This week we continued along the through James. It has been an enlightening and challenging ride thus far. This week we heard some strong words and a challenge to change how we live. A challenge to live more humbly and trust in the Lord. Follow link to download the audio or read below.“A Faith Filled Faith”
Brimfield Faith UMC / August 15, 2010 / James 4:13-17
Brimfield Faith UMC / August 15, 2010 / James 4:13-17
INTRO - MISQUOTES
Bible quiz: Tell me where these verses are found in the Bible.
“God helps those who help themselves.”
“All things happen for a reason.”
“Moderation in all things” (Aristotle).
“To thine own self be true.” (Shakespeare, Hamlet).
“Money is the root of all evil.”
“Cleanliness is next to godliness.” – John Wesley
Most of these statemtents, while not in Scripture have a Scriptural basis. But, let’s come back to that statement, “God helps those who help themselves.” Is this statement Biblical? Possibly, possibly not. If we apply it to the message of salvation it certainly contradicts Scripture. In Romans 5:6 we read, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” We understand that God saves us in our brokenness and that there is nothing we can do apart from him. On the other hand, God does want us to partner with him on the earth. He calls us in 1 Corinthians to be the body of Christ. In a real sense, when we act, go will act on our behalf. In that way, the saying is biblical.
PRACTICAL ATHEISM
If we look beyond the saying to that author who penned it, we may gain further insight. The original source is most likely Algeron Sydney in Discourses Concerning Government, but the saying is generally attributed to Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac. Benjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers of our nation and a great man in many ways, but he was not a biblical Christian. In fact, Franklin was a self-professed deist. He believed in God, but he believed in a God that acted like the clockmaker. That is a God who created the world and then stepped back from it. This is why Franklin most likely embraced the statement, “God helps those who help themselves.” Franklin did not believe in a God that was active in the world.
While many of us theologically know this to be incongruent with the Bible, many people actually order and live their lives as if it were true. We may confess that God is active in the world, but our lives don’t match that reality. We live as practical atheists. We believe in the power of prayer but rarely ask God for help. We believe in miracles but don’t look for them. We know God loves us but we don’t live that way. We may say we believe in a loving active God, but we live as if there is no God. We are not the first group of people to ever live this way.
BOASTING
In fact, this section of James is effectively speaking to people in antiquity who lived as practical atheists. They may have professed to be God-fearing people, but they lived as people who relied on their own means. In verses 13 and 14 he says, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” He accuses the people of giving themselves credit for their own success. They believe it is their business savvy and acumen that has led them to their prosperity and security in the world. James thinks these people are fools. He says, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Boasting in one’s own abilities is a serious offense, especially against a person professing faith in God. . The Scriptures are replete with examples condemning those who boast. James and Paul do. The
Proverbs 27:1 says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” And Proverb 28:26 expands on it: “He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.”
Boasting is considered the antithesis of faith. Boasting is pride in action. It keeps us far from God. In the verses previously in James, we learn that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. By boasting, we are creating a serious separation from the One who loves us.
Jesus tells the Parable of the rich farmer: Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” 16 Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”
The boastful person thinks there is security in our possessions and salvation in our stuff. While we may be able to convince ourselves of temporarily, eventually we will be forced to face the reality of life and death. I am reminded of this reality on a regular basis when I have the privilege to officiate a funeral. I typically read verses from Isaiah for which remind us that we are like the flowers of the field that wither away. In this passage, James likens humans to the morning fog. We can attempt to ignore this reality or we can embrace it by living a life rooted in God.
HUMILITY
James warns against our boasting and calls us to humility. James calls us to stop living like atheists and place our trust in God. He suggests that we approach life with the sentiment found in verse 15, “Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” Last week, we defined humility defined as complete reliance upon God. Part of humility is to recognizing our human frailty. It is to acknowledge where our provision comes from. It is to realize that all of life is a gift from God that can be taken away in a moment. The challenge of life is to build constant reminders into our daily lives.
#1. Start in the arms of God and stay in the arms of God.
Last week, I suggested starting each day in the arms of God. One easy way to do this, is to begin the day with a simply prayer of yielding to God. “Lord, I give you this day. Guide me and direct in it.” To start the day in this way, will increase the likelihood of continuing the day like this and ending the day in God’s presence. Periodic simple prayers of yielding will help us to live out of humility and into God’s presence.
#2. Submit your plans before godly counsel.
The second practice of humility comes to when we make our plans. In Proverbs 3:5-6 it says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Applied in the wrong way, trusting in the Lord can become a super spiritual activity. While there is great value in listening to the Spirit speak to your heart, there is equal value in listen to the Lord through trusted advisors. Proverbs 15:22 offers this insight: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”
I have shared before that when I entered ministry I sought the wisdom and counsel from trusted pastors and Christians in my life. To this day, there are certain people I seek out before making any significant life decision whether it is my personal life or for the life of the church. As a young pastor only a few years out of seminary, there is the temptation to think I know it all. Allowing wise counsel speak into my life, has prevented me from making many mistakes. (Not all of them!) If nothing else, it reminds me that I should not boast in my own efforts. I can acknowledge that God is working through me but I should never believe the press which says, I am working in my own strength.
DIG Small Groups are intended to serve as wise counsel and reminders for our lives.
#3. Practice generous giving.
In the parable of the rich farmer, the farmer failed to recognize that the Lord has blessed him with abundance. He thought he has produced the abundance through proper farming techniques and shrewd decisions. As a result, he missed that the Lord had blessed him to be able to bless others. If you find yourself with an abundance of possessions, it is not simply so that you can relax, eat, drink and enjoy life. As a Christian you have been blessed to be a blessing.
The Lord calls us to give him a tithe, 10% of our incomes, our first fruits back to him to remind us that everything we have is from him. Jesus says, in Luke 12:15, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” The spiritual practice of tithing is not for God or even for the church. It is for us as believers. Each time we place money in the offering plate, it reminds us to trust our lives and plans in the hands of God. We may think 10% is too much and the reality is that for many us of it is too little. Giving 10% or more may require us to adjust our lifestyles and that is the point. There is truly no better way to daily be reminded that God is in control than to give back of our resources.
In the Beacon Journal Sports page this week, there was an article about one of the Cleveland Browns players. Over the winter, he threatened to hold out over his contract. He thought he deserved more money. Then, he was invited by one of his teammates to go on a mission trip to Africa to help the needy there. After seeing children push wheel barrows full of bricks and watching women walk several miles for water, he realized that he had missed the point. He had taken for granted things that he shouldn’t have taken for granted. He had become like the those James’ was addressing in his letter. He was boasting in his own talents. As a result of the mission trip, he realized that he was worried about the same things in life. No one here may make as much as a professional football player, but we all need the occasional wake up call. We need to stop boasting in our own talents, and we need to start trusting in the Lord.
CONCLUSION
God may or may not help those who help themselves. I can tell you that God will not help those who boast in their own efforts. God will always oppose the proud but he will always give grace to the humble. James begs us to put our faith into action and stop living like atheists. We have a generous, loving God who wants to guide us through life and bless us richly. When we adjust our attitudes, our decisions, and our lifestyles, we will discover the true abundance of life. We can walk into the future with faith and trust in the Lord. Let’s pray.
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