Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Sermon – James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8 Wisdom From Above

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8 Wisdom From Above
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
September 20, 2009


Listen to this sermon.


This morning I am continuing my series of sermons drawn from the Book of James. As we have seen Jesus’ own brother, James, is concerned with problems in the early church. These problems concern the introduction of poor people into congregations. This has resulted in partiality, favoritism, and sometimes hot discussions with tongues on fire. James told the churches to always listen first and then be slow to speak and slow to anger. This appears to be useful advice and could be given by any lecturer speaking on conflict resolution. But James is talking to Christians in a church setting. Is there anything about the faith, growing in our hearts, that helps us to be slow to anger and welcoming to everyone. James says yes because we Christians are the beneficiaries of a gift from God called wisdom. But before we look at wisdom, please pray with me.

Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. NRS James 4:1 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? 2 You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

The Book of James is a book of wisdom. Wisdom is the integration of our thoughts, our wills, our actions, and the context within which we exist. Therefore to be wise means that our beliefs inform and control what we do. King Solomon defined wisdom in this way: 1 Kings 3:9 “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil"
According to James there are two sources of wisdom. One source is the world we live in. Here we find wisdom such as maximize your happiness. It teaches us to be jealous of what others have, and selfish. With wisdom like this our actions might be to stay out late and get drunk, or have a lot of sex outside of marriage, or get rich by taking advantage of others. You can find the world’s wisdom taught in schools, glorified on television and in the movies, and generally accepted by most people in our culture. The world’s wisdom encourages us to be self-absorbed and destructive. The ultimate source of the world’s wisdom is the devil who wants to corrupt us and ruin our lives.

Another source of wisdom is from above. With this wisdom we are encouraged to be peaceful, gentle, holy, obedient, compliant, and filled with compassion. With wisdom from above we love our neighbors; welcome everyone in worship with no partiality or favoritism, and our actions match our faith. Wisdom from above is a gift from God and should be taught in churches.

You can see this difference between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom from above in a story in the current Presbyterians Today. Seven years ago a woman came to her pastor, Gary Catterson in Pottsville Iowa with an unusual request. She asked if a group of Pentecostals from Guatemala could worship in their sanctuary. This woman had been teaching ESL at a local manufacturing plant and met new immigrants there. The session approved the request and around 100 Guatemalans came to Community Presbyterian Church every Friday and Saturday evening. The church did not ask them to pay rent, but the immigrants gave them handmade needle work and had other fund raisers to give the church as much as they could every October when they worshiped with the Presbyterians and thanked them for letting them use the building. Clearly all concerned were wise, from above, exhibiting gentleness and compassion toward each other.

But the wisdom of the world was not far away. In May of 2008 federal immigration officials raided Agriprocessors Inc. and arrested 389 undocumented workers. When this happened the pastor was on his way to Ohio. So he missed the helicopters and the sight of frightened immigrants herded into buses. His cell phone rang from members of the church asking if the families of those arrested and too frightened to go home could find sanctuary at the church. Several members of the church stayed with these families and immigration lawyers from out of town came to help. The church was silent on Friday and Saturday evening because most of the Pentecostal church had been arrested. A year later the town has yet to recover from the raid. Businesses have left. Lots of houses are for sale. Most of the men remain in jail or have been deported. Those who have been released are prohibited from working. And the meat packing plant has gone bankrupt.

So wisdom from above is based on love and has compassion for all people. But the wisdom of the world enforces laws that harm people for selfish gain.

James gives us three questions to ponder about wisdom. These are: Who is wise among you? From what do conflicts arise? And what does God want? Let’s look at how James answers each of these.

Who is wise among you? One answer could be, “the pastor” or maybe “the officers of the church”. We assume that being wise was one of the reasons officers attained their offices. And we hope that the pastor and session of the church will be wise in making decisions. But this is not what James says. As we look around the church for people of wisdom, look for humbleness, kindness, willingness to yield, gentleness, with no partiality or hypocrisy. These, according to James are the marks of wise people. Do you know anyone like this? Wise people seem not to be ego-driven and not envious of each other. Do we have any wise people in the church? Wise people are not like everyone else; they are a little counter cultural in a society that is driven by ambition and self-gratification.

