TEXT: JAMES 1:1,6; 2:17,20,26; 5:15-16 James 1:1,6
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Ch 2:17,20, 26
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Ch 5:15-16
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
OPENING REMARK
God bless everyone in Jesus name. I welcome you to the first Bible Study of the new year and I pray that as we study together, the wonders of the Lord will never cease in our lives in Jesus name.
INTRODUCTION
Today, we are coming to a new book of the Bible – the epistle of James to the Church in general.
James 1:1. As we look at James, he calls himself the servant of God. Which James is this?
There are about six James in the New Testament, there was one who was always mentioned along with John, and they were both disciples and Apostles of the Lord when He was on earth. There was one of the Twelve who was killed in Acts chapter 12, and another one who was mentioned in the same chapter, James the brother of our Lord, born of the same mother.
Even though he was the brother of our Lord, he referred to himself as a servant of the Lord. When Christ was alive, His brethren (siblings) did not believe in Him until He died, rose, and appeared to them, that was when they knew that He was much more than their mother’s son, He was the very God Himself. In Acts chapter 1, they gathered with other disciples and believed that He is the Saviour of the world, and the very Son of God. He called Himself a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ having recognized that He was different from whom they were.
James was writing to the twelve tribes scattered abroad and everywhere according to what the Lord said – that the Jews would be scattered everywhere but be gathered together at the end of the world. The prophecy had been fulfilled and they have been scattered along with the Church as a result of the persecution of Saul who was breathing threatenings on them. They went everywhere, preaching the word. So, James wrote to them in all the places they were and also sent greetings to them.
What did he write about? Faith. This is why the topic we are looking at tonight is PRACTICAL FAITH FOR ALL-YEAR-ROUND FRUITFULNESS. For us to be fruitful, we must have faith in the Lord. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith, and fruitfulness in Christian life, service, and the work of our hands depends on Him.
ch 1:6. Everything we need from the Lord requires faith – salvation, sanctification, baptism of the Holy Ghost, wisdom to live a triumphant life, healing, fulfilment of the promises of God. Walking with God all the new year and the rest of the year round is by faith, just as Enoch did.
ch 2:17. Faith without works is dead. It must be practical and verifiable to be effective.
ch 2:20. Faith without works, actions, evidence, practical demonstration, and lifestyles that prove your belief in the Lord is dead.
vs 26. As the body without faith is dead, so faith without work is dead.
Ch 5:15. Everything we do to have the attention of heaven is by faith. Our prayer, work, life, confession, attitude must be by faith. Repentance, restitution, and our relationship with God. If we truly repent, God will forgive and pardon us, and the restitutions we do afterwards will show the genuineness of our faith.
vs 16. Confess your faults one to another and pray for one another for healing. The effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous man and woman avails much.
We are looking at three things in this study:
- THE SERVANT OF THE LORD JESUS (James 1:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:24-26)
James introduced himself as a servant of the Lord, this is how we should see and introduce ourselves. The word “servant” in the original Greek language referred to a slave, we should see ourselves as slaves of God and attach ourselves to Him. You must know that you have no independent way of thinking or doing anything, and nothing separates you from Him because you are His bond-slave.
2 Timothy 2:24-26. The servant was also referred to as slaves who are subjected to their master. You know a servant of God positively by what he does and negatively by what he does not do. Positively – the servant of God must serve and negatively – he must not strive. No excuse or occasion for him to strive, what is he striving for? He is doing the work of God and he must be gentle, patient and meek. He serves and submits to the Lord for the good of the people. The purpose of the servant serving and not striving, and bringing the love of God to the people is so that they will recover themselves from the snares of the devil.
- The Peculiar Servant of God (Nehemiah 10:29; Titus 1:1-3; Revelation 15:3-5)
Moses was referred to as a servant of God. The Lord called him and he answered and did everything as he was instructed on the mount. He obeyed God and ministered to the people in all instructions and words given to him. He brought food for them when they were hungry and water when they were thirsty. No servant of God has the right to change anything from whatever he was given.
Titus 1:1-2. Saul was a sinner saved by grace. From his salvation and onwards, Paul obeyed all that the Lord told him to do. He fasted and prayed three days and nights to hear from the Lord, this is what servants of God do, to wait on, and hear from Him. Paul took the gospel to the Gentiles as he was commanded. He did the will of God to the letter, and was not disobedient to the heavenly calling. Servants of God have hope in the Lord. They know that there is hope of eternal life and a future. They believe in all promises and support from God, they have confidence and hope in Him as regards eternal life which He promised them.
vs 3. Servants of God believe that preaching the word is mandatory and indispensable because through it, they prepare people for heaven, unlike some ministries where they put limitation on the word of God, and put utmost value on other activities. True servants of God know that necessity is laid on them as regards preaching the Word day and night, rainy and dry season, when it is convenient and when it is not. They have commitment to the commandments from the Lord which they carry out, they not only pay attention to aspects of the promise, provision or protection.
