January 1, 2001

• Series on the Book of James by Pastor Kunihiro Nishida of Tama Newtown Christian Church

  Series on the Book of James by Pastor Kunihiro Nishida of Tama Newtown Christian Church

  5/7/2006 James 1:1-11   Living a Paradox

  Pastor Nishida did a series about why and how to become a Christian, and now he is beginning a series about the Christian walk.  When we become a Christian, it is totally the result of the forgiving, saving work that God did through the death of Christ on the cross.  God did all the work and all we have to do is accept the gift.  Once we have become a Christian and been born again, however, we assume some responsibility to make efforts to grow.

   "1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:  Greetings."

  First, we must establish the identity of James.  There are two mentioned in the New Testament, James the son of Zebedee, who was one of the 12 disciples, and James the half brother of Jesus.  We read in Acts 12 that the first James was executed and probably was unable to do any writing, so we can probably assume that the writer was James the half brother of Christ.  The recipients of this letter were probably Christians everywhere, "spiritual Israel" rather than the literal twelve tribes of Israel.

   "2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

  The readers of this letter were facing trials.  Of course the trials bring both suffering and sadness, and are not to be ignored.  But James urges his readers not to stop there, but to see beyond the trials.  The final, ultimate result of the trials will be joy.  How can this be?  It seems like a contradictory paradox.  James goes on to tell us that we need to develop perseverance.  Perseverance is something that we do not naturally have.  It must be developed through exercise, the same way that muscles must be strengthened through exercise.  Maybe when we face trials we even feel that some part of us is being destroyed, but in the end it actually grows back stronger than it was before.  Perseverance is something that we need to be able to experience the joy later.  Pastor Nishida gave the example of an Olympic champion who goes through rigorous, even painful training that is necessary if he is going to be a victor in the competition.  We need to have practice in gaining perseverance to attain our goals, too, and even though they may seem like sad suffering now, we will be thankful for them later.  If we have perseverance, we will not lack anything, and we will become mature and not babies any longer.  This is not a message that people are pleased to hear, because we naturally enjoy taking it easy rather than suffering.

  5-8  "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."

  James assumes here that we are truly living the "paradoxical" life.  Joy in suffering?  Yes, this is what we are asked to do.  But it is not so easy to understand, and it is natural that we will have questions about the meaning of our trials.  Look also at Matthew 5:3-11.  God's definition of "blessed" is totally different from the world's understanding.  It is natural that we may not always understand right away.  When we have questions about what is happening to us, we are to take these to God.  "Why is this trial happening to me?"  "Why do I have to be lacking nothing?"  God is not upset or threatened by our questions.  He is in fact waiting for us to ask for the wisdom that He wants to give us.  God knows that it is natural for us to be double-minded.  We waver between our own will and God's.  We waver between love and hate.  We waver between wanting to have faith and wanting to give up.  The problem is not encountering double mindedness in our hearts.  The problem is when we continue to leave our hearts in that condition.  We must decide each time to believe God, and we must decide to continue to believe.

  Matthew 7:9-11 asks the following question.  "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  God love us too much to leave us as we are.

  9-11 "The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business."

  Here we have some more paradoxes.  The brother who is of low social or economic status in society has been raised up to the high position of a child of God Himself.  The opposite is also true, where one who is supposedly economically and socially blessed is sometimes brought down to his own ultimate benefit.  Pastor Nishida gave the recent Livedoor happenings as an example of this.  The people who were the heads of this company have been arrested for illegal business transactions and have lost all that they had.  But in the long run perhaps this is actually a better situation for them.  This passage does not mean "don't be rich."  It means that we cannot be dependent on our riches instead of God.  It is better to loose riches and find God than to keep the riches and loose our souls. 

  So then, the Christian life is a live of seeming contradiction and paradox.  But this is actually an important characteristic of Christianity.  Poor is rich and rich is poor.  Loosing is winning and winning is loosing.  We want to be rulers, but we are called to serve.  We may appear to be living lives of contradictory nonsense, but we are actually heading straight toward a door of perfect understanding.  May we pray and ask God to help us notice and understand the direction in which we are really headed.

  5/14/2006 James 1:12-18  A Great Misunderstanding

  When we accept the gift of forgiveness and are born again to a new life through the work of Jesus on the cross, it is a work that has been totally done by God and God alone.  After we have been born into God's family, however, it is now our responsibility to exercise our spiritual "muscles" and grow into the person that God intended us to be.  Now let's move on to the main text.

  James 1:12  "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. "

  We are reminded of Jesus's words in Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

  James imitates Christ's poetic style to add another blessing for those who don't give in to trials brought about by persecution.  We don't endure the trials to no purpose, but to be made perfect, as Christ is perfect.

  In I Corinthians 9, the apostle Paul also says that the purpose of persevering under trials and finishing the course is for a reward.  If we don't give up or quit, we are promised a definite reward by God Himself, who cannot lie.

  I Corinthians 9:24 "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."

  James 1:13  "When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

  It is an interesting point that the Greek word for "trial" and "temptation" is actually the same word, but since God has nothing to do with evil, if the unpleasant situation is from God it is translated as "trial," and if it is from another ungodly source, it is translated as "temptation."

  God does not tempt, because He has nothing to do with evil.  It is not God's character to tempt.  And the trial or temptation is not the reason for falling; rather the falling is the result of a process of responding to our own evil desires.  It is human nature.  Before they sinned, Adam and Eve were able to rule over their desires.  They had control, but when they sinned, they lost the control, and now their desires ruled them.  It is not a matter of the number of sins committed.  It is a situation.  James uses a birth metaphor.  The desire grows, the sin is conceived, and it eventually kills the parent.