Now let’s turn to James’ second question. What is the source of conflicts? According to James, the world’s wisdom leads to disordered desires. These desires include bitter jealously and selfish ambition. A few years ago there was an ad on television for an automobile. It started with a father putting finishing touches on a tree house for his kids. He came down from the tree and went to look for the children. He found them in the back seat of his new car playing cards. The father told them about his new creation. But the kids asked him: “Does it have leather seats?” “a DVD player?” They had no interest in the tree house their father had just built. Even children are taught the wisdom of the world: to desire the wrong things.

When the disordered desires of two or more people come into contact conflicts will arise. Ultimately all conflicts come from desiring something someone else has. We want the newest television set and a bigger home. We want the most expensive car on the block. We want husbands that will take care of us, or wives that look like a trophy, or children in the top 10% of their class. And when we don’t get what we want we just take it from someone else and so conflicts arise. Our only hope to avoid conflicts is to rely not on the wisdom of the world but on the wisdom from above.

And this leads us to the third question in James. What does God want? And the answer to this is a God who created us in his image and wants us to lives that way. So we must turn away from the worldly wisdom that leads to conflict, destruction and death. And turn toward the wisdom from above. A wise person, therefore, is defined not by what he has, or what she desires, but by their relationship with God.

We have a biblical story of James using wisdom from above. A dispute arose over whether or not to accept Gentiles into the church. An assembly was held in Jerusalem and, according to the Book of Acts, this is what James did.

Acts 15:12-19 12 The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, "My brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the Gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. 15 This agrees with the words of the prophets, … 19 Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God.

In this story James listens patiently. He is slow to speak. But when he does speak he speaks from a position of humility and gentleness. He reflects God’s love not just for a chosen few but for all of creation. He demonstrates the hours he has spent meditating on the word of God and developing a relationship with God so that he can make a decision with wisdom from above.

I have a few suggestions for this church based upon the book of James. First, when selecting church officers, choose people who demonstrate wisdom from above with gentleness of spirit and humbleness of heart rather than those who contribute the most money or have served the longest. Second, make sure that all disputes in the church are settled with mercy and love never selfish ambition. Third, pray, not just for your own selfish desires but for the good of everyone and that the needs of the poor will be met. And fourth, always remember that your worth is measured not by the things you possess but by your closeness to God.

So how is one to be wise? You start by resisting the devil and the selfish desires of your heart to focus on the more important matter of God’s place in you life. Wash the sin away and come to God in purity and humbleness. Develop a relationship with God with regular prayer and worship. Receive the gift of faith by meditating on the Word of God. Nurture that faith and let it grow in your hearts so that it transforms you into what God created you to be. Then ask God for wisdom in your prayers and the gift of wisdom from above will be yours. You will become wise.

Lord Jesus Christ, we will follow you wherever you lead us. Help us to turn from our selfishness and greed. Help us to be instruments of your love, and humbly and gently receive your gift of faith. We ask for wisdom and pray this in your name, Prince of Peace. Amen.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Sermon – James 3:1-12 Tongues of Fire

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – James 3:1-12 Tongues of Fire
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
September 13, 2009

Listen to this sermon.

We are continuing, this morning, with our look at the Book of James, a New Testament book written in the first century probably by Jesus’ brother, James, who served as the leader of the church in Jerusalem. He was writing to all of the churches that started in Jerusalem on day of Pentecost and were now scattered around the Mediterranean.

Two weeks ago we heard from James about the need for members of the church to always listen first and then respectfully to respond so that disputes are slow to turn to anger. Last week we saw that one of the disputes in the early church was how to handle the issue of poor people coming into the church. According to James the Word of God that is planted in our hearts though prayer and worship causes us to welcome our brother and sisters who are much poorer than ourselves.

Today we will look closely at how the words we speak can lead to conflict within the church and discover why it is so important to follow James’ wisdom of listening first and then speaking. But before we get to the third chapter of James, let’s pray.

Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)

James 3:1-12 NRS James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4 Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8 but no one can tame the tongue-- a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

Let’s get started with a story. Robin and Ken have been married for seven years and are having some trouble in their marriage. They are visiting a marriage counselor. Robin starts the conversation by saying, “Ken just does not appreciate me.” Ken looks at her and then at the counselor and says, “Of course I do and I tell her how much I appreciate her all the time.” Robin replies, “When do you tell me that you appreciate me?” Ken says “yesterday”. Robin says, “When yesterday?” And Ken replies “When I came home for lunch.” Robin says, “You never said that you appreciate me yesterday at lunch, you didn’t even thank me for fixing the meal.” Ken said, “I came home to show you how much I appreciate you. You never listen.” The counselor pointed out that Ken was trying to communicate his appreciation of Robin by doing things for her, but Robin was waiting to hear Ken express his appreciation with words. Ken needs to accompany his good works with the words that Robin needs to hear.

We can see from this story that words are very important. Men and women are the only animals in God’s creation with the gift of speech. And we are commanded to use our gift of speech as a blessing for others. But as a result of sin, the gift of speech is often twisted from being a blessing into being a curse.

Using speech as a curse is common in our culture. How often have we heard: “Mind your tongue!” “Shut your mouth!” “Button your lip!” and since Archie Bunker appeared on television, “Stifle yourself!” We give people a “tongue-lashing”. And we do awful things called gossip and slander. James understood the harmful effects of the tongue. He called the tongue a symbol of evil, and told us that a misspoken word can cause as much devastation as a small fire recently did in the Angeles National Forest. Just imagine the harmful effect of the following words: “A C+. What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you more like your brother?” or “I don’t love you any more.”

The reason words can be so damaging is that once spoken they can never be taken back. Words spoken in anger are remembered and continue to hurt for a long time. A word spoken as a curse cannot be undone by God. That’s why James refers to spoken curses as coming from the fires of hell. It is up to you to control your tongue so that it will always be a blessing and never a curse. You need to think about what you are about to say and consider the consequences of your speech before you utter the words. Otherwise you might speak foolishly with unintended and lasting results.

James knows that the real problem with words is not just these harsh phrases, which we can control, but the insidious effect of an uncontrolled tongue in ordinary conversation. For example, you arrive at the church to help with Vacation Bible School and one of the super volunteers tells you with a slight sneer, “I am glad you are here today. You are usually so busy.” Sometimes a simple “Oh?” with an arched eyebrow is all it takes is to say a curse. We may think that we are speaking kind words, but our nonverbal body language can communicate our real feelings of anger.

According to James, just as a boat needs a rudder and a horse needs a bridle to control their actions so too does the tongue need something to control it. This is why James gave us the wisdom of being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. This gives us time to consider what we are about to say so that when we do speak we speak the truth in love. By being slow to speak we have time to realize the true source of our anger in our hidden fear, hurt, and guilt, and sometimes are able to deal with these issues before possibly ruining a relationship by speaking impulsively.

Of course, being slow to anger does not mean we should never be angry. Anger itself is not necessarily destructive, but the way we express it can be. The fourth psalm tells us to “Be angry, but do not sin.” We must never deny our anger because doing so means that our anger will come out in digs and jabs, and we speak cutting remarks with smiles on our faces. But if we acknowledge our anger then we can direct it to more healthy expressions. So “being slow to anger” means that we consider our anger first and not compound a problem by speaking a curse without thinking.

We have to confess that we do not always use speech as a blessing. Sometimes we use it as a curse. Once I was on a mission trip. I was with the pastor when a young woman ran into the room. She paused for a moment to catch her breath. Then she said “Pastor, we need to pray.” We joined hands and the young woman prayed, “Jesus, help Mrs. Smith because I just heard that Mr. Smith is having an affair with his secretary.” Then the pastor stopped the prayer and pointed out that gossip is gossip even if it in the form of a prayer. Whenever we gossip, talking about someone else when they are not there and have not given us permission to talk about them, we are cursing, and according to James this is a sin.
Those who lead the church as pastors and teachers have an even greater responsibility to control their tongues. Those who preach and teach from the Bible are speaking God’s words. So the words that people hear when a pastor or Bible teacher speaks must always be words of blessing that communicate the blessings of God. Curses and words of anger are never appropriate when preaching and teaching in the church. Rather pastors and teachers must always speak words of blessing to build up the body of Christ and lead the church toward the Kingdom of Heaven.
James tells us that we should always use our tongues as blessings. He points out that both fresh water and salt water never come out of the same spring. So blessings and curses should never come out of the same mouth.