- This Particular Servant of God (James 1:1; Acts 12:11-17; Galatians 2:9-10)
God is a separate Entity, while Jesus is also a separate Entity, that was why James introduced himself as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Servants of God must observe all that God and our Lord Jesus said/say. They must be submissive to God as Creator of the heaven and earth and to Christ as Saviour and Redeemer.
Acts 12:11. Herod had laid hands on James, the brother of John and killed him. Seeing that this pleased the Jews, he planned to kill Peter next. He arrested and locked him up in prison but the Angel of the Lord came to free him, led him out of prison and disappeared. Then Peter realized what happened and went to the house of the mother of John-Mark where the brethren were praying. He knocked and when they saw him, they first exercised unbelief, then great joy but he told them not to make a noise. He recounted to them all that happened, after which he told them to go and relate everything to James, the brother of the Lord and other brethren. Then, James was a significant leader in the church at Jerusalem.
When Jesus was on earth, he didn’t believe on Him. At a point, he told Him to go and manifest His power in the open because anyone who has anything significant makes it known to the people.
Galatians 2:9. Have you considered the arrangement of the New Testament? After Hebrews, you have James, then 1st and 2nd Peter, then the three epistles of John the Beloved, and Revelation. James along with John and Peter became pillars in the church.
vs 10. They believe the gospel of Jesus and told Paul that there is no other name for the salvation of the unsaved than the name of Jesus. They also counseled him not to forget the poor, which was part of what Paul had been called to do.
- The Present Servants of God (Matthew 24:45-51; John 12:24-26; Philippians 2:3-7)
This refers to present day servants of God. We are to give the Word to the children of God, members of the Body of Christ in due season. Not just any kind of food, but balanced diets, not just healing, prosperity or motivational talks all the time. If you eat a type of food all the time, your development will not be full. In balanced foods of the Spirit is salvation, sanctification, healing, deliverance, Holy Spirit baptism, hope of heaven which are available to us every time we come to the presence of God. The servant who is committed to his service to God is blessed. There is no interruption in the service of God or feeding the people in a balanced way. It is continuous.
There are evil and good, faithful and unfaithful, sincere and non-sincere servants, but the real servant of God will serve in gentleness, and humility, he will not smite, criticize or slander his fellow servants. He will not give himself to worldliness, or be close to the worldly, sinful and drunken. He must not be taken up with his personal projects but duties committed to him by God. Punishment for evil works done by unfaithful servants are sure. The Lord shall cut them asunder and appoint them a portion among hypocrites. They shall be thrown where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Philippians 2:3-7. Nothing must be done through strife and vainglory, but a servant of God must esteem others better than himself. He must be lowly and meek in the way he interacts with others, he must not throw other servants of God away, but esteem them higher and better than himself. He must not see others as useless or dispensable, the mind of Christ must be in him at all times. As you serve, remember the model and example which Jesus laid down for all His servants.
- HIS SERVANTHOOD TO THE LORD, THE JUST (James 1:1; Romans 1:1)
Jesus Christ is referred to as the Just. James called himself a servant of the Lord, we must not be servants of God in words alone, but also in deeds. It is what we do, how we do it and the benefits in it for the Body of Christ which shows that we are real servants of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:1. Paul was formerly working against Christ because he saw it as a duty, but after his salvation experience, transformation came and he was no more sinning or working against the Lord, but became a servant called by Him.
- The Affirmed Semblance to the True Servant (Luke 22:27-30; 1 Peter 2:21-24; 1 John 2:6)
Jesus told His disciples, “I am among you as he that serveth”, not as he who is served.
Moses, Joshua, and David served in their generations but a new standard, level and ways of service have been set for all to follow by our Lord and Saviour. Ways which go beyond the ways of the prophets of the Old Testament because He came to show us a more excellent way of service. He is the perfect example and model. Presently, servants of Christ are serving His followers at His table, bringing to them all provisions He made at Calvary. Because of their true and approved service, they will also be with Him on His table in His Kingdom, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.
1 Peter 2:21. Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example to follow. He called Peter, John, James and Andrew, and told them to follow Him so He could train, transform and make them fishers of men. He wanted to make them do what others could not do and use them to add value to others. We should make it a point of duty to follow His steps and get all necessary trainings so as to be a blessing to others, and prepare them for heaven.
Christ was sinless, with no guile in His mouth. We must not deceive anyone, no deception, lying, and retaliation to anyone. We must tell people the way things are and have a semblance to Christ on the pulpit, in the house, on the streets, anywhere, everywhere, to individuals and corporate bodies in the world. We must not ask or look for wisdom/ways/craftiness to strike or get back at people. We are to help people, and not threaten them – that is not what we were called to. We must not threaten others because it brings fear upon them. Servants of God are gentle and loving, there is no fear in love, there is no love in fear.
Whether we are singing, preaching or counseling, there is no threatening. Jesus did not retaliate but committed himself to God who judges righteously.
1 John 2:6. He who abides in Christ must walk as He walked, love as He loved, preach as He preached, comfort and reassure just as He did.