  James 1:16 "Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created."

  Here is where we cannot be deceived.  It is human nature to have evil desires, to give into the temptation and sin, and to fall.  But, we are not allowed to think that it is allowed simply because it is natural.  We are new creations in Christ.  Our salvation is sure, and our position is now as children of a Heavenly Father who never changes.  We have been born to a new spiritual life, and say goodbye to the old life where nothing is born but sin.  We cannot allow ourselves to fall back into the old, dead ways.

  God does not tempt us, and the things that he sends us are always good.  He will not give us a stone when we have asked Him for a jewel.  Luke 11 tells us, "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?  Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

  If we do feel ourselves tempted to sin, we no longer have to give in to the temptation, because we no longer have to be ruled by our desires.  We have been set free.  We are not to look back.  We are to look forward, knowing that God has promised to help us when we have trials and temptations.

  In I Corinthians 10:13, Paul says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

  5/3/2006  James 1:19-27  Become a Doer of the Word

  We know that it is natural to sin, but that does not mean that it is alright.  We are forgiven sinners, it is true, but we are still in our fleshly bodies; however, we don't have to follow and give in to the temptations any more.  With God's help, we can keep ourselves under control because we now have a choice.

  Before going into the main text, Pastor Nishida had us look at Luke 6:43-49, because he wanted to use the image that Jesus gives of the heart as a storehouse to explain James.

  "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. "

   "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

  Jesus uses the metaphor of storehouses in our hearts, and we all have two, good and bad.  We can take things out of either storehouse.  The good storehouse is where the words of Jesus are stored in our hearts, so if we are taking things out of the good storehouse, good actions will result.  The opposite is also true.  If we are taking things out of the bad, fleshly storehouse, bad actions that hinder the work of God will result. 

  Now let's move on the today's passage, James 1:19-27

  "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."

  James speaks of our natural, fleshly weakness, and he points a finger at anger.  Perhaps this was a special problem for those who were to read this letter.  Maybe they often spoke without thinking and were quick tempered, but James urges them to take their time in listening, in speaking and in expressing their emotion.  We notice that James does not say when to be angry or what to be angry about.  He only says don't rush into anger, because it is not good spiritual fruit, and it does nothing to help us act as an instrument of God's will.  Anger does nothing to point to God's righteousness, and hinders God's cause.  Sometimes it is right to be angry, but most of the time anger is something that comes from the bad storehouses of our hearts.

   "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. "

  We are to be busy in the good storehouse of our new lives as Christians, not poking around in the bad storehouse.  If we do go into the bad storehouse, it should be with Jesus, and the only purpose should be to throw out what should not be there.  And there are new things that we should be putting into the good storehouse, and that is the Word of God.  At this point, Pastor Nishida shared that he had a struggle as he wrote this sermon, because he knows the stubbornness of his own heart and that he might prefer to manage his own heart's storehouses without God's assistance, thank you very much.  Submitting to God's will rather than doing it "my way" is not easy task.

  But, we are called to submit, and to accept the word that the Holy Spirit plants in our hearts.  This is not of our own doing.  The Holy Spirit of God is the planter, and He whispers the words of Jesus in out hearts.  Do we choose to listen to the words that the Holy Spirit carries into our good storehouse, or do we choose to spend our time in the bad storehouse?  Listening to God's voice does not happen naturally for us, we must choose to do it.  Just because a group of people happens to ride together on Tokyo's Yamanote Loop Train Line for an hour, are all of the passengers naturally going to automatically become good buddies?  Of course not!

  James also tells us that choosing from our good storehouse will bring us more closely in line with God's heart.

  In Galatians 5:16-26, the writer Paul tells us that it is not only a choice, it is a battle!

  "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. "

  "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

  Back to James:  "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does. "

  James follows the same progression of logic as Jesus.  First, we must take God's Word into our hearts, and second, we must become a person who does what God says.  The mirror of which James speaks is not like the mirrors of today, but was made of polished metal, and did not give a totally clear reflection.  Our newness of life in Christ is visible only if we are doing what God's Word says.  When we become a Christian we do not suddenly sprout wings for all to see.  It is our behavior that changes.  If our behavior does not change, that is, if we do not do what God says, then our change is unclear both to ourselves and to others. 

  We need to "look intently" at God's Word, not just listen and forget.  Pastor Nishida gave an illustration of Japanese pickles.  We need to be salted down, marinated and pickled in God's word, to the degree that the pickling aroma stays with us for all to breathe in and enjoy.  The old flesh from our former life does not like this and protests against it, but we must all undergo the pickling process if we really want to become doers of God's Word.

  "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

  The term here for "religious" involves serving in a religious ceremony.  It is not necessarily faith. It is merely going through the actions.  If we go through the correct actions but are still taking things out of the bad storehouses of our hearts, then the good actions become both meaningless and worthless.  We need to express the love of God in practical actions and our love for God by keeping ourselves away from sin. 

  Put God's Word in the good storehouse of your heart.  Take out of that good storehouse, and act on what the Word of God says.  Keep reading the Bible and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit.  Pastor Nishida shared again that he knows that he has a tendency to drift away from God, and that is exactly the reason that God told him to become a pastor.  He would have to be "pickled" in God's Word and could never drift or wander.  Decide to live God's Word, and take from your good storehouse.  You will notice a change, and others will, too.

