A man once saw an advert in his local paper offering an amazing bargain: a luxury cruise for only £25. The ad instructed those who wanted to take up this fantastic offer to turn up at the docks at midnight the following Tuesday, with the fee in cash.
The man turned up at the quayside At midnight on the appointed day, but to his disappointment he couldn't see a cruise liner anywhere. The docks were dark and apparently deserted, and he was just about to leave when he heard footsteps behind him.
He started to turn round, but then someone whacked him over the head and he blacked out. When he woke up, he found himself in broad daylight, floating in a rowing boat in the harbour. He had a big bump on the top of his head, and his wallet was gone. As he gingerly sat up, he saw another rowing boat in the water near-by, with a man lying in it with a bump on his head too. So he called across, 'Do they serve breakfast on this cruise ?' 'I don't think so,' said the other man. 'At least, they didn't last year.'
Often we get sucked in by claims of one sort or another. ...it's the power of advertising.
Greatest ever! Miracle cure! We are often inundated by a flood of incredible claims as we watch the TV or read magazines...from hair products, face creams (esp those ones, ladies, that tell us our wrinkles are going to just smooth away...or there goes your cellulite)! Fancy cars, a particular type of alcohol, even washing powder...guarantee us a great life, new friends, a hot date.
Recently we've been inundated too by the claims of certain politicians .. ..or spin doctors... promises by our political leaders that they will deliver the goods. But often what we discover is that 'talk is cheap'…..claims/boasts are hollow……words don't mean anything.
The book of James is a key and vital book of the New Testament because it deals with an on-going problem in the Christian church and with those who claim Christianity that often talk is cheap...and people don't walk the talk!
We make claims... ..And often outrageous ones when we come to think of it... Jesus is the only way to God. Jesus is the answer Believe in God Trust God Have faith
The problem is that Christian people make those claims but are often guilty of living the complete opposite.
Note here - those of us who are here...think we're exempt because we've actually never come outright and said, 'I'm a Christian.' Well, I've got news for you... people watch you coming to church...family, friends, neighbours...
People read the gospel according to me and to you!
Professing to be a church member, a committee member, a youth leader, an elder, a church member...and then cling to the world and its values means we are a total contradiction!
With some incredibly hard-hitting, piercing words James confronts this issue of hypocrisy head on. If you thought those words of mine were a bit challenging just you wait to you discover his.
Let's give some background - so we understand the context...where we're coming from, these next few weeks.
James is one of the books of the New Testament that had a hard fight to get into the canon, collection of Scriptures. Some of the early church fathers treated it with suspicion. The first appearance of James in Latin is from a Latin manuscript of the Bible in A.D. 350. This manuscript attributes the book to James, the son of Zebedee (John's brother, inner circle). Problem with him was that he was the first of the disciples to be martyred, so theologians believe it couldn't be him. That was part of the problem - its authorship. However it was St Augustine of Hippo who finally accepted that James was actually the brother of Jesus. This was the man who had experienced what many of the first disciples had, who had been disbelieving at times, but who, in 1 Corinthians 15 v 7 had met with the risen Jesus, his brother.
He was a strong leader of the early church - particularly active in the Jerusalem church (Paul mentions him in Gall).
Key Scripture - Acts 15 v 13 - 20 significant point in the life of the early church and for James himself. It affected his philosophy of ministry and leadership.
A Lesson in Humilty - It is a story of a man who, though he became a great leader, continued to be a man of great humility…
Look at his intro…
'James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.'
Had I been James I would have been tempted to introduce the letter with a few more words. It could have read, 'James, a brother of Jesus Christ, who grew up with this Man, who observed His life, His miracles, and who heard Him teach; James, a man whom Jesus chose to personally visit after His Resurrection; James, a man who was with the apostles when the Holy Spirit came; James, a man who later was closely identified with the apostles by the great apostle Paul; James, who eventually became the pastor of the largest church in the world. '
In view of what James could have said it is interesting he said, 'James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.' |
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