The ancient wisdom writer Sirach put it this way:
Sirach 5:11 - 6:1 11 Be quick to hear, but deliberate in answering. 12 If you know what to say, answer your neighbor; but if not, put your hand over your mouth. 13 Honor and dishonor come from speaking, and the tongue of mortals may be their downfall. 14 Do not be called double-tongued and do not lay traps with your tongue; for shame comes to the thief, and severe condemnation to the double-tongued. 15 In great and small matters cause no harm, NRS Sirach 6:1 and do not become an enemy instead of a friend; for a bad name incurs shame and reproach; so it is with the double-tongued sinner.

The book of Proverbs tells us: Proverbs 21:23 23 To watch over mouth and tongue is to keep out of trouble.

The author Eric Law gives us some practical advice for controlling our tongues. To help us remember what to do he has given us the acronym RESPECT. “R” means that we must always take Responsibility for what we say and feel without blaming others. “E” means that we always engage in Empathetic listening. “S” reminds us to always be Sensitive to differences in communication styles. “P” follows the advice of James to always Ponder what you hear and feel before you speak. “E” teaches us to Examine our own assumption and perceptions before speaking. “C” tells us to keep what we hear from other Confidential unless given permission to tell it to other. And “T” reminds us to Tolerate ambiguity remembering that when we speak there is not always a right or wrong. So when we speak lets always do it out of RESPECT.

The best way to learn how to use our tongues as blessings is to use them in worship, by praising God. When we gather for worship we are practicing together the proper way to use our gift of speech when we speak prayers and praise. We use speech as a blessing when we read the Bible out loud, welcome each other by name, and extend the peace of Christ to one another. In church and Bible classes we learn the language of faith and begin to testify about God’s work in our lives. As faith grows in our hearts so too does our ability to use speech as a blessing.
The only way that we can be sure that we are using words as blessing and not curses is if we follow God’s command to love our neighbor. If we are filled with God’s love by our faith, and if we then speak motivated by love then the words we use will be blessings for others. Language itself is tainted by sin. So we must always be immersed in the language of faith to ensure that the words we use are always blessings for others.

So today exercise your tongues in worship. Join in the singing and prayers. Greet people in love as you leave worship. Use this to practice your ability to speak as a blessing to others. And remember this as you speak to others throughout the week. Whenever you are tempted to use language as a curse to hurt some, pause for a moment, consider where your anger is coming from, and hold your tongue until you are once again able to speak a blessing. You have this ability, given to you by God, to control what you say. So never speak words of anger and hatred. Always speak words of love and desire for blessing.

The bottom line from James is that controlling your tongue is very difficult to do, but you must do it because failure to bridle your tongue can cause great harm. But with faith growing in your hearts you have the ability to tame your tongue so that it is always an instrument of blessing and never a curse.

Holy One of Israel, we worship you today with tongues of prayer and praise. Help us to control our tongues and prevent them from speaking curses. Always keep a blessing on our lips. We remember your words to us that you would bless us so that we would be a blessing to others. And help me to always use words of blessing when I preach and teach. Amen.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Sermon – James 2:1-10, 14-17 – Heirs of the Kingdom

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – James 2:1-10, 14-17 – Heirs of the Kingdom
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
September 6, 2009

Listen to this sermon.

Today I am preaching my second in a series of sermons drawn from the Book of James. As we heard last week, this book, written possibly by the brother of Jesus Christ and the leader of the church in Jerusalem, is very important not only for the early church but for our church as well. In the first chapter James starts with the idea that faith comes to us though the Word of God, but for this faith to be effective for our salvation it must be implanted in our hearts and grow. So it is important that we not allow the Word of God to come in one ear and out the other. Rather we must meditate on the Word of God every day to let it be planted and nourished in our hearts. And this will lead to our transformation as a people who care for the widows and orphans and the poor and needy.

