CrossLife Church

One thing that we can all agree on is that conflict and disorder seem to be everywhere. There is a sense of anger that has infiltrated every aspect of society. There are certainly people who have legitimate grievances fueling their frustration, and yet far too many people have simply joined in the momentum of unfiltered emotions and rage. 
We are in desperate need for people who have the discernment and understanding to discern the source and possible solutions to bring healing and hope in our world today. We need followers of Jesus who can discern between true spiritual wisdom and false wisdom, which is worldly and even demonic. 
In the first century, James wrote to believers living in similar times. They were experiencing conflict, unrest, and disorder from their government, churches, and in their everyday lives. In James 3:13-18, he gives the critical tools to discern between true wisdom and false wisdom.
How do you discern the between godly wisdom and worldly wisdom in your life, family, church, and world? How certain are you that the "thinking" behind your decisions and responses are from above and not sowing seeds of disorder and sin in your life, family, leadership, or community?

One of the greatest failures of the modern-day world of self-help, positive thinking, therapy, pop-psychology is the problem of misplaced blame. We can all point to harmful words, actions, and attitudes that have deeply wounded us. Most people have little difficulty finding people to blame for their hurts or sense of misfortune. Few people ever consider their own pattern or potential for harming others.

There are certainly injustices and wrongs inflicted or endured by all people, but this is only part of the problem. There is a greater evil we are all complicit in--one way or another. This evil is the result of our own words. There are definitely words we all wish we could have back; there are even words we wish we would have spoken. There are also words that have caused damage to an extent we likely do not even realize.

In the letter of James (3:1-12), we find a warning about the potential for cataclysmic destruction that can be sparked from an unbridled tongue. Loose lips really can sink ships.

The societal forces are very good at pointing out areas of injustice but not very good at dealing with them. The trend of our day is to speak out against forms of language or actions that cause harm to certain groups. If a "harm" is caused by certain groups, then the individual, business, institution, or group will be given a swift penalty brought about by social media activists. This form of emotionally-fueled mob justice has been dubbed the "cancel culture."

"The anger of man does not produce (or bring about) the righteousness of God." James 1:20

No matter how justified a person may feel in his or her anger, only God can bring about true justice and righteousness without sinning. This is why we are warned to "be angry but do not sin (Eph 4:26)."

Is there a better way? How should Christians handle themselves in these serious, but emotionally charged times? How can Christians speak out against injustice, and stand up for the needy without getting swept away with the "cancel culture?"

In this message, we will look at some timeless wisdom from James 1:22-27.

Are you mad? Well, you probably should be. Everyone seems to be mad about something. Are all anger, outrage, and indignation equal or justified?

Our nation has continued to have a growing political divide over the last decade. Over the past months, we have had the fears and frustrations brought on by the current coronavirus pandemic as any sense of normalcy has been disrupted. And, now we have the added moral outrage sparked by the horrific viral video of the arrest of George Floyd-- an arrest that turned deadly. We have gone from a national pandemic and "safe at home" orders to national rallies and riots against police brutality and racism.

How are we to react to this age of rage? Are there any insights or directions we can gain from the Bible, 2,000 years removed from our current events?

In the first century, we find a minority living in scattered communities throughout the Roman Empire, rampant with racism and brutality towards those they oppressed. James writes (1:19-27) to give the scattered and oppressed believers some imperatives on how to conduct themselves. In these verses, we can find some timely instruction for a cure for the age of rage.

Have you ever been seasick? If you have been car sick before, you know it's not fun, but seasickness is on a whole nother level. When one is car sick they can usually make some adjustments. You can turn the air up, move to the front of the car, or stare out the front window, focusing on the road ahead. When you are on a boat, rolling up and down the waves, there is nowhere to escape? When you are seasick all you can do is pray for God to mercifully bring you home, as you hang over the side of the boat while "feeding the fish."

This is one of the images given in the letter of James, to describe what it is like to be in the midst of uncertain times. James 1:6 says an uncertain person is like, "a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind."

How are we to deal with uncertain times? Is there a cure for uncertainty? According to the letter of James 1:5-11, there is a way to embrace trials and navigate through the waves of uncertainty.

Pressure can do many things. Pressure can turn coal into a diamond, but it can also blow a gasket and explode a space shuttle-like the Challenger. Pressure can shape, expose, and reveal what something or someone is really made of.

There was an ancient letter written to early Jesus followers, scattered around the Roman Empire, known as the diaspora. These people who were addressed in this letter were isolated and struggling to handle the challenges of their day. As the pressure increased, it also revealed. God led James as he wrote this letter full of timeless wisdom and truth to encourage God's people as they navigated the challenges of their day.

Everyone desires a better world. Politicians make promises that they will solve all problems if you vote for them, educators teach with the belief that they can contribute to making the world a better place, and technology claims that progress is being made through the latest inventions. However, achieving a better world seems more elusive than ever.

Ancient philosophers and theologians once described "the better world" as "what ought to be." The Hebrew people referred to it as the "world that will be," and by the first century, it was known as the Kingdom of God.

In Luke 17:20-37, the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When would the Kingdom of God come?" Jesus's reply was shocking. He stated that the Kingdom of God would not come in the manner or location the Pharisees expected. Instead, Jesus asserted that the Kingdom of God was already in their midst. He then proceeded to engage his disciples in discussions about the present and future aspects of the Kingdom of God. Jesus explained that he would first suffer and then return "as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other" (Luke 17:24).

Every follower of Jesus should prioritize seeking the Kingdom of God in the present and be prepared for the King's return. But what exactly is the Kingdom, and when will Jesus return to establish the world as it ought to be?