  6/4/2006  James 2:1-13  Help for Discriminating Hearts

  Pastor Nishida began with a review of James 1, where the writer refers to the polished metal mirrors of his day, and reminded us that it we only listen to Christ's words but do not do them, we are like a person who looks at a poor reflection and forgets even that.  Perhaps we have been born again, but we cannot really have good spiritual "vision" if the words of Christ are not implanted in our hearts.  If we don't have Christ's words planted by the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we are in danger of forgetting about the new life that we have been given through Jesus' death on the cross, and we are also in danger of going back to the old life and the old ways. 

   We must look intently, meditate on and be marinated or pickled in the words of Jesus Christ.   Then we will surely not forget that we have been born to a new life, and our outward ways will begin to change.  It will be obvious to both ourselves and to others.  There is an expression in Japanese comparing the head of a forgetful person to a colander, which does not do the best job of retaining liquids.  The pastor pointed out that even a colander will hold water if it is immersed, with a note added that he did not have any particular member of his audience in mind.  Even if we are colander-heads, if we immerse ourselves in the Word of God, we are sure to retain what we hear and be changed from within.(Colanders are an interesting topic - I once heard another pastor say that even if a colander does not actually hold water, that the water that runs through it will at least keep it clean!  But I digress...) 

  "My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here's a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?"

  This tells us that faith and favoritism cannot mix, and says that the amount of money that a person has in his possession has nothing to do with the worth of that person in the eyes of God.

  "Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?  But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?"

  James becomes very practical here, so perhaps the examples that James points out were actually taking place.  The poorer members of the church had been made rich in heart by the joy that God was giving them, and to take an action that would cause them to be ashamed is against the heart of God.  Those who show favoritism also show that they know very little of God's real character.

  James also points out that it is actually the wealthy people in the society of that day who were actually persecuting Christians and dragging them into court to stand trial for their belief in Jesus. 

  The fact that the recipients of the letter are showing favoritism is proof that they are not immersed in the words of Christ.  James keeps after them, and does not let them off.

  "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right.  But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.  For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.  For he who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, 'Do not murder.' If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker."

  It is of course commendable to love your neighbor as yourself.  In the Jewish concept of keeping the law, however, one had to keep ALL of the law perfectly, and to break it at one point meant to have lost the perfection and it was the same as having broken the entire thing.  (I suppose it it difficult to break a glass on on side and then continue to use it.)  To say that we have fulfilled the law means that we have followed it 100%!  Even if we think that we are keeping the entire law by merely loving our neighbor, we are only fooling ourselves.  We cannot fool God, because He judges that we have not fulfilled the law.

  "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!"

  James is not actually judging the readers of his letter, because God is really the judge.  He does urge them, however, to notice their condition.  He urges them to continue to be immersed in the law and in the Gospel, and to speak and act as a result of being marinated in the words of Christ.  Even if we can only do it imperfectly, God is merciful and accepts our efforts.  If the readers continue to show favoritism they will be judged for it by God, but if they show mercy, mercy will also be shown to them. 

  In James 1, we were told that it is natural to sin, but that we are now free from being slaves to what used to come naturally, and that sin is no longer acceptable.  It is from the old life and the old system.  We are to turn and move in the opposite direction, and to get as far away from sin as we can.  Favoritism is also something that belongs to the old life and the old way, and we are to turn away from this as well.  How do we change direction?  It is by being immersed in the words of Christ.  If we do this, we will not forget that we have become new creatures born again to a new life.  We will be continually changed and transformed to people who naturally follow the words of Christ.  We will change, and the change will be unmistakable to ourselves and to others.

  Pastor Nishida added another part of the Bible here, Matthew 18:21-35.  This is a story that Jesus told of an unmerciful servant.

  "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"  Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

  Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.'  The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

  But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.  He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.  His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'  But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.  When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

  Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?'  In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.  This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

  The servant had been forgiven his debt.  He was under no legal obligation to cancel the debt that he himself was owed, but it is a logical conclusion that he would have been expected to do so.  We are not obligated to forgive because we have been forgiven, but it is a logical, expected conclusion that we would be changed into people who show the same mercy that has been shown to us.  We are not burdened with a legal load, but rather we are given freedom to show mercy because we have been changed from the inside. 

  The Holy Spirit changes us, and even makes us want to ask God to keep changing us until we become people who really carry out the desires of God's heart.  It is not obligatory, only the expected natural result of the actions of a new creation in Christ.  And what is God's heart?  We can see it in I Corinthians 13.

  "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child; I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.  Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

  And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

  When all things come to an end, we will see the reality of God's truth clearly with our own eyes, and we will no longer need the faith.  We will no longer need the hope either, because all of our hopes will be fulfilled.  Only the love will remain eternally.

  Another nice thought from the monthly church "Birthday Party:" A person was shown a view of Hell.  There was a big pot of stew, but no one could eat from it, and although there was food aplenty, all were starving because the handles of their spoons were longer than their arms, and they simply could not get the food into their mouths.  Then there came a view of heaven.  The situation was exactly the same, but all were fed and happy!  What was the difference?  The satisfied ones were not feeding themselves, but others, and were being fed in return.

   

  6/11/2006 James 2:14-26 The Faith Behind the Works

  Living the Christian life is not really so complicated.  The base is to become a doer and not just a hearer, as it says in James 2:11.  God does not obligate us to repay Him for the forgiveness and salvation that he has freely given to us in Christ on the cross.  If He did, he would be making us pay for the gift, and this is a debt that we could never even begin to repay.  We are not obligated to repay our debt to God, but it is perfectly natural to expect that there would be a change in our lives, and that we would be changed into people who are doers of the word of God.  Action and fruit are to expected and anticipated.

