“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)

Here we see the marks that are essential for godly and effective ministry, ministry that is trans-generational.

1. Study rightly – Timothy is reminded that during the many years of association with Paul he had been taught divine truth which God had revealed through the apostle. He had been schooled and established in apostolic doctrine and practice which was the foundation of the church (Eph 2:20).

It is essential that those giving themselves to training for ministry do so where the apostolic faith is believed and rejoiced in as well as communicated. This means that the centres of training (Theological College in our denomination) be grounded in the Scriptures, its teachers be capable expositors of Scripture and skilled theologians in its doctrines, and yet remain pastors of the students.

2. Stand faithful – he was not to forget what he was taught. By this Paul was indicating that there would be many false teachings he would have to combat (cf 2:18, 1:15). He was to remain faithful (1:13). In this he was to follow Paul’s example in that he remained faithful over time and in pressure situations to the faith revealed by Christ (2 Tim 4:7).

Every Pastor is to be trained and to function so as to be a blessing to the present generation of the church – keeping it faithful to the Word of God. He can only do this if he remains faithful to the Word.

3. Serve forward – he was to teach the apostolic doctrine to other “faithful men” – men with proven spiritual character and giftedness, who would in turn pass on those truths to another generation. This of course is true of all discipleship, but Paul has especially in mind here men who would be as Timothy was, who would become pastors and elders in the church.

Every Pastor, and indeed congregation, must see himself also as an investment of the Lord for the next generation of the church.

‘Lord we pray that You will bless the strategic teaching of Pastors as You raise up men to become Pastors and Teachers for the blessing of Your church from generation to generation. Amen’

Good question.  And there’s a really good answer!

Charles Spurgeon explains:

‘The act of prayer teaches us our unworthiness, which is a very salutary lesson for such proud human beings as we are. If God gave us favours without constraining us to pray for them, we should never know how poor we are, but a true prayer is an inventory of wants, a catalogue of necessities, a revelation of hidden poverty. While it is an application to divine wealth, it is a confession of human emptiness.

The most healthy state of a Christian is to be always empty in self and constantly depend upon the Lord for supplies, to be always poor in self and rich in Jesus.

Prayer is in itself, apart from the answer that it brings, a great benefit to the Christian. As the runner gains strength for the race by daily exercise, so for the great race of life, we acquire energy by the hallowed labour of prayer. An earnest pleader comes out of his closet, even as the sun rises from the chambers of the east, rejoicing like a strong man to run his race.

Prayer girds human weakness with divine strength, turns human folly into heavenly wisdom, and gives troubled mortals the peace of God.  We know not what prayer cannot do!

We thank You, great God, for the mercy seat, a choice proof of Your marvellous loving-kindness. Help us to use it in the right manner throughout this day!’

Yes God does want to hear from His people in feast or famine, in need or not.  But is the #1reason to pray to get things from God?  Is it not to acknowledge and show our dependence on the sovereignty of God, the love of God, the grace and mercy of God, the faithfulness of God? Jesus sums up the #1 purpose of God in “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.

To pray that God will DO something FOR us is not a bad thing, but surely it is when in so praying we forget our dependence on a Sovereign God and to incorporate that prayer within the over-riding prayer that God’s will be done. The real reason we’ve been commanded to pray is to remind us Who is really in control of everything, and to know that His will is good!

Evening Service, 23 August 2009

Around ten years ago a University outreach event in Sydney was advertised as ‘Bad People Go To Heaven!’ This was met with great interest. Ever since then Christian groups have tried to use provocative titles as attention-getters.

This is what James is doing here in the passage before us. He sees that the treatment of others raises the whole question of faith, of believing. In what sense? As to its genuineness, says James in this passage.

But how does he raise this issue to get them to really think it through? He uses the attention getter of “Faith without works is dead!” This he states in v.17, repeats in v.20, and then reinforces in his conclusion in v.26. This is no slip.

Imagine how these words would have been received: ‘What? What did he say? Read that again, that can’t be right!’

This statement would have come as a great shock to the wider church which was constantly taught salvation by faith not works.

It continues to come as a shock to many evangelicals today who know enough of the Reformation to repat one of its maxims as capturing essential biblical truth: ‘by faith alone’. So in Rom 3:28 Paul declares that “Man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law”. In Rom 3:22 we read that the way we receive good standing with God and are counted as righteous in His sight before Him is “through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe”.

