Introduction to James

On Sunday, October 6th, we began our walk through the Epistle of James.  This is a very practical and in-your-face letter to the early church.  When we consider possible authors there are three poSeries on James Fall 2019 1 (2)ssible men named James in the New Testament.  There is James, the son of Zebedee and the brother of the Apostle John. He was one of the earliest Christian martyrs (Acts 12). His early martyrdom removes him as an option as an author.  There is James, the son of Alphaeus. He is the least well-know of the men named James. It would be highly improbable that this James could simply state his name and people would know who he was. This leaves the best and most practical answer.  The author of James is none other than Jesus’ half-brother the son of Mary and Joseph. 

During Jesus’ lifetime, James was not a believer. The Gospel of John reads, “Even His brothers did not believe” (7:5).  However, it seems as if a visit from the resurrected Jesus completely changed James’ life (1 Corinthians 15:7). In fact, the Apostle Paul called Peters, John and James “pillars” of the church (Galatians 2:9).   Throughout the Book of Acts, we see James acting as an elder of the church and a primary leader of the Jerusalem church. During the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, we see James speaking as one in authority for the church. Certainly, he was a pillar of the church. 

James must have been a very interesting person.  In some ways, he reminds me of John the Baptist. One of our early Church Fathers, Eusebius writes this about James: “James, the brother of our Lord, who, as there were many of this name, was surnamed the Just by all from the days of our Lord until now, received the government of the church with the apostles. He drank neither wine nor strong drink and abstained from animal food.  A razor never came upon his head; he never anointed himself with oil and never used a bath. He never wore woolen but only fine garments. He was in the habit of entering into the temple alone and was often found upon his bended knees asking for the forgiveness of the people. So that his knees became hard like a camel’s knees” [1] James was martyred in AD 62.  

The Epistle of James is an extremely powerful and vivid portrayal of a Christian’s duty to live an active life of faith. James will teach us about suffering, character, the power of our words, overcoming sin, and wisdom to name a few.  As you read James, you will begin to see practical ways to live a holy life in front of your family and friends in order to make much of Jesus and to be salt and light in a very dark and gloomy world. He will use vivid illustrations and powerful commands.  The letter has 108 verses and within those verses, James writes 50 imperatives. 

The letter of James also comes under scrutiny.  As you read this letter, the name Jesus and Christ are rarely if ever used.  There is no mention of the resurrection and nothing on our tenet of salvation through faith alone in Jesus Christ.  In fact, the great Reformer, Martin Luther did not believe James should be considered a part of the cannon of the New Testament.  Luther called James, “an epistle of straw.” I for one, enjoy this book so much. It is both a challenging book and an absolutely beautiful treatise on faith and the importance of loving your neighbor as yourself.

Enjoy this journey through James. I’ve called this series, “Be About It.”  Stated simply, let’s stop talking about faith and let’s be about it. This week we will look at the importance of overcoming sin in your life.  Join us as we observe the Lord’s Supper and learn how to be an overcomer.

 

 

[1] “Explore the Book Volume 6” J.Sidlow Baxter 

Lesson From a Three-Year-Old

Brennan and FamMy wife, Heidi, and I have enjoyed this season of life as much as any we have lived.  The empty-nest years are not bad at all, especially when your granddaughter comes to town.  Last weekend, our oldest son and his family visited our home. We love it when they come and when they bring our granddaughter, Kennady, it’s even more special.  We decided to take the family fishing to a family friends’ pond. We had such a great time but also witnessed the worst case of fishing we have ever seen.

We baited Kennady’s hook with a juicy and luscious worm.  She was a little disgusted as I pulled the worm up out of the dirt it came in. She closed her eyes as I carefully ran the hook through the slimy body of the worm.  Once it was securely attached to the hook, Kennady opened her eyes and screamed with excitement. “Throw it in the water, Pops,” she said. I took her “Snoopy-Type” little pole and tossed her line gently out into the water.  I gave her the pole, and she began to violently raise her pole up and down. The bobber would come flying up out of the water each time with only the worm in the water. “Kennady,” I tenderly said. “you can’t keep bringing your line out of the water.  Let Pops put it back in the water. Now be patient. Let it sit there and watch.” I think she would have rather watch paint dry than to see if the bobber would sink. Once again, she grabbed her pole and began to raise it up and down like a seasoned fly fisher.  She was officially the worst fisherman I had ever seen. There was zero chance she would catch a fish; until she did. In fact, with the worst technique I had ever seen, our dear Kennady caught three fish. I think it may have been a miracle of God, but it was three fish, nonetheless. She was so bad, her initial response when the bobber sank, was to drop her pole on the ground.

I’ve thought about Kennady’s fishing exploits and quickly realized that there are some good lessons for you and me on evangelism.

  1.       You can’t catch fish if you never go fishing.  She may be the worst fisherman in the world, but you know what, she caught three fish on Saturday. How many fish did you catch this week? 
  2.       Even bad fishermen will catch fish every now and then.  If a bad fisherman will cast a line enough, or fish in a well-stocked private pond, even they will catch fish every now and then.
  3.       Catching fish is sure fun.  It’s hard to explain the joy Kennady had on Saturday.  She smiled, laughed, giggled, and slept very well on her way home to Topeka.  It was a very good day.

God has given the task of catching people (Luke 5:10) to you and me.  Often, we feel veryLuke 10 b inadequate for this task. My challenge to you, throw your line in the water.  You will never lead someone to Christ if you never try. With the help of the Holy Spirit, you will be able to see the transformation occur before your eyes.  Leading someone to Christ is fun! Most of us never get to enjoy the thrill of leading someone to the Lord because we never throw our line into the lake. God has stocked our “pond” with a lot of people. Go fish!

We have encouraged our church to participate in “Who’s Your One?” campaign of the North American Mission Board. This Saturday, September 21, we are going to have specialized training to help you build bridges to reach your “one” with the gospel.  Make plans today to join us Saturday at 8:30 am. Also, on Sunday, Chicken Missionary, Jim Adkins will be with us to preach a very evangelistic message. It would be the perfect time to invite your “one.” Get to fishing. You’ll never catch a fish if you never fish and you will never have the joy of leading someone to faith in you never throw your line in the water.