  The people in the church to which James was writing were claiming to have faith, but in spite of this they were practicing favoritism by discriminating against the less wealthy church members.

  James says, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

  The  church members said that they had faith, but they were not producing fruit or taking action in tune with what they said that they believed.  Could the reason be that there is something lacking or wrong with their faith?  Are their beliefs really accurate and true enough to save them?  Is their faith living and active, or dead, stagnant and rotting?  James wants the readers of his letter to notice the mistake that they are in danger of making.  If one sees a person in physical need and applies nothing but words to the problem, it is meaningless.  It is the same as saying, "You are hungry because you don't eat!"  If one truly believes, works must come, and come absolutely and concretely.

  James continues, "But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.'   Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder."

  James anticipates an argument from his readers.  His readers might say, "Of course I believe in the one true God.  Isn't that enough?"  James argues back that their kind of faith is no different from what demons know.  At least the demons take action and shudder in response to what they believe.

  James goes on, "You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?  Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,'  and he was called God's friend.  You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone."

  James asks his readers, "Don't you know how ignorant you are?   Do you want to know your true condition?  You probably don't, but I am going to tell you anyway."  James directs his readers' attention to the Old Testament story of Abraham, the father of the Jewish people.  (Abraham is also mentioned in Hebrews 11:11-12.  "By faith Abraham, even though he was past age - and Sarah herself was barren - was enabled to become a father because he considered Him faithful who had made the promise.  From this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore."

  God had promised Abraham a son, but in Genesis 15:1-6 Abraham complains to God that he has been waiting quite a long time and still has no son, and God reconfirms the promise. 

  After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:  'Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your very great reward.'  But Abram said, 'O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?'   And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.'  Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.'  He took him outside and said, 'Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them.' Then he said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.'   Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness."

  Abraham had the faith and believed the promise, but was then called upon to prove that he believed it by his actions.  A son was born to Abraham, and the son's name was Isaac.  In Genesis 22 God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac. 

  "Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.  Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."  Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 

  On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.  He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."  Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

  When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.  Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.  But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.  "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."

  Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."  The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."  Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba. "

  Abraham takes immediate action to obey what God has ordered, because he believed that even if Isaac dies, that God is still going to keep his promise.  He knew that even if he killed Isaac, that God's nature is to keep promises that have been made, and keep them absolutely.  He even believed that God could and would bring Isaac back from the dead.  His faith and belief in God's promise were not shaken, and his strong belief allowed him to act.  After Abraham has backed up his faith with action, God steps in.  Isaac is spared, and the promise is reconfirmed.  Abraham's invisible faith has been both completed and perfected in visible action.  And, God has kept his promise.

  James finishes, "In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

  James then gives another example from the Old Testament, of Rahab the prostitute.  This story can be found in Joshua 2.  It is a bit long to put up here, but a short read if you want to open your Bible.  Rahab was not an Israelite, but had heard of and believed in the power of the God of Israel, to the point where she took action and hid Israelite spies in her home.  She protected them from their enemies and helped them to escape.  As a result, she and her family were saved when their city was destroyed.  She showed her belief by her actions. 

  A person's spirit and body cannot be separated, and neither can faith and works.  Pastor Nishida then directed us to look at Matthew 10:40-42.  "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.  Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward.  And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."

  This is an example of the act of hospitality.  Welcoming a disciple because they are from God is considered the same as welcoming God himself.  Faith is behind the work of offering even a cup of water, and faith backs up the action.  Others may not see the faith or know the motives, but God knows, and recognizes our faith because of our actions.  And what is our reward?  It is not a three day pass to Heaven.  It is an eternal free pass that never expires.  Anything else would be meaningless.  We show the nature of our faith by our actions, and God looks at the faith behind the works.

   

  6/18/2006  James 3:1-12 Walk with a Leashed Tongue

  When we become Christians we do not forcibly change ourselves out of obligation to God for what He has done for us.  Rather, we become people who ask the Holy Spirit to change us into individuals who are pleasing to God and who want to do His will.  Now let's turn to this week's sermon.

  "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.  We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check."

  James does not refer to school teachers here, but to preachers in the church.   I Corinthians 12:27-28 speaks of teachers within the context of the church.  "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues."  James urges those thinking of becoming teachers not to make the decision lightly, because teachers hold a position of responsibility, and will thus be judged more strictly than others.

  James also says that everyone stumbles in some area of life and one area where one is absolutely sure to stumble is in the area of the tongue.  This goes for Christians and non-Christians alike.  Teachers not only have positions of responsibility.  The nature of their position makes it necessary that they speak much to others, thus increasing chances for an injurious slip of the tongue. 

  James then turns to the results of us not controlling our tongues, and uses metaphors to help us to visualize the extent of the damage that can be caused.   

  "When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."

  James uses the metaphors of bits and rudders and finally that of a spark that can start a huge conflagration.  The tongue may be a small, unseen part of the body, but what is does can be the cause of much damage.  Things that are said can influence an entire life, and perhaps even bring it to ruin.  If one find's one's self at the gates of hell, it is likely that the path there began with careless words either spoken or listened to.  Satan tempted Eve with his words, and Eve answered, "Yes," when she should have said, "No!"  She defiled herself by sin as a result of the words that she listened to and the words that she said.

  "All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."