But James also told us that as faith grows in our hearts it will lead to divisions within the church and people will become angry with each other. So James told us to first listen and then speak so that we can be like God: slow to anger and abounding with steadfast love.

Today we will be looking at what caused the anger in the early church that prompted this letter from James. This problem is not confined to the first century church. It affects all churches including this one in Eagle Rock. So we have to listen carefully to what James has to say. But first, please pray with me.

Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)

NRS James 2:1 My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? 2 For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Have a seat here, please," while to the one who is poor you say, "Stand there," or, "Sit at my feet," 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? 7 Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you? 8 You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

Imagine that you are sitting in the great Synagogue of Alexandria. You are there with Hellenistic Jews who have adopted the Greek culture and language, but maintain their belief in the God of their ancestors. With you are also God Fearer’s, gentiles who have been attracted to the faith in one God, the God of Israel. Also imagine that an evangelist has come from Jerusalem proclaiming glorious good news. This evangelist’s name is Matthew, and for last several weeks he has been telling stories about a rabbi named Jesus of Nazareth. He has said that this Jesus was a great teacher and healer and proclaimed that the Kingdom of Heaven was very near. And this was good news to all who were oppressed by the Romans, especially the very poor, the widows and the orphans. It was hoped that this Jesus was the long awaited messiah, but he was arrested by the authorities and crucified. Incredibly, Matthew’s story didn’t end there. He said that this Jesus, on the third day, rose from the dead and was seen and heard by many. Matthew’s stories about Jesus had energized the city like nothing before it. Everyone was talking about this Jesus who had risen from the dead.

One Sabbath evening while sitting in the synagogue waiting for Matthew to speak you notice that the crowd inside is beginning to stir. A man dressed in a spectacular white robe, a Roman Senator, enters the synagogue. He is wearing the gold ring of an Equestrian. He is truly a distinguished guest. The leaders of the synagogue rush to the entrance to greet the Senator. They lead him to the front of the assembly to a special seat reserved for the most honor guests. He eagerly waits for the entrance of the evangelist from Jerusalem so that he could hear for himself the good news that was being proclaimed.

While the Roman Senator is being taken to a seat of honor, a man and woman enter the door of the synagogue. They are wearing old clothes that look like they came from Good Will. They have a tinge of body odor because they had spent the night spent under a bridge. The couple had not eaten since yesterday, and was very hungry. Someone had told them of the visitor from Jerusalem had come proclaiming that the Kingdom of Heaven was near, really good news for the very poor. A few people near the back of the synagogue saw them enter and turned away. They assumed that this couple had come to beg and they didn’t want to be hit up for money.

The Roman Senator and the homeless couple were treated differently when they came into the synagogue. This is what James calls “partiality” and is inconsistent with our faith. James says that any favoritism that we show because of the wealth of someone in worship is a sin.

The problem in the churches that James was writing to was that the poor had heard news that the Kingdom of God was near, and were prompted to come to church to hear what this was all about. The arrival of the poor in the churches of Jesus Christ had caused great divisions among the members of those churches. This led to anger and is the reason James has counseled the opposing sides to listen first and then respond being slow to anger. Those with faith implanted deep in their hearts had compassion for the poor and wanted them in worship. Others wanted their church to remain as it was with just the “respectable” people in it. So anger flared between these two groups and James was concerned.

We can understand why having poor people come to church would be a problem. They leave cigarette butts in the parking lot and beer bottles in the bushes where preschoolers could find them. Since there is little affordable housing in the city, and they have to sleep somewhere, they might sleep on the church grounds. They may even have to use the church toilets. Those with a strong faith planted in their hearts want to help the poor. Others see them as problems and wish that they would go away. James says that this situation is intolerable in the church because we have been commanded by God to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

I recently read a new book called Not Just a One-Night Stand, Doing Ministry with the Homeless. This book was about a church that had a passion for helping the poor. Several times each year, they would pack up the audio equipment and the gas grills into rented trucks, and move them to the local homeless shelter. There they would sing praise songs with the homeless and serve them burgers and hot dogs. When the event was over they would pack everything up and return to their middleclass church. This continued until they noticed the homeless men and women who were living on the sidewalks around the church. They thought about their homeless ministry and saw that it was just a one night stand. They met and served the homeless for a day and went home. But they wondered how could they serve the homeless right there in the neighborhood of the church on a continuing basis. They started a Sunday morning breakfast and invited the homeless on the streets in front of the church for a warm meal. At breakfast they developed relationships with the homeless and began inviting them to worship. Gradually some of the homeless men and women came to worship and the church, guided by the Book of James, welcomed the homeless into their fellowship. This is what a ministry for the homeless is all about: inviting and welcoming the poorest of the poor to worship with us.