So you know that declaring in such unequivocal terms that “Faith without works is dead!” would’ve got their attention – as it did Martin Luther who on account of this regarded the letter of James as an ‘epistle of straw’. He did not like t apparent contradiction with the clear teaching of Paul such as we just noted, and as a result even doubted that it should be included in the canon of Scripture. And at one level I hope it also makes us sit up and take notice and ask, What did he say? From which we turn to, What did he mean?

Having got their attention, and hopefully ours, James spells out what he means. But in order to understand what James means it is helpful to note that it can be divided in three parts, each of which serves as a response to an implied or declared observation or question.

The first section deals with a logical response to what James has said so far: ‘Are you questioning my faith? I believe, isn’t that what really matters?’

The second to the declared statement, “You have faith, and I have works” (v.18).

The third responds to the obvious response: ‘But aren’t you talking against Scripture? Where is the biblical evidence?’

The Claim Made

In v.14 we find a word that is the key to the James’ discussion: “says”. James says, “If someone says he has faith”. There is a profession of faith being made, but James realises that not every claim to faith is real.

The Reality Declared

James sees that this is a faith that has not changed him. It has not proved of benefit in his relationships with others. He asks, “Can faith save him?” More literally, “Can the faith save him” – ie, the faith which he speaks of, that he claims he has. Some translations as a result place the word ‘such’ in italics to carry the meaning.

He also asserts that “faith by itself is dead”. Here James is declaring what ‘saved by faith alone’ doesn’t mean. To use the words of J I Packer, ‘What saves is faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone’.

It is not a question of works instead of faith, nor even in a broad sense of faith and works, but specifically of a faith that works, a faith that produces works. And therefore a faith that is evidenced by works. It is by faith that we are saved, but it is by works that we show that we have the faith by which we are saved. Even at our best our ‘works’ are spoiled by sin and self, so we do not attach any merit to them; the point is that the works we do are the fruit of saving faith.

Now with this Paul is in agreement: Eph 2:8,9 is a great statement emphasising the unique position of faith in bringing us to salvation. But notice how it is followed by v.10 which says that just as faith is the result of the determination of God, so also is works – “to works appointed beforehand”.

Indeed Jesus indicates the same truth when he teaches that: “By their fruit you shall know them” (Matt 7:20), and in John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another”.

The works Identified

The works that James is talking about are those that are defined by the moral Law which James has been talking about – notice how he immediately draws examples that illustrate “love one another”. But also that are connected to faith, that they are the works which arise from the heart of a person who is born again and who as a result has entered into a life-time of obedient service, of bringing glory to Christ.

What James wants us to say at this point is: ‘Yes, I can see that. If one is to believe in Jesus and follow Him, there should certainly be an expression of compassion for other people.’

And you know we can admit that intellectually today, and still fail to do it. As Motyer applies what James is saying here: ‘If there is a person who is hungry and we have the means of alleviating that hunger, we are not really Christians unless we help that person.’

This doesn’t mean that we must take personal responsibility for every needy person in the world. Nor does it mean that unless we have responded throughout the whole of our life whenever any need presented itself we are not saved. But it does mean that we cannot be indifferent to need and still profess to be Christians. If we are truly Christians then we will increasingly show the compassion to the needy that Jesus showed.

So we see that James is not arguing against faith – but the kind of faith that does not produce the works that God intends. He is pointing out that there is a false faith we must be fearful of lest we find ourselves deceived into thinking that we are saved when we are not. He is addressing those who go to church on Sunday but who go to Hell during the week. This is why we must insist not just on a confession of faith for membership in the congregation, but for a credible confession of faith!

Quite rightly James then asks ‘What does it profit…?” or ‘What good is it?’ if we only have a faith that does not cause works to flow, for it is not the faith that the Holy Spirit generates within us.

We have a conversation between two professing Christians – 18a

It can be put like this: ‘I am a practical Christian. You, well you’re more concerned about faith – that’s fine. Surely we are both right, we are just different kinds of Christians, but we are both children of God. And really, the world needs both. So let’s respect our differences and greet each other as Christians instead of causing division between us. What you are saying James is so disruptive and so unnecessary.’

James responds by saying there is not different kinds of Christians, only different kinds of faith

The Christian faith which produces works, which he has already described, and then that faith described in v.19 – it may be intellectually consistent (“you believe in one God, you do well”), but it fails to deliver from the clutches of Hell. You are either a Christian or a devil.

See how James changes tack whilst still underscoring His basic premise of true faith works.