  Here James seems to be referring back to Genesis 1:28, where God gave Adam the job of ruling over the earth.  "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'"  Man can even tame animals, but he cannot tame his tongue, and will never be able to do it on his own.  The apostle Paul also says something similar in Romans 3:10-12.   "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Yes, the tongue is full of deadly poison, and uncontrolled, it can cause extensive damage that even leads to eternal spiritual death.

  Remember also James 1:13-15 where James says, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." 

  James continues, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."

  The writer changes for focus here from to Christians, and James says that if we speak in an uncomplimentary manner about another who is loved by God and made in His image, it is offensive to God himself.  In the Old Testament, blessing and cursing often occur as a pair, and withholding a blessing was also a kind of curse, albeit indirect.  James insists that a situation in which blessings and curses are coming out of the same mouth should certainly not exist and the fact that he emphasizes his statement is an indication that this very thing was probably taking place in the church.  It is a situation that needed to be dealt with immediately. 

  James gives obvious examples from nature.  It is impossible for a spring to alternately offer up sweet and bitter water, and impossible for one tree to bear the fruit of another.  It is just as impossible for a teacher or preacher to be both blessing and cursing members of his own church.  Teachers and preachers are not only in positions that require them to do a lot of talking.  They are also in positions that require them to be handlers of righteousness.  It is easy for them to fall into a trap of thinking that all that they themselves do is righteous and to begin judging and criticizing their students.

  Blessing and cursing are a pair, and we are forbidden to curse another.  But, we can praise and bless and encourage others as much as we want.  Let's ask the Holy Spirit of God to help us want to tame our tongues to use them to bring others to the Gates of Heaven rather than dragging them down into destruction.

  6/25/2006 James 3:13-18 Wisdom and the Holy Spirit

  In James 1:17, we read about perfect gifts from the Father, in James 1:25 we read about the perfect law of God, and in James 3:2 we read about how the man who can control his tongue is perfect.  One of James' themes then, is perfection.  Is he telling the readers to have a perfect faith that will result in works?  It is possible, but let's examine the issue from a different angle.

  We saw in previous study that the readers of James' letter thought that they were pretty good.  They said that since their faith was perfect that they didn't need works.  They had been blessed financially and were so perfect that they didn't need to think about those who might not be so well off.  The leaders of the church thought they were perfect, too, and were criticizing others who they thought lacked their perfection.

  "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."

  James asks them who among them is wise and they are all raising their hands proudly.  But James points out that if they are truly as perfect as they think they are, that their situation should be totally different.  There should be good works and the fruit of putting faith into action.  Instead of being so proud of their false perfection, they need to humble themselves, see themselves as they really are and do the good deeds that are to be reasonably expected from those who claim to be Christians.

  Their actual situation is quite different.  The envy and selfishness that they are showing do not match up with the wisdom that they claim to have.  Rather than showing their faith by good deeds, they are showing that they have a basic problem with their faith.  It is resulting not in good deeds, but in disorder in the church and evil deeds.  The discrimination that they are guilty of is obvious, and the fact that they are singing hymns as they discriminate against the poor show that their faith has no connection to their reality.    

  "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."

  If the readers are truly wise, this is the list of characteristics that they should be showing.  Ambition, selfishness and envy are absolute seeds of conflict in any church.  Peace is destroyed, not created.  If the readers claim to be perfect, they their lives should be very different.  James realizes that human perfection is not possible and that only God is perfect.  Rather than trying to make perfect Christians, James is pointing out the fact that those who claim to be perfect are actually far from it.

  Pastor Nishida then expanded on the "wisdom that comes from heaven."  Jesus uses the same word when he talks to Nicodemus in John 3 and tells him that he must be "born again" or "born from above" or "born from heaven."  Apart from our response in accepting or rejecting the gift, whether we are born again does not depend on our efforts.  It is all something that God does based on what He has done in the death of Christ on the cross for our sins.

  Let's compare similar places:

  I Corinthians 13:22-23  "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. "

  Galatians 5:22-23  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

  Human efforts are important, but we must not forget that the Holy Spirit of God is the one who does the work, and our most important efforts must be in submitting and cooperating with Him. 

  The fruit spoken of has great meaning in human relationships.  We are commanded to live in love, but we must also live in the world, and without the "wisdom from above" it is not possible.

  Before He is crucified, in John 17:15-19 Jesus prays to His heavenly Father, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified."

  Pastor Nishida ended with a prayer for God's wisdom to help us to plant the fruit of peace in human relationships.

  7/2/2006 James 4:1-10 Obey God and Draw Near

  James continues to speak to his readers who think they are perfect, but are in reality far from it!

   "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?  You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."

  The word "fights" refers to conflicts between countries, and "quarrels" refers to conflicts among individuals.  And what kind of action do our desires inspire?  It begins with coveting (musaboru), which is to want something that is not yours.  This can easily develop into an outward conflict on both small and large scales.

  The readers don't have because they don't ask.  They are lacking in prayer.  "But, we are praying," they may respond.  That is fine, but even if they are praying, they are praying with their own selfish motives in mind.  They are not really interested in God's heart or in what God's will is.  If they were intending to waste the efforts of their prayers on pleasure, perhaps they had been asking for material wealth.

  "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?  Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?  But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'"

  Think back into the Old Testament book of Exodus, where God made a kind of marriage contract with the nation of Israel.  God took it very seriously when His people worshiped another god, and considered idolatry as spiritual adultery.  Christians have entered into the same type of relationship with God, and we cannot have anything else before Him or in the place that He should have in our lives.  We cannot say that we love God if we are more in love with the things of this world.  James challenges his readers to change, because even though they may be spiritually unfaithful, God remains faithful in his intense love for them.  He will never stop caring for them.

