31st October 2024

31st October 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (James 3v14-16)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


If it is true that good works give evidence to the reality of a person’s faith, then it is also true that wickedness marks the individual whose faith is false. Imagine the make believe church of 3rd Ballygobackwards. No one there really wants to deal with the problem but everyone agrees that Sam’s attitude towards Bob is not right. What is Sam’s problem? The root issue is that Sam believes he should have been elected as an elder. Sam is filled with jealousy which shows itself in bitterness to new elder Bob.


3rd Ballygobackwards has other problems too. Joan is so confident in her own ability that she volunteers for every position going. Isn’t this a good thing? Sometimes, but in Joan’s case it isn’t about Christ but letting the world see her own greatness. Joan is filled with selfish ambition which is not for the good of the Gospel or the church. Finally, there is Tommy. The running joke in 3rd Ballygobackwards is that if you want to know how great Tommy is you just have to ask him. Tommy thinks he is pretty special and loves nothing more than to tell anyone who will listen about his accomplishments.


There is no such place as 3rd Ballygobackwards and Sam, Joan and Tommy are figments of my imagination but maybe, just maybe you have met similar individuals. James says jealousy, selfish ambition and boasting does not come from God but is earthly, unspiritual and demonic (v14-15). Wow! James just stated that boasting bears Satan’s fingerprints. Is that too harsh? By no means! The church that happily tolerates jealousy and selfish ambition will soon see disorder and every vile practice (v16) - the door is left open to the enemy.


Let me give you another example to prove this point. From now to Christmas, if you left every door of your house open, you would start the new year with some potentially serious issues. Admittedly your house would still be standing but it would certainly be a colder, damper and less secure place. Indeed, if left long enough, your home would fall into the ground. In the same manner, the church that opens its door to “earthly, unspiritual, demonic” behaviour might stand for a while but it will surely fall.


What is to be done? Leave no room for rotten attributes to fester in your fellowship. Challenge the jealous brother. Speak to your sister’s selfish ambition. Address the boasting that flows from your friend. But guard your own heart too. The easiest thing in the world is to say “I have none of these issues. If only people could be more like me.” Brothers and sisters, be careful lest you too fall into the wisdom of this world. Hear the voice of Paul “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2v3-8)


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q23 What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer? Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation.
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