By reversing the expected order he is saying that it is equally wrong to go the other way of emphasising works to the neglect of faith.

This is still alive today – those who believe what we desperately need is a practical Christianity. That all these doctrinal issues that we hear so much of from this pulpit are really irrelevant. Look at the world: people are dying and starving. People are hurting and crying. Let us go out and help them, following the example of Jesus. But when pressed it becomes clear that their assurance of being received by God lies not in what Jesus did, but in what they do.

Brethren we must be careful not only of the satanic lie of a faith that stands alone, but also of the lie that says I don’t need faith. Now you may not be deliberately saying that, but you are in effect if your peace is tied to your works instead of to Christ’s work.

The balance is that it is not either or, but both in the sense that faith produces works. Spurgeon said in his day to those who so emphasised evangelism to the neglect of works: ‘If you want to give a hungry man a tract, wrap it up in a sandwich’. We could say to today’s increasing tendency to swamp evangelism by social action: ‘/f you want to give a hungry man a sandwich, wrap it up in a tract’. Remember compassion is not the substitute for conversion but arises out of it. As does service from salvation.

James supports the truth by the setting before us the example or testimony of the Father of the Faith from whom Israel as a nation was to come, and also of that of a notorious sinner (a prostitute) from outside of Israel who came to faith and was incorporated into God’s people.

In both cases it is evident James says that faith produced works.

Firstly he draws attention to Abraham, whom all Jews look back to with honour. In particular James draws attention to God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, which he set out to do until stopped by God. But note what Gen 22:12 states at this point: “…now I know that you fear God”. Now clearly God knew the heart of Abraham, that he really did have faith (cf Gen 15:6 where we read at once “He reckoned Him as righteous’). So what God is saying is that despite all the pressures and temptations you have shown that your faith is real. It has produced works that certify its character as the genuine article.

Secondly he highlights the testimony of Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute, who had recognised the two spies as servants of the true God and declared her faith in Him to them. But then what does James say? She kept them safe, helped them escape, and did as they told her to obtain her own safety in the fall of the city. It worked.

But what works!

Through Abraham we see Prompt Obedience to God – a prompt readiness to obey God. Through Rahab we see Personal Risk to help those who were needy and helpless, regardless of the risk to herself. The grace of God not only forgave her, it transformed her from selfish lust to daring love and loyalty to the people of God in great need.

Together they give a balanced test of faith. Motyer: ‘The life of faith is more than a private (long past) transaction seen in the obedience which holds nothing back from God, and the concern which holds nothing back from human need.’ This is living faith, saving faith.

God, through James, then, is calling us to emphasise:

The Importance of the Living Faith – Does your faith produce works that reflect and glorify Jesus Christ? This is not a cruel demand – notice what is said in 2 Peter 1:3 of all who come to true faith! No true believer can plead background, environment or anything else as an excuse for not displaying the fruit of the Spirit in their life.

The Importance of Living the Faith – The generosity seen in the early church was not socialism – for the right to private property was carefully maintained, it was rather a willingness to use and give up that property in response to the needs of others. Let us show commitment to Christ and compassion to others even if it means denying ourselves of things to which we may be entitled.

Morning Service 23 August 2009

I doubt that there is one of us here who know the Lord who would say that prayer is unimportant. The very beginning of our Christian faith is marked by prayer as we turn to God for forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ. Prayer to us is not merely the means of finding help in times of extreme trouble; we understand that it is very much at the core of our relationship with God, indeed it is the expression of our communion with God. The Word and Prayer are two key elements that both express and sustain the Christian life before God.

But that doesn’t mean that we are masters in prayer, or that we don’t need to study the nature and purpose of prayer. Like the disciples we find ourselves crying unto the Lord to teach us to pray; and the further we go on in the Christian life the more frequently we lift that cry. The sweeter prayer becomes the more we hunger after it.

In seeking to develop and even deepen our prayer life we rightly search the Scriptures and we contemplate from time to time models for prayer. Who is your favourite model for prayer? Who do you turn to in order to understand prayer.

Obviously the answer ought to be the lord Jesus Christ, but let me ask you again. Who among frail humanity, who among the believers of the Bible would you hold up as a model of prayer? Who would you turn to in order to not only as an inspired and divinely approved standard to guide you in prayer but also to assess the reality and quality of your praying?

