Intro

Sometimes life can be extremely busy, it is interesting how filled our lives can be

without making room to be filled by the Holy Spirit.

1. The Holy Spirit points to Jesus

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he

will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

”

2. Submit Daily to His Leading.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit means we daily submit to His leading and we draw on

His power. It is a constant filling. Acts 2:1, Acts 4:31, Acts 19:17

3. Illustration - Overflow

We fill our lives with all kinds of things, but we need to be living in constant overflow of

the Holy Spirit. Constantly being filled with the Spirit.

Intro

Last messages – coming back to the heart and vision of the church.

Mark 1:17. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said …

1. REPENT (small finger)

Matthew 7:14. But small is the gate and narrow the road

that leads to life, and only a few find it.

2. REMAIN (ring finger)

John 15:4. Remain in me, as I also remain in you.

John 17:3. Now this is eternal life: that they know you …

3. LEARN (middle finger)

Matthew 11:29. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me …

Matthew 28:19. Go and made disciples … baptising them.

4. FOLLOW (pointer finger)

John 8:12. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness …

John 12:26. Whoever serves me must follow me …

5. SUBMIT (thumb)

Mark 8:27-29. “Who do people say I am?” “But what about you?” he asked.

“Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

Mark 8:34-36. Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and

take up their cross and follow me.

Intro

Prayer should be our first and focussed response.

James 5:13. Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.

1. We pray in all circumstances of life (v13)

Galatians 5:19-20. speaking to one another with … songs from the Spirit.

Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks …

Colossians 3:16. singing to God with gratitude in your hearts…

2. We pray and act for healing and forgiveness (v14-16a)

1 Corinthians 11:30. That is why many among you are weak and sick …

Mark 2:1-12. v5. “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Matthew 5:24. First go and be reconciled … then come and offer your gift.

1 John 1. v7. But if we walk in the light … we have fellowship …

3. We pray righteously and effectively (v16b)

Pray –petition. Powerful – strong. Effective – energy. Key - Righteous.

4. We pray humanly and earnestly (v17-18)

Human Being – homeopathos – feelings, passions, weakness.

Earnestly – he prayed with prayer (desired with desire)

Not superhuman but supernatural results!

5. We pray and act to bring strays back (v19-20)

Is prayer your first and focussed response? God can move!

Intro

If we have pressure and tension, and then get poked ...

James 5:7. Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming.

1. WAITING – is good (v7-8)

Patient. macro / anger or burn – having a long fuse.

Lord’s coming. Parousia – presence or arrival of the King.

Stand Firm. Establish your hearts. Galatians 5:22. the fruit of the Spirit ...

1 Peter 4:7-8. The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert …

2. GRUMBLING – is bad (v9)

James 4:11. do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against …

Grumble. Murmur or groan.

Judged / The Judge. Exodus – God loses patience with grumbling.

3. PERSEVERING – is good (v10-11)

Count as Blessed. Beatitudes. Matthew 5:10-11.

Persevered. Stay under – keeping our faith.

Job. Kept his faith. Job 1:21; 2:10; 13:15.

Lord finally brought about. Telos – complete, fulfilled.

Romans 8:18. 2 Corinthians 4:17. Psalm 103:8.

4. SWEARING – is bad (v12)

Matthew 5:34-37. But I tell you, do not swear an oath …

How you going? Called wait on God’s glorious purpose. Psalm 34:1-9.

Intro

Two ways to assemble a wardrobe from Ikea: Submit to the instructions or resist them! How do we relate to the will of God in our life?

Marks of a True Follower of Jesus

Walk in the light, confess our sins, keep God’s commandments, Love one another, do not love the world (1 John 1 & 2)

Do the will of the Father (1 John 2:17).

For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35)

Life Over God: The Proud James 4:13

Pay attention & listen up! Beware of excessive self-esteem and excessive self-confidence that says I will do it my way!

Life Over God: The Ignorant James 4:14

You don’t know what you don’t know! Proverbs 27:1

Life With God: James 4:15

Humbly makes room for God’s will to be made known

Boasting & Wickedness: James 4:16,17

Comfortable in boasting about all we do and plan to do.

To do good, or the knowledge of good, is to do God’s will. To obey. If we did not do what we knew we should do, then most likely we did what we knew we should not have done!

Intro

Matthew 4:18-19. Others, like seed sown among thorns … the desires for

others things come in and choke the word.

