects of us.  So please listen and follow along as we finish the 4th chapter of James’ letter to the early Christian church with verses 11 through 17, and I’ll be reading this from the Living Bible version of our Holy Bible…

11 Don’t criticize and speak evil about each other, dear brothers. If you do, you will be fighting against God’s law of loving one another, declaring it is wrong. But your job is not to decide whether this law is right or wrong, but to obey it. 12 Only He who made the law can rightly judge among us. He alone decides to save us or destroy. So what right do you have to judge or criticize others?

13 Look here, you people who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to such and such a town, stay there a year, and open up a profitable business.” 14 How do you know what is going to happen tomorrow? For the length of your lives is as uncertain as the morning fog — now you see it; soon it is gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you will be bragging about your own plans, and such self-confidence never pleases God.

17 Remember, too, that knowing what is right to do and then not doing it is sin. 

--James 4:11-17 (TLB)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, thank You for taking on the tough role of Judge.  If we stop long enough to think about it, we are in no position to judge another.  We seldom know all the facts surrounding or leading up to another person’s actions, or inactions.  Only You know all, so only You can truly judge rightly.  Father, please help us be more compassionate when dealing with others.  Please forgive us, Father, when we judge them without taking the time to learn more about them.  Help us take these words James wrote to heart so that we can learn to be more loving, more forgiving.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Help us be more obedient to Your commands and less judgmental in our dealings with others.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

The following appeared in the July 1992 issue of the little Daily Bread devotional:

We sometimes criticize others unfairly. We don't know all their circumstances, nor their motives. Only God, who is aware of all the facts, is able to judge people righteously. John Wesley told of a man he had little respect for because he considered him to be miserly and covetous. One day when this person contributed only a small gift to a worthy charity, Wesley openly criticized him.

After the incident, the man went to Wesley privately and told him he had been living on parsnips and water for several weeks. He explained that before his conversion, he had run up many bills. Now, by skimping on everything and buying nothing for himself he was paying off his creditors one by one. "Christ has made me an honest man," he said, "and so with all these debts to pay, I can give only a few offerings above my tithe. I must settle up with my worldly neighbors and show them what the grace of God can do in the heart of a man who was once dishonest." Wesley then apologized to the man and asked his forgiveness.

If you don’t recognize the name, John Wesley was the English theologian and evangelist who was a leader of the revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism.  In other words, he was the father of the Methodist church.  But here we see this great evangelist publicly chastising a man for what Wesley considered miserly and covetous conduct.

As it turned out, the man – apparently a relatively new convert to the Christian faith – was trying his best to do the right thing in God’s eyes, to show the world what the grace of God can do to the heart of a man who was once dishonest.  He had been living on next to nothing for himself as he paid down his debts.  But get this…  He was still tithing to the church.  Wesley had criticized him for not giving more to a charity, but the man replied he could only afford to give a little above his tithing.

The man was doing right by God.  The influential evangelist John Wesley was not, for he was judging another.  Only God is aware of all the facts in our lives.  Only God is in a position to judge.

I bet we’re all familiar with the old saw, “judge not, lest you be judged”.  Or maybe you know it as “judge not, that you not be judged”.  But did you know that Jesus spoke those words?  This is the warning that Jesus gave us during His Sermon on the Mount.  The message goes on to caution that whatever measure we use to judge another will be used to judge us.  So before judging, we should stop and think if we are able to stand up to the same kind of judgment.

Let me give you a slightly different take on this.  This comes from the Living Bible version of Jesus’ sermon in the 7th chapter of the Gospel account of the Apostle Matthew, verses 1 through 5…

1 “Don’t criticize, and then you won’t be criticized. 2 For others will treat you as you treat them. 3 And why worry about a speck in the eye of a brother when you have a board in your own? 4 Should you say, ‘Friend, let me help you get that speck out of your eye,’ when you can’t even see because of the board in your own? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the board. Then you can see to help your brother."