Many of the homeless in our community come to our 6:30 fellowship dinner because they are hungry. It is there that we meet them, develop relationships and invite them to attend our 5:30 worship - which some do. Having a dinner for the community is our way of feeding the hungry, and inviting people to attend our worship is our way of loving our neighbor.

Of course not everyone is happy with homeless coming to the church. Some prefer to have the nice respectable church they always had. Some are concerned with stains in the carpet or dogs in the playground. But I am pleased to say that most in this church are very welcoming of the homeless. Through your generosity and the work of the Deacons our evening meal is provided. Through the Session of the church our evening worship is maintained. Faithful people clean the stains from the carpet, mop the floors and pickup beer bottles and cigarette butts. They do this because of the faith that is growing in their hearts nurtured by the Word of God.

So in the months and years ahead I urge you to continue the ministry that you have on Sunday nights. Continue to feed the hungry in our community. Continue to welcome everyone into our fellowship showing no partiality or favoritism. Always keep, in the forefront of your minds and rooted deep in your hearts God command to love your neighbor as you love yourselves.

Lord Jesus Christ, we follow in your footsteps in loving the poorest in our community. Help us as we continue this vital ministry. Give us the resources and volunteers we need to continue this work. And fill us with God’s love so that we may love others. Amen.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Sermon – James 1:17-27 – Be Doers of the Word

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – James 1:17-27 – Be Doers of the Word
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
August 30, 2009

Listen to this sermon.

This morning I am beginning a series of sermons on the Epistle, or letter, of James. The letter begins by identifying the author as: “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1a). James or Jacob is a common biblical name. Two of Jesus disciples were called James. But Church tradition has always held that this letter was written by James the Just, the brother of Jesus Christ, the leader of the church in Jerusalem, and a martyr for the faith in 62AD. So it is possible that either this James or James’ disciples after his death wrote this letter. And if this is true, then this letter is indeed very important.

James has written this letter “To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (James 1:1b). This is an historical reference to the dispersion of the Jews in ancient times, and also refers to the first century church that was scattered around the Mediterranean. The letter’s specific audience was probably to Jewish-Christians who were trying to hold onto old customs while adopting the new faith. These people may have felt unwelcome by the new Gentile converts coming into the church and by their Jewish friends and families who stayed in the synagogue. Thus James has written a letter that deals with the problem of the day, but it also helps us who face many of the same problems of understanding our faith within the context of the world we live in. So let’s jump into the text, but before we do let’s pray.

Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
James 1:17-27 17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. 21 Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; 24 for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. 25 But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act-- they will be blessed in their doing. 26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

As Christians we have compassion for those in need. We see someone who is struggling with English and we help them to learn the language. We see someone who is homeless and hungry and we give them something to eat. Why is it that Christians do these things and so many more? According to James the compassion that we have for others and our desire to care for them a gift we have received from God. God perfects our faith, brings it to maturity, and this leads to our love of neighbor. Thus even though we live in a community with troubled schools and gang violence, we, as Christians, are given the gift of love for our community and the gift of the desire to do something about our community’s problems.

This gift of love for our neighbors comes to us though the Word of God. That is why it is vital that you immerse yourselves in God’s word every day. On Sundays you hear God’s word read and proclaimed. Every day at 6AM right here God’s word is read initiating our daily prayers. Daily reading of God’s word is necessary so that we may receive the gift of love from God and have the ability and desire to love others. So read scripture every day and God will change you making you more and more compassionate with a greater desire to help the poorest in our community.

What I am about to say may seem paradoxical: As people in the church change and become more loving and compassionate, problems and dissensions will arise and Christians will become angry with each other. This anger prevents the resolution of the problems, and we find that we are unable to love one another. That is why sometimes it is possible to love our neighbor even when we cannot love one another.