  So what are some steps in returning God?

  "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

  The first step is to resist the devil.  We must make the devil our enemy, and not be friendly with him anymore.  We may say that we would certainly not be friendly with the devil, but if we are in rebellion against God, they we are certainly the devil's friend, even if we do not intend it to be so.  We need God to help us realize just exactly what and where we are.  We are the devil's good friend and we are sitting right there beside him.  We need to tell God that we want to be on His side now, and ask him to pull us close to his side and make the devil our enemy. 

  If we submit to God's grace, that is, if we admit that we are sinners, and accept the undeserved gift of forgiveness through Jesus｡ｯ death on the cross, then we are no longer the devil's friend.  He will not like us anymore, because dark cannot exist in the presence of light.  He will run away from us. 

  James also give his readers further warnings, and tells them to wash their hands and purify their hearts, that is, to clean themselves up inside and out.  He tells them to realize how far the actually are from God and to think about what they are doing and to be sorrowful and repentant.

  The readers had been proud and raising themselves up on a high pedestal.  James calls on them to be sorrowful over their sin, to be humbled by what God did for them in Christ on the cross, and to be raised up rather by God's undeserved love and grace.

  The devil may flee from us, but he does not give up that easily.  He'll be back.  Just as we cannot make Satan our enemy without God's help, we cannot fight him without God's help.  Pastor Nishida then drew our attention to the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:10-18.

  "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

  Why do we need this type of "armor?"  It is because the nature of our enemy. We do not fight a literal fleshly battle.  The real battle takes place in the spirit and the mind, which are not seen.  We need to know and act on what is TRUE and what is RIGHT.  We need PEACE, because without there will be conflict and God's will is not done.  We need FAITH that God has indeed created everything and is in perfect control, that Jesus Christ has purchased out salvation by His death on the cross, and that the Holy Spirit has been given to live in our hearts and minds to guide us into God's perfect will.  SALVATION is the base from which we operate.  The WORD of GOD is what the Holy Spirit uses to convince and assure us that all of what God does and says is true, loving, just and right, and that we are sinners who need to repent and come to him for the cleansing that we need.

  Pastor Nishida ended with a prayer that we would be able to listen to the words of both James and Paul, and that we would draw near to God.  He is already nearer to us than we could ever imagine.

  7/9/2006  James 4:11-17  Proud, Judgmental Hearts

  Pastor Nishida began by theorizing about the lives of the "perfect" readers of his letter.  First, they were probably confident that they were "good Christians."  Second, they were probably financially well off, and thought that their wealth was connected to their faith.  They may have been saying that if some members of the congregation were not economically blessed that is was because their faith was not strong enough, and these poorer ones were being put down and discriminated against.  Third, some pastors ("teachers") were included in the readership.  Fourth, the readers had the mistaken idea that they had reached perfection, and this is the idea that James spends the most time taking apart.  He tells them if they are truly perfect, they are certainly not expressing it.

  "Brothers, do not slander one another." James takes a calmer tone than he did in the previous passage in calling his readers "brothers."   He encourages them not to criticize each other and neither to be discouraged by criticism nor return criticism for criticism.  Don't "buy" the fights that the criticizers are "selling."  (This is a Japanese expression that I like -somebody should have translated it into French for Mr. Zidane.  The Italian team member was clearly wrong to make a very nasty comment, and was "selling" a fight.  Too bad Mr. Zindane chose to "make a purchase" that may have cost his team the championship.  But I digress, sorry Pastor Nishida!  Genko ni nai koto iimashita.) If the poorer readers "buy" the fights, then they may fall into the same trap as their criticizers, and that trap is PRIDE.

  "Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?"

  James says that to criticize a brother is to criticize the Law of God?  How is this true?  Criticism is defined as considering merits and demerits and judging accordingly, or pointing out flaws or faults.  We are given the Law in the Bible, and it tells us how we are to live our lives.  We often mistakenly think that we are to use it to evaluate or judge others, but this is not the case.  We are called to live according to it.  God, as the giver of the law is not judged according to it. 

  One law that we are given is that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Criticizing a neighbor is not loving him.  If one claims to understand the law yet still criticizes, then that person is not applying the law to himself and is certainly not keeping it.  Such a person is also guilty of judging the law itself, in that he is deciding for himself which parts apply to him and need to be kept and which parts do not.

  Creations of God are in no position to judge the law.  God, who gave the law is the only one in a position to judge it.  We are only in a position to obey the law.  God is the only one who has the right and the authority to make decisions concerning the innocence or guilt of a person before the law.Those who judge the law by their criticism of others are actually in even more trouble, because they are actually pushing God aside and taking his position.  This is the ultimate in rebellion, and in pride.  James really calls his readers attention to the mistaken thinking into which they have fallen.  He continues: 

  "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

  There are apparently some businessmen in the readership who are under the false impression that they are the ones in control of their own lives.  They forget that God has sovereignty over life and that He is the true ruler and not they.  Again, they forget their positions as creations who cannot even control the length of their lives.  As creations of God they should live their lives in respect and humility before their creator, and not in pride and ignorance of God's control and sovereignty.  This kind of pride is evil, because ultimately it leads the criticizers to take God's position as creator and judge.  James asks them, "You dare to reject God's law and your status as a created being, and take his position as creator?  And you still hope to stand before God?  Think again!"