--Matthew 7:1-5 (TLB)

Have you ever thought of criticism being an act of judgment?  We’re quick to criticize – it’s part of that human nature we mentioned earlier.  And we’re quick to anger when we ourselves are criticized.  We even came up with a term for criticism that is meant for our own good: “constructive criticism”.  But it’s all a form of judgment and we are warned not to do it.

It boils down to being held to the same type of judgment or criticism that we hold others to.  Because we ourselves are indeed subject to judgment and criticism, for no one is perfect.  We all have something in our eye that keeps us from seeing the totality of another person’s life.

The Apostle Luke also reported on this warning from our Lord in what we commonly refer to as Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain.  In chapter 6 of Luke’s Gospel account, verses 37 and 38, Jesus cautions us…

37 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

--Luke 6:37-38 (NLT)

In this reading, Jesus adds that if we condemn another, it will come back against us.  Instead, we are to be forgiving so that we will be forgiven.  Give and we will receive.  Give forgiveness and receive forgiveness in return.

Looking at the very last of this morning's scripture reading, James reminds us that “knowing what is right to do and then not doing it is sin”.  If we know what is right in God’s eyes but we take no action on that knowledge and don’t do it, then we are committing a sin.  Likewise, when we know what is right and then ignore that knowledge and go ahead and do what is not right, we are sinning against God.

Since we’re all human, and subject to our fallen human nature, I’m pretty sure we all have done something that we knew was not right at some time or another.  Even the Apostle Paul had this problem.  In the 7th chapter of his letter to the Romans, verses 14 through 17, Paul writes…

14 The law is good, then, and the trouble is not there but with me because I am sold into slavery with Sin as my owner.

15 I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can’t. I do what I don’t want to — what I hate. 16 I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience proves that I agree with these laws I am breaking. 17 But I can’t help myself because I’m no longer doing it. It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do these evil things.

--Romans 7:14-17 (TLB)

The law is good.  It comes from God so it has to be good.  The problem is that we are born of sin, slaves to sin as Paul puts it.  We just can’t seem to help ourselves.  Even though we know what is right and we want to do what is right, we can’t always seem to do what is right.  We do what we hate, what our conscience – God’s Spirit within us – tells us is wrong, tells us that we are breaking God’s law.

It is the sin inside us that makes us do this.  But we can conquer this sin.  Jesus conquered death to forgive us our sins, and He will help us do what is right.  But we must do our part and repent of our sin, turn from our sin and turn fully to God.

We should really try to stop judging others, no matter the form our judgment might take.  When we criticize or speak badly of another, we are judging them.  All this runs counter to God's command to love others.  Remember that Jesus says this is the second greatest of all the commands in God's law, second only to loving God Himself, to love others.  When we judge others, we are, in effect, judging God's law and saying it doesn't apply to us.

We need to stop this.  We need to do what we know is right, and stop doing what we just want to do whenever we want to do it.  Let’s set aside our worldly desires and lusts and turn our attention to the things of heaven, focusing more on helping others, on loving others.  And let’s leave the judging to God.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Son of God, who came to us to redeem us and to give us new life.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for reminding us of Your authority and of our weakness.  We truly do understand that we are not in a position, neither of authority nor of knowledge, to serve as a judge of someone else, to criticize them when we have so much wrong in our own behavior.  Thank You, Father, for taking on the role of Judge.  Too often, though, we think ourselves above Your law.  We refuse to love others and instead act judgmental toward them, criticizing them, speaking badly against them.  We forget that we ourselves have much we can be judged on and criticized for.  Forgive us those times, please Father.  Please help us be more loving, more forgiving.  Help us do what we know is right and stop doing what we know is wrong.  And please help us do a better job of sharing our Lord Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what the world throws at us or holds out before us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You cautioned us not to engage in judging others, reminding us we would be judged using the same measure that we use in our judgments.  You said that only God is in a position and has the authority to judge, and we know this is true in our hearts, but sometimes we just can’t seem to help ourselves.  Please help us do what is right in God’s eyes.  Help us be more like You in our actions and in our reactions to others and to what goes on around us.  Help us be more forgiving, and more able to forget harms done to us.  And Lord, please help us reach out to the non-believing world, sharing the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.

Lord Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations.  Please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.