One of the early controversies in the early church was over the issue of circumcism. Peter and Paul disagreed on whether or not the new Gentile converts had to be circumcised. James had to mediate the dispute at a meeting in Jerusalem. Maybe it was here that James learned the lesson of listening carefully before he spoke. By doing so James was able to reduce the anger in the meeting and propose a lasting settlement to the dispute.

James saw anger in the early church and anger is certainly present in the church today. James tells us that when anger flares among Christians we should be quick to listen and slow to speak. Certainly we know many people who speak first and refuse to listen. They are so sure that they are right they have no interest in anyone else’s opinion. This especially happens when disagreements have gone on for a long time and positions become rigid. But James advises us to listen first and then speak. By listening with respect we find common ground, resolve our disputes and dissipate our anger. So by listening first and speaking later our anger can be replaced by love.

The only way that we can receive God’s love though God’s word is if we first confess our sins and change our evil ways. This is what repentance is all about. We come to church and confess our sin. We promise to stop doing those things that separate us from God and from each other. We then approach God in humility and receive God’s blessing through the spoken and preached word of God. This is why worship is so important. It is here that we put on the cloak of humility and still our tongues so that we may listen to what God has to tell us this day. Confession, repentance and hearing the word of God are necessary for your salvation and transformation into caring people.

But we can’t stop here. We can’t just listen to what God says and then forget it. We can’t let God’s word go in one ear and out the other. Last week I was getting ready for early morning prayers. I went into the bathroom to comb my hair. I saw in the mirror that my hair was a mess. I knew that I should pick up the comb and use it. But I immediately forgot what I was suppose to do and left my apartment without ever combing my hair.

Don’t let this happen to you in church. Don’t let the word of God come into your heart here in worship and then let it slip away as you leave this place to live your lives. Hold on to the word of God as you leave church this morning. Put it deep in your heart. Give it a permanent place in your mind. And let it transform you into compassionate people who control their anger and care for the disadvantaged.

When the word of God is firmly planted in your heart you will be transformed. Not only will you think in a new way, but you will also act in a new way. James says that you will be doers of the Word. Your faith will transformed your will and this will be seen in your good works.

When Calvin read James he realized that the church had to exhibit God’s love in the community. So he established the deaconate. Deacons were responsible for the care of the sick, the elderly and the poor in the community. An offering was taken during communion to support the work of the deacons. We still do this today. We have a deacon’s offering during communion every month. The deacons use this money to help those in need in our church and community. This is just one way that we as church are doers of the word. And I am certain that there are many stories of how the Christians in this church have shown the faith that has been implanted in their hearts though act of service for those in need.

So James is telling us that a true church is not one where the members are angry with each other because anger demonstrates that faith has not yet been implanted and is not yet growing in our hearts. Anger in the church indicates that God’s love is far from us. Anger demonstrates that the word of God has gone in one ear and out the other with no saving effect. But a true church is one that cares for the widows and the orphans and poor and the needy. A true church hears the word of God and keeps in their hearts. A true church is transformed by the word of God into a loving church.

I heard a story once about a man who was weeding his garden on a hot summer’s day. He then went into his air conditioned house and drank a tall glass of lemonade. He then decided to pickup a dictionary to lookup the word “weed”. It said that a weed was any plant growing where you did not want it. He then went outside and looked at his garden. He decided that every plant was exactly where he wanted it. So he went back inside to watch the baseball game on TV.

This man had rationalized away his need to weed the garden. The idea of the necessity of weeding the garden had entered his mind and heart, but it found no place to be implanted and grow. Rather the idea died in the heat. Don’t let this happen to you. You have heard God’s word this day to be a people who are slow to anger and have compassion for the poor. Don’t let this word of God get away. Nurture it. Let in grow in your heart. Fertilize it every day with a reading from the Bible. And let it transform you into the person God created you to be.

Father in heaven, we thank you for providing your word for us this day. We ask that you plant this word in our hearts and let it grow to maturity. Help us to be as you are: slow to anger and abounding with steadfast love for our neighbor. We pray this in the name of your son and our savoir. Amen.