Sermons Christ Community Church: Daytona Beach, FL

The word “incarnation” is a big word. It describes a big idea with big implications for all of our lives. One thing to notice in this passage from Philippians is that it doesn't just bring the incarnation up just as an idea to discuss but as something that happened in history which can change the way we live our lives today. We have to recognize in these words a healing truth being offered to us. Namely, that the Incarnation means that God is not a grasping God but a giving God.

J.I Packer writes, “The opposite of wisdom is folly, meaning the short-term self-indulgence which marks out the person who doesn’t think about long-term priorities and goals but lives on a day-to-day basis, asking, “What is the most fun thing to do now?” God wants us to know how to have heavenly wisdom so that we can live productive lives while advancing His Kingdom.

In the Bible words existed before the world began. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit spoke and communicated and created the world by their words. The first sin enters the world through words that are spoken and words that are doubted. When sin does enter the world, words are for the first time used to express fear, shame and blame. And yet it is also through words that God gives the first promises of grace and redemption and keeps bringing light and truth into the world's darkness. Words are important.

An honest person will admit that every religion or set of beliefs has its hypocrites. The interesting thing is the Bible itself, the heart of Christian teaching, has always acknowledged the problem of hypocrisy and inconsistency in the church. But the answer, according to the Bible, is not less Christianity but deeper Christianity, authentic Christianity. When Martin Luther King Jr. confronted the hypocrisy of racism in the church he didn't call for less Christianity but a more authentic, truer, deeper Christianity. That's the same thing we see in the book of James.

This passage has something to say to all of us about what it means to have a faith that is real and alive.

The book of James is about living your faith. It starts out telling us we have to live our faith in a world of conflict. It talks about the tests of faith and the temptations of life. It says you have to persevere when tested and tempted and not say that it is God tempting you. God is the Father of light and every good gift comes from him and he has given us birth through the word of truth. So be quick to listen and slow to anger because: In the struggles of life you will be tempted to get angry and to close off your heart, to talk at God and about God but what you need to do is listen to God. Ask God for wisdom and don't be double-minded. Listen to God and don't be angry. The only thing that can save you in the struggles of life is to listen to God.

Don't Be Deceived

James 1:12-18 (New International Version)

12Blessed 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.

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

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

The book of James is about living your faith in daily life so that you are actually growing spiritually as a disciple of Jesus. We come across this focus in verse 4 of chapter 1 which says, Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James shows us the ways in which we are not mature, we are not complete, we are lacking and we need to grow. He gives the challenge, motivation and empowerment for growth.

Here in Matthew 13, Jesus is teaching us that God’s Kingdom would begin as something very small, very insignificant, something that would largely be overlooked by the 1st century world. Now, we can clearly see that God’s Kingdom is growing everywhere, and we know God’s power is behind this growth, however we can’t forget that… God has chosen us to bring about his kingdom.

Whether it's globally or personally, sometimes the world seems unpredictable, out of control, crazy. Where do we find the strength we need at times like that? It might be helpful to look at Psalm 46.

Sometimes in life you just don't know what to do. There is something inside all of us that knows that we aren't going to get a crystal ball that warns us of every possible misstep in life. And we can't "map quest” our lives so that we print out driving directions to happy town. But what can we do when we don't know what to do? Psalm 1 is a great place to begin to get an answer to that question.