- The Absolute Submission of a Transparent Servant (John 18:20; Mark 4:22-23; Romans 2:16)
Jesus told His disciples, “In secret have I said nothing”, you must be very transparent in all your relationships, either with members of the church or outsiders. You must never put anyone under bondage with the kind of relationship you have with with them. There is nothing hid that shall not be revealed.
Romans 2:16. A day is coming when everything hidden which has not been confessed, repented of and restituted will be revealed and judged. If your life as a servant of God is shrouded in mystery, and you have many shady attitudes or deals that have not been exposed, and repented of, a day of judgment is coming. You will not escape even if everybody is praising you as a good person now.
- The Approved Servanthood of a Trustworthy Servant (Numbers 12:7-10; 14:24; Matthew 12:18-21)
God gave a good account of Moses, what He did not do of his brother and sister, Miriam and Aaron. Moses distinguished himself, and did not follow the way of his older siblings. They should have been together in ministry but whenever they wanted to gossip, criticize or cut down Moses, they went aside. They were full of all kinds of mischief. A time came when God was angry with them because of what they said about Moses and He struck Mariam with leprosy. God wants us to be transparent in all our relationships, this is the time to be open, because judgment is coming. No matter how bad it is, reveal and expose every secret fault to your spouse, and ask for forgiveness. There may be surprise reactions from them, but it is better to clean everything up properly now before it is too late.
- THE SCATTERED IN ALL LANDS, THE JUSTIFIED (James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1)
The disciples were scattered in all lands, and are justified.
- The Scattered Assembly without the Word (James 2:1-4; Amos 8:11-13; Daniel 12:4,10)
James wrote to saints scattered here and there who were gathering to fellowship in small assemblies. The Old Testament printing was not fully available at that time and the New Testament had not been fully written, thus, they gathered in 10s and 20s.
When they scattered, they didn’t have the uniform and full word of God as prophesied in
Amos 8:11-13
*11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
* 12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.
* 13 In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.
There was a famine of the word of God in those assemblies because they were scattered everywhere. So, James had them in mind and sent the word to them. He told them about faith with its accompanying actions, righteousness, repentance, restitution and life that reflects its evidence.
- The Scattered Ambassadors in the World (Acts 8:1,4; 11:19-21; 1 Peter 1:1-2)
The saints were scattered all over, except the Apostles who did not go with them. They went everywhere, preaching the word – they preached what they heard because none of them had a copy of the Bible. Persecutions drove them abroad as they preached what they knew and experienced. That time, they didn’t know that the Jews and Gentiles would come together, until messages sensitizing them on this were sent to them. Jesus told His disciples that there were things He should have told them, but they were not able to receive them at that time.
Then Apostle Paul came and started preaching and writing those messages about our provisions, privileges and new nature in Christ which have been provided already. Everywhere we are, we must attach much importance to the word of God, and also send them to others who don’t have them yet. Even though you are saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost, there are things you are yet to know, and imbibe in your minds, souls and spirits.
- The Scattered Adventurers in the Wilderness (Matthew 9:36-38; John 11:50-52; James 5:19-20)
There are those who are scattered as adventurers looking for greener pastures here and there. They discover when they get there that they don’t have access to the word of God and they want to settle down and earn a living in such places. These people don’t have the word of God and we must send it to them.
Many people leave their countries of birth to practise their professions in other parts of the world, and they must not be neglected. We must tell them that they should connect to online platforms where they can hear the words of life. With the internet, it is now possible to send words to adventurers scattered here and there.
Matthew 9:36-38. When Jesus saw those who were scattered around, they were like sheep without shepherd, and He took compassion on them. Ensure that you don’t remain alone when you go outside your location, so you don’t become vulnerable to temptations. Put yourself under the leadership of leaders and Overseers over there so that your being isolated will not have negative effect on your spiritual well-being.
John 11:50-52. By the death, sacrifice and resurrection of Christ on the Cross, those who are scattered abroad need the word of God. There was why James was writing to those scattered believers.
James 5:19-20. Those who have lost connection to the word they used to hear regularly must come back to the Lord and seek to get nourishment from His Word. Thus, they will save themselves from destruction.
James 1:1. Christ wants us to have a rethink and set our records straight at the beginning of the new year. Are you a born slave of Jesus and your mind is with Him all the time? You must do away with every secretive attitude and live as if Christ is your Governor and Ruler. On this first day of the year, if you are scattered abroad and you are so near, yet so far, you are in this vicinity, yet you will not attend Church, the distance is not so much, yet you will not come. Here is an opportunity to start the year in a good way, do not allow the scattering to rob you of the profit and possibility of the Word.
I pray that we will make the best use of what God has made available to us this day and this year in Jesus name. And the Word will prepare us to meet the Lord. Why has the Lord not come? Because many of us are not prepared, if He comes now, many will not go with Him.
The standard of God remains the same and if He had come, many would have been lost, but now, the word has come and you are saved, sanctified and transformed, and the word will be of great benefit to you. On getting back home, search the Scriptures to get more from the Lord. Be true servants of Jesus and make it a point of duty to be close to, and connected to the word whether you are here or over there.
Rise and go to the Lord in prayer.