As you ponder that for a moment let me remind of James’ choice. James has much to say in his letter about prayer. Indeed it is reported that as an individual he was so constant in prayer that he is called ‘camel knees’. Now in James 5:17-18 as he places a specific focus on prayer that we find who was his pattern – Elijah.

Yet I doubt that even few of us would choose Elijah as our pattern for prayer. Somehow he seems to be in another league, a mighty prophet of God and a mighty worker of miracle, while I am not. But this is not how the NT remembers him.

Elijah is the very pattern he holds out for all believers in the practice of prayer, identifying him as “a man of like passions as we are…” He had problems, perplexities, fears, doubts, frustrations, but he prayed! That’s what made him different – and that is what should be seen in our lives too.

The praying Elijah has already be set before us in the record of 1 Kings, and in the passage before us today Elijah is found once again in prayer – prayer for the rain God in v.1 had said He would send.

As we consider Elijah’s praying there is much we can learn about the practice of prayer. So as we look at vv.41-46 let us see some of the secrets of his prayer life.

It is clear that Elijah regarded it as of the utmost importance. He had already shown this hadn’t he at the beginning of the record of His ministry when he prayed for the stopping of rain, and for the widow’s son, and for God’s fire.

Here again he is seen praying. He had been told by God that rain would come, but he does not stand back and watch the sky. No he prays. Indeed he says he hears “the sound of abundance of rain” – he knew that the fulfilment of the promise of God was on its way. Yet he prays. He does not presume but immediately pleads God’s promises to God.

Though God has promised He still requires us to ask for blessing. Indeed He makes this explicit with respect to the new covenant in Ezekiel 36:24-36 which spells out all that God was prepared and determined to do for His people. Then follows “Thus says the Lord God, I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them” (v.37). James himself points out “You have not because you ask not” (4:2). So we are reminded that we do not come to a reluctant God but One who includes our prayers in His purposes to bless His people.

Elijah says he heard the sound of abundant rain (v.41) yet he still knew he had to pray for it. What a lesson for us. ‘Prayer is the hand of faith that translates promise into performance.’ (Howard Hendricks)

Yet will not fully understand this passage, and indeed appreciate what Jesus does for us as our High Priest, if we do not see this praying in relation to the covenant.

In the response of the people “The Lord, He is God” and their destruction of the false prophets we see the return of the people to the covenant. The drought had been the curse of God upon covenant-breakers – having forsaken God they learnt what it was to be forsaken by God. But now the people returned to God, at least outwardly restoring the covenant, but will God return to them?

As he began the challenge on Mt Carmel Elijah was concerned not only for the honour of God but also for the restoration of the covenant relationship with God. Now as he returns to the summit in prayer his concern is for the restoration of covenant blessing. It is in this that Elijah’s prayer finds its proper place.

‘His prayer forms a chain between the return of the people and the covenant blessings. Just as punishment had followed covenant breaking when Elijah prayed, the covenant restoration now leads to renewed covenant blessings only through the prophet’s prayer.’ (Van’t Veer)

Yet it is Elijah who prays. The people had recognised the Lord and rejected Baal, but we read nothing of their humbling themselves and seeking God’s face, no expression of remorse and contrition for all the horrible sins of so many years, no confession, no seeking the lord of whom they shouted “He is God!” Yet in 2 Chron 7:13-14 God says that this is what He looks for. Sadly this people still lived loosely to sin – and toward God. Sadly Ahab is not much better.

When the people fail, the leaders need to lead in seeking the restoration of covenant blessings through prayer. It was inherent to both offices to engage in intercessory prayer for the Lord’s blessing upon the people.

The prophet was ready, but the king needs to be lead. He speaks to the King not out of compassion for him who must’ve felt gutted by all that had transpired, but as a prophet confronting the king. It suggests that Elijah understood that tis king had no heart for prayer, a reality confirmed by the absence of any protest from Ahab. Indeed it appears he knows that Ahab is not as convinced as the people that the Lord is God for he mentions the coming rain, as if to say that this too would be a sign to him of the truth. In any case Elijah found no place for this king, despite his office, on the mount of prayer. So Elijah sends him on his way to dinner, and then personally goes up the mount to intercede for the people– in an action so reminiscent of Moses!

This is the very thing that Christ did as He prayed for His people that night before His death upon the cross (John 17), and what he continues to do under the new covenant (Hebrews 7:25). Indeed it helps us understand the importance of Christ’s praying for us.

He intercedes for His people that their sin will not be held against them and that they might enter more fully into the covenant blessings. The blessings secured by the blood of the covenant are brought to us by the Mediator of the covenant who intercedes for us. How dependent we are on His continuing intercession, and how thankful we should be.

But also we should be encouraged to be intercessors ourselves, and particularly for the church – for into our hands He has placed the task to strengthen the saints and to evangelise sinners. His activity should stimulate our activity too. Remember, you may not be able to stand on a street corner, go overseas or give large sums of money for the needs of church and the gospel – but you can pray! You may not even be able to get out visit or even to go church, but you can pray!

As we look at Elijah’s praying we notice that it was abundantly answered. By this we see something of the sort of prayer that God desires. However, as we look at the manner of his praying let us note this warning: there is always a danger when we analyse the manner of prayer to overemphasis one or more of these elements over against the rest, and then to complain against God when no answer comes. So let us seek to be balanced in their application to our praying. (Al Marin)

1. It ought to be based on the promise of God. This prayer is obviously connected to v.1. From this we learn that the various promises of God given in the Bible should motivate us to pray, and indeed direct what we ask, and the extent to which we may expect an answer. Such prayer is saying, ‘Do as You have said.’ This is to truly honour God. A toddler often asks for things wholly incompatible with the parent’s nature and its own welfare. But as years go by increasing understanding and experience shape the child’s requests into forms suggested by its parents. In the same way as we know more of God through His promises we are stopped from asking what He cannot give, and are led to set our hearts upon things He delights to give to us.

2. It ought to be definite. James points out that Elijah was praying for rain. It was specific, definite in its object. I would suggest that this is why many prayers fail.

3. It ought to be earnest. James tells us that Elijah prayed “earnestly” – literally it could be ‘prayed in his prayer’. Certainly he prayed 7 times, but we also see that each negative response from his servant stimulates him to not only pray again but according to this testimony of the Holy Spirit he prayed more intensely. Though he knew God’s promise, he didn’t prayer mechanically or half-heartedly, nor was the apparent delay draining enthusiasm from him. No he was earnest and maintained that earnestness in prayer. This illustrates what it is said of Christ that he “offered up prayers and supplications with strong cries and tears” (Heb 5:7). What can be said of our prayers?

4. It ought to be humble. What a contrast we see in Elijah as he prayed. As a representative of God he stood bold, erect as an oak. But as a representative of man he bowed low in great humility. His head went between his knees. Humility should always characterise our prayers. We must ever in prayer remember who we come before and how we do so, remember that we come before the majesty, might and power of God. Yes we come boldly in Christ, yet humbly recognising that it is only in Christ that we can and do come before the thrice-holy God. Let us imitate Moses in that we take our spiritual shoes off!

5. It ought to be full of expectant faith. While his servant kept coming back with no news Elijah just kept on sending him to look. Elijah believed that God would keep His promise.

6. It ought to be persevering. This is the most notable feature of Elijah’s prayer. Let us note with an encouragement to our perseverance that even Elijah was not heard immediately, but above all let us learn to pray perseveringly. Let us not be guilty of stopping to pray when the news returns that no answer is seen. Elijah prayed till he saw the answer coming. A prayer is never complete until God has answered! May we be so constant in our prayer so that we will hear the Lord say to us “Great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire (Matt 15:28).

7. It ought to embrace the answer. In faith Elijah recognised the answer of God. He stopped praying ad went via the king on his way upon hearing the news of the “cloud as small as a man’s hand rising out of the sea”. The cloud was not something to fill him with hope that stimulated further prayer – rather it was proof that prayer was answered and that he could end his prayer. Once the answer comes submission as well as gratitude ought to be evident. Faith begins, continues and also knows when to end prayer. Faith’s next call is to embrace and respond to God’s answer.

As Al Martin reveals the effect of Elijah’s prayer was two-fold

1. Upon the land – v.45, “a heavy rain”. This was no light shower, enough to moisten the land but not break the drought. This rain broke the prolonged drought. It was so heavy that we see Elijah told Ahab go as quickly as he can. The absence of grass and resulting loose clay and dirt would be a recipe for sticky mud, as well as the Kishon River becoming a raging torrent.

2. Upon Elijah – notice v.46, “the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah”. He also had to flee from the rain, so the Lord took hold of him. Elijah emerges from the experience with a new dynamic: the hand of the Lord was upon him. What a great privilege this was. He got involved not only in the praying but in the answer.