  Pastor Nishida then took us to another viewpoint of criticism, that of Paul.  Let's have a look at Romans 14:1-13.  Part of this passage says,

  "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.  One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.  The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.  Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand."

  There was a debate going on about which foods were morally acceptable and which not, and it was resulting in arguing, criticizing and judging.  The verb was "eat," but we can change it to something else: look, drink, whatever.  Paul speaks from the slave-master relationship that existed in his day.  The only one granted authority to criticize a slave was the slave's master.  Our master is Christ, and he is the only one with the authority to judge us.  It is only Christ who causes us to stand in righteousness or fall in judgment.  It should not and cannot be carried out according to human judgment.

  We are often tempted to criticize another, and to have the opinion that God should knock the offender down in punishment, but in doing this we forget that it is ultimately not God's will to knock a person down.  It is God's ultimate will to make a person strong and to make them stand firm.  It is God's business and God will do it in His way.  Why does God want to make us stand?  It is because we belong to Him.  How can we say we belong to God?  Because we are His creations, and we do not live or die to ourselves.  All that we do is for God and belongs to God.  Christ's power to make a person stand is stronger than any criticism that man could make.  In fact, criticizing one that God wants to stand is actually criticizing God's will and power to make him stand.  This attitude is totally opposite to the heart of God and hinders His work.

  It is much better to work with God to help a person stand than to work against God by knocking another down by criticizing and judging.  We need to be in prayer before God to ask Him how we can work with Him by helping another to stand.

  The final hymn sung was "I Must Tell Jesus."  If you have a problem with someone, just tell Jesus about it, and don't spread gossip.

  7/16/2006    James 5:1-11   Suffering's End

  James begins Chapter 5 in a prophetic style.  Prophets are given visions from God which show what the future holds for the listeners.  What had God shown James was in store for the listeners if they did not change their ways?

  "Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.  Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.  Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire."

  James saw that the fine garments in which the rich adorned themselves had become moth eaten and miserable to look at.  Pastor Nishida said that they had made no spiritual preparation, no "tansu ni gon," no moth balls in their closets.  They had invested and placed their confidence in the precious metals of silver and gold that do not corrode with time.  Yet James says that they have corroded.  This is unnatural, and could only be done by the supernatural hand of God.  Judgment is what is saved up for them if they do not change their ways.  There is judgment, and it is coming.  It is inescapable.  There is, however, a way to be declared innocent.  That way is through Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone, and if the readers try to stand in their own evil deeds and in their own rotting wealth they will be found guilty.

  "You have hoarded wealth in the last days.  Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.  You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you."

  And what are they guilty of?  Apparently these people had large estates with many laborers who were not being paid.  There is nothing wrong with honest saving, but this saving had been done not only dishonestly, but perhaps even at the cost of the lives of some of the workers.  The wealth that the rich had stored up was going to come back as evidence to condemn them.  Those who were suffering and being cheated were not even able to make a protest.  If the rich were doing such things and still calling themselves Christians, then judgment was sure to come. 

  James warns against having such people in the church, yet he does not cut them off without hope.  There is always time to repent, change one's ways and do what is right.  God's heart longs to offer forgiveness when repentance is made, and judgment comes only after God's loving warnings to turn from sin and self are ignored.

  "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.  You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.  Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!"

  Are these words perhaps directed at those suffering at the hands of the rich?  James offers a metaphor of a farmer patiently waiting for the spring rains before planting and the fall rains before harvest.  We are to be patiently waiting for the return of Christ.  We are to envision the event without yet having seen it.  Evil will not be victorious, God will, so we are to wait for Him to act.  He is the judge, not we, and we are to leave judgment to Him, and not complain to each other about something which is not under our jurisdiction.  God is the Judge and we are to let Him take care of the business.

  When one is bearing up under a large burden, that there is a temptation to let the unreleased steam out in other small areas by complaining and being unpleasant about smaller problems.  James encourages is to trust God even in the small areas and not grumble or complain (or whine?).  Small explosions may even lead to our being unable to bear the larger burden.

  We are also to remember that Christ could return at any time, and that we are not to think of it as a far off event that has nothing really to do with us.  We should not become lazy and fall asleep, but rather should be awake, watching and ready.

  "Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.  As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

  We can read the book of Jeremiah for an example of a prophet who bore up under persecution.  He then took us to the example of Job, a man famous as an example of faithfulness to God under intense suffering, both emotional and physical.  He read us the beginning of Job's story from Job 1, and then the end in Job 42:13.  At the beginning of the story, we see that Job looses everything, all of his herds, his ten children and his health.  At the end of the story, we see that Job recovers his health and is given back double of all that he lost.  Wait a minute!  What about the children??  He lost ten, and he was only given ten back.  But Jesus says that God is the God of the living and not of the dead.

  Luke 20:38 "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."

  There is a hope and a promise for Job that the children that he thought that he lost are alive and kept for him in Heaven, and that he will see them again.  Job and the new children eventually passed on as well, and were taken to be with God.  It was here that Job realized that God really had blessed him with an additional ten children to be double his happiness for all eternity.

  James assures us that life is not only endurance for endurance's sake.  God has not forgotten our suffering, nor is He ignoring it.  He will absolutely show mercy and compassion, and give us much more than we ever could have hoped for or imagined ourselves.

  Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." 

  7/23/2006   James 5:12-18  Praying in Faith

  "12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear｡ｪnot by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned."

  These words are very similar to the words that Jesus used in Matthew 5:33-37. 33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34 But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."