Desires choke the word but they also choke ourselves and others.

1. Problem of Desires (v1-3)

Anger and Murder – Matthew 5:21-22.

Do not Covet – the final commandment – Exodus 20:17.

Ask in prayer, according to God’s will – 1 John 5:14-15.

2. Problem of World (v4-5)

No one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).

3. Pivot Verse (v6)

But where sin increased, grace increased all the more (Romans 5:20)

4. Practise Humility (v7-10)

Return to me and I will return to you (Malachi 3:8)

Blessed are those who mourn (Matthew 5:4)

5. Practise not Slander (v11-12)

The Royal Law of Love.

May God save us and not destroy us – as we humbly seek His grace

to be peacemakers (savers) not fighters (destroyers).

Intro

In this passage James paints a contrasting picture between two types of Wisdom, like that of Solomons writings in Proverbs 9. He puts true Wisdom to the test.

v13. Who is Wise and Understanding Among You?

If we claim to be wise, then our character reflects good conduct and there is a gentleness and meekness that goes with it.

v14-16. Characteristic’s of the Unwise

1. Boast: Arrogance or to have superiority over.

2. False to the truth: The unwise have a forever changing truth.

3. Earthly: It is obsessed with worldly success.

4. Unspiritual: Translated soulless, wisdom from oneself.

5. Demonic: Wisdom that is so contrary to God that the Devil endorses it.

v16. Results of the Unwise

James 3:16 “for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and

every vile practice.”

v17-18. Characteristics of Wisdom from Above

1. Pure: Matthew 5:8

2. Peaceable: Matthew 5:9

3. Gentle: Matthew 5:39-40

4. Open to reason: Genesis 13:8-9

5. Mercy: Matthew 5:7

6 Good Fruits: James 2:15-16

7 Impartial: James 1:8

8 Sincere: Romans 12:9

v18. The Polar Opposite of v16.

What portrait of wisdom do you relate to most? Ask God for Wisdom James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach,

and it will be given him.”

Intro

James 1:26. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a

tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

James 3:1. Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers,

because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

DIRECTS (v2-4)

DESTROYS (v5-6)

Proverbs 16:27. A scoundrel plots evil,

and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.

DEFIES (v7-8)

Matthew 19:26. With man this is impossible, but with God all things are

possible.

Romans 3:13-14. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice

deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing

and bitterness.

DIVIDES (v9-12)

Luke 6:45: A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his

heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his

heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Finally

Matthew 12:36-37. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on

the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your

words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.

Intro

James 2:14. What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims

to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?

v15-17. Helping people is good – it accompanies our faith.

1 John 3:17. If anyone has material possessions and sees

a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can

the love of God be in that person?

v18-19. Having deeds is good – it shows our faith.

Deuteronomy 6:4. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Mark 1:24. What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God.

V20-24. Obeying God is good – it completes our faith.

Hebrews 11:17-19. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac

as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice

his one and only son …

v25-26. Trusting God is good – it enlivens our faith

Joshua 2:11. for the Lord your God is in heaven above

and on the earth below.

Hebrews 11:31. By faith, the prostitute Rahab, because she

welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

Faith needs to go to work – be doers of the Word!

Intro

What is my relation towards The Word? Admirer? Reader? Listener? Doer?

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, (v22)

vv.21-25. Be doers of the word

A healthy person looks in the mirror to do something, not just to admire the

image. A healthy Christian looks into God’s Word to do something about it,

not just to store up facts that he will not put to use.

When we look into God’s Law of liberty - the freedom to do as we choose

but within God’s loving boundaries, we are blessed.

God’s Word is a mirror that reflects back to us how we must change in our

life, our mindset, our values and behaviors

Shema - hearing & obeying. Two sides of the same coin. Deut. 6:4,5

Listen and Apply the teachings of Jesus. Matt. 7:24-27

vv.19,21,26. Be slow to speak, slow to anger, quick to listen

The principle of reaping & sowing applies to our words

We need to feast on God’s Word to speak like God’s Word

Prov. 15:1,2; Eph. 4:29; Col.4:6

v27a. Have a regard for the most vulnerable among you

The orphan & widow represents societies most vulnerable.

Isaiah 55:6,7; Prov. 3:27,28

v27b. Be unstained from the world

Refuse to compromise with the world’s systems. John 14:21.