This highlights that it is in a sense dangerous to pray. Elijah had already tasted this. When he prayed the brook dried up! The disciples also discovered this truth. Did you ever notice the humour of Matt 9:37, 38? Jesus said to them “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.” Then in the very next chapter the very ones He asked to pray about it were the very ones He pressed into service as He sends them on an evangelistic mission!

Don’t pray unless you want to get involved! Don’t every pray unless you are personally committed, because the answer to your prayer may demand a beginning with you. Yet we are to pray – so pray willing to be involved saying ‘Lord use me in Your answer and work out Your answer in me’. Let us pray.

Evening Service 9 August 2009

What upsets sports fans more than anything else –a part form their team loosing I mean? Is it not inconsistent calls by the Umpire or Ref, decisions that always seem to favour the other side? We don’t like it in the classroom either do we, seeing someone who seems to always get favourable treatment from the teacher. Certainly in the courts we expect the symbolism of justice to be realised – a blind impartiality where no person is treated preferentially on the basis of wealth, social status, gender, age, or physical appearance.

There are differences externally between us, we acknowledge that, but we look for equity and fairness. As James begins chapter 2 he says it should especially be evident in relationships within the church. He underscores this by beginning with “my brothers” which speaks of our commonality by grace, ‘a powerful reminder ‘ says Tony Bird, ‘that if we are brothers it is because God has made no distinctions among us.’ We belong to one family, the same family, and each of us is totally dependent upon Jesus for that inclusion. We should be the very model of what the world is constantly through law and education, and sometimes through intimidation and even war, are seeking to achieve.

Yet sadly one of the polluting factors of the world is that we do find faith-denying distinctions and favouritism creeping from time to time into the church.

James takes up the point of caring for others by describing the sinfulness of partiality which he describes by a typical scenario in v.1-4. Two visitors come into the church meeting, but notice two things that happen: their appearance is noted – they see that one is rich, well attired; the other is poor with filthy clothes. Secondly, the approach is identified – to the one attention, to the other indifference; to the one, indulgence, to the other insensitivity; to the one the attention is given more as an invitation, to the other as an instruction.

The first one was treated well because of his wealth and potential for the life of the congregation, the other was treated indifferently and harshly because of the perception of nothing to offer, unimportance, or of being ‘beneath me’.

He concludes “have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts.”

Of course, this doesn’t mean that we are forbidden to have an opinion about others people – indeed we are constantly told to distinguish truth from error, good from evil; to be alert to false prophets coming in our midst (Matt 7:15) and to “know them by their fruits” (Matt 7:16) requires discriminating thinking. Nor does it mean that we should not show respect to others – we are called to show a proper special respect and honour to the elderly (Lev. 19:32), and to those in authority, both in the church (1 Thess. 5:12–13; 1 Tim. 5:17) and in society in general (Rom 13:1f; 1 Tim 2:2; 1 Pet 2:17). But that is not what is meant here – as the phrase “judge with evil thoughts” indicates. The reference is to judging purely on a superficial level, without consideration of a person’s true merits, abilities, or character. ‘When factors like these determine our relationships with people, we have not understood the heart of God, or the nature of faith we profess.’ (Tony Bird).

Now this is not something that 21^st century Christianity has no experience of. Favouritism and partiality are not just seen in society, it is also seen in the church. The stories of this are legion.

John Blanchard writes of the minister who was called to a dead kind of church and how he immediately began going to pubs to witness for Christ. When the church members heard about it they gave him an ultimatum to stop or leave. Why? ‘We cannot have you going into places like that with the gospel. If you carry on talking to those people, do you know what they might do? They might come to church! They might sit alongside us. We cannot have that. Either you stop going or you leave the church.’ Almost unbelievable isn’t it? Yet I am sure we can add our own stories.

The tragedy is that we all discriminate in some way. There are people in this congregation to whom you give little attention. Why is that? Some people are easier for us to relate to than others and that is natural, but to treat others differently for that reason is sin and a denial of our claim to believe in Jesus. It is to turn an obstacle into an excuse.

How do we address it? James takes us back to the gospel. He begins with:

It is at the very heart of our faith that we believe in Jesus Christ. James draws our attention not to the content of the faith we hold, but to personal faith itself, to our faith in Jesus, and says you cannot hold this and yet show favouritism.

For to believe in Jesus is to acknowledge His glory. The NKJ reads “the Lord of glory”. Now this is an interpretive translation, but one that strikes me as being unnecessary, and one that clouds what James is doing here. If we read it literally: “our Lord Jesus Christ – of the glory!” it becomes an exclamation of praise and wonder. By which James is reminding us of what is at the heart of our faith. The word “glory” reminds us of Exodus 33:18 & 34:5-8 where we read that Moses saw the glory of God and his face shone afterwards. Motyer: ‘Glory is shorthand for the personal presence of God in all His goodness and fullness of character.’ Jesus is God’s glory – He is divine and a partaker of that divine glory; but also the manifestation of that glory to man, to us. See 2 Cor 8:9; 4:6

Yet even with this reality Jesus did not treat people differently. Though we were poor and vile wretches through sin yet He came to us, and even among us He treated each equally, giving no favour to race, resources, rank, reputation, or responsibility. He lived among men without fear or favour, treating all alike.

If we know the glory of Christ then we will get a true view of ourselves which works against us thinking we can possibly judge another person into levels of importance. But also we would find ourselves not wanting to do what Christ didn’t do to us personally.

Do you not see what James is saying? Jesus’ treatment of us is so amazing, we can only be discriminatory to others if we have forgotten the magnitude of His glory and at the same time His grace and love to us as an individual. What Joseph Parker once said, it says it all: ‘He whose eye is filled with Christ never sees what kind of coat a man has on’.

James takes us behind our personal experience of faith in Christ to the origin of our coming to faith which lies in the sovereign electing choice of God. In discussing God’s sovereign grace he stresses that

It is Unconventional. When we make choices we so naturally go towards those who we think will best suit our purposes. Men naturally chose the good, rich, talented. Have you ever been in a group at school being picked for a teams? The last ones always feel they weren’t chosen but thrown in!

But God’s is very different to man. He chose the “poor of this world”. In making this a question James is showing that this is incontestable. It is an echo of Paul’s observation in 1 Cor 1:26-29. God chooses some notable people, but relatively speaking, not many.

It is Unconditional. This naturally follows from the unconventional nature of God’s choice. Yet we do well to state it here. He did not chose the poor because they were poor, nor passed by the rich because they were rich. These words are in the context of which is arguing against conditional relationships. Rom.2:11 tells us that there is “no respect of persons with God”. This was equally true with God’s choice of Israel to be His covenant people in the OT (see Deut 7:6-8).

If you are a Christian, why has God chosen you? The Bible’s only answer is because He decided to love us. It has nothing to do with us, but everything to do with Him. He loved us because He loved us. Whatever is good about us as a Christian is because of God’s choice, not the cause of God’s choice.

It is Unlimited. It was a choice full of purpose and packaged in promise both in the here (“rich in faith”) and hereafter (“heirs of the kingdom”). In giving us Christ He has given us all things in Christ – despite what we were before Him in our sin and to each other because of our sin, yet He pours blessing upon bless now and forever. Again this is not the reality for all, but only for those who are the objects of His sovereign grace. How do we know if it is our portion? When we see ourselves loving God.

God’s purpose then is a very broad purpose, and one that will extend to all the objects of His electing choice – regardless of their place and position in the eyes of men, and despite their background before Him.

Here we see how practical the doctrines of grace are for the church. It determines how we should treat one another. By discrimination you are acting in a way that is different from God and indeed in a way that cuts across and undermines the eternal purpose of God.

Is a jewel less precious because it is in a package of inferior quality? Of course not! Because other believers are the objects of God’s eternal love in Christ they are a jewel. Don’t let any present packaging distract you from that reality. Even more, don’t place yourself in a position of working against God. His purpose is to make them rich in His blessings, don’t you rob them of it by robbing them of even that smallest blessing of the fullness of your fellowship.

Favouritism in the church is not only a transgression of God’s divine law but is a mockery of His divine character.

Thomas Manton said, ‘James writes these words to show that their practice was not only vain and evil, but mad and senseless!’

James is not saying that these rich ones did or that the poor didn’t. He is not condemning or dismissing the rich or indicating that the poor never harbour vindictive thoughts or engage in destructive behaviours – indeed that would be to go against all he has said against favouritism and discrimination on unfair superficial impressions or assumptions. No, he is simply making an observation that the Lord’s people in the midst of persecution had known only too well by focusing on the rich as a class – seeing that these are the ones that seem to naturally receive special treatment. Yet such thoughtless partiality is to be blind to realities all too frequently experienced – how they dragged the Lord’s people into court. Acts begins with “