  That James says, "above all" would indicate that the readers indeed had a problem making promises lightly.Were the readers using oaths to give legitimacy to their incorrect ideas and teachings?James tells them that their teachings should be truthful enough to be able to stand on their own without any oaths.Our words should leave no room for doubt.They should be clear, confident and trustworthy.Ideas that are mistaken or false will be revealed by God as being nothing but worthless straw.

   "13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise."

  James uses a question and answer format here.If anyone is suffering, they not look for an easy escape, but should plan to go through it as part of God's plan for them, and should pray for God's will and strength.This is vital, and should never be forgotten.But what if the suffering is so great that we don｡ｯt even know how or what to pray for?

  Romans 8:26-28 gives the following answer.26 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

  Even in the times of deepest suffering God has prepared a way for us.The Holy Spirit intercedes for us and prays in our place according to God｡ｯs will.(Here I am adding to the sermon a bit - genko ni nai koto iresashite itadakimasu.) He is able to see the entire situation:the past which caused the suffering, the present total picture which we in our limited vision cannot see, and the future final result.He knows that we may be asking for what are really stones, and tells God to give us diamonds.He knows what we would really ask for if we could see the entire picture, and gives us that instead.We can rejoice in what the Holy Spirit prays through the work of Jesus Christ the Son when standing between us and God the Father.It is a mind boggling thought that the entire Trinity is involved in hearing and answering our prayers!

  If anyone is happy, let them sing praises accompanied by lutes, guitars, whatever!Just sing and don｡ｯt worry about what anyone else thinks but God.

  James continues:14 "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

  James does not mean that we should not go do a doctor when ill.He means that the medicine is a plus to be added to prayers.It is a comfort to know that we have that vehicle for healing.The oil referred to is probably olive oil, which has no magical power in itself, but may be a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

  One could begin a discussion about the relationship between sin and illness.There are some illness that are clearly the result of sin, but it is not always so.Some illnesses have nothing to do with any sin committed.But the main point here is forgiveness, and if sin did indeed cause the illness, it will be forgiven if confessed.When men made righteous through the work of Christ on the cross pray for each other, the Holy Spirit works and sins are forgiven.

  17 "Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops."

  We can read many stories about the powerful prayers of the prophet Elijah in the Old Testament.He was a mere man, as were all of the people in the Bible, and we are called to trust God just as much, and to pray prayers that are just as powerful and effective.

  Isaiah 59:1-2 says this: 1 "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.  2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."

  Praise God that through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross that we are freed from these words!

  2006/7/30  James 5:19-20  "Bring Them Back"

  This is the last sermon from the book of James and the text consists of two verses.

   

  19｡ﾉMy brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20｡｡remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins."

   

  What does James mean here by "if anyone should wander from the truth?" One way to interpret this would be the case of one who had become a Christian and left the church and its teachings.  But, in light of the entire context of James, it would seem that we have a different case here.  The Christians were not following the moral teachings of the church, but they had not left, they were still sitting there!

   

  Let's reexamine the context.  First, they said that they were Christians, but were not acting like it.  Second, they were wealthy and enjoyed status.  They were probably proudly equating their financial successes with their moral state.  It is likely that they were criticizing and judging the less wealthy members of the church.  James addressed this problem in James 3, advising them to tame their tongues.  Third, they were most likely bragging about the perfection that they had attained in their faith and their freedom from the law.  James refutes the nature of their faith, their actions and their attitudes all throughout his letter, and urges them to consider their true state which is far from the perfection that they claim to have.

   

  But James' purpose here is not to condemn his readers or cut them off from the faith, but rather to bring them back to where they should be.  Depending on how far they had fallen, it could mean pulling them back from the brink of death itself.  Throughout his letter, James clearly states that he does not wish to see any of them on the path to destruction.  This merciful approach to sinners is a surprising one.

   

  What can the church learn from this.  When thinking about spreading the gospel, it might be better to think of pulling each precious soul back to God one at a time.  The words of James seem to match up with the words of Jesus in Matthew 18:12-17.

   

  12"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

   15"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. "

   

  The words to be used in correcting one gone astray are not specifically mentioned, but the aim is clearly to bring the wandering one back, not to drive him out.  First, we are to go talk to him privately, one to one.  If this is not successful, we are to speak to him in private again, taking two or three others along.  If this is not successful, then the problem must be made public to the church.  It is understandable that some might think that a problem should be exposed at once, but this is not what Jesus taught.  Keeping a problem totally hidden is the other extreme, also not desirable.  Jesus' approach is one of love and consideration for the sinner.

   

  What if, however, the sinner in the church chooses to continue in his sin after the three steps have been taken?  Jesus says that we are to "treat him as a pagan or a tax collector."  What is meant by this?  It does not mean to cut him off.  Pagans and tax collectors (Tax collectors were Jews who worked to collect taxes for the Roman Government, and were considered traitors.  Matthew used to be one!)  are those who stood at the start line for learning about the kingdom of God.  They were the ones that needed to be taught the most.

   

  Sinners in the church, then, are not to be cut off, but rather put back at the starting line to get back in the race!  We are never to take that chance away from anyone, leaving a place open at the start line for them even up until the last second of their life.  James' message for the wandering ones is that they should not be cut off, but warned and brought back.

   

  What is the message for us?  Each and every Christian in the church is precious and eternally valuable to God.  Look at Jesus words from Matthew 18 again.  Let us pray that we may truly become a church that seeks to imitate Christ's heart toward the wandering ones.

   

  • 20:42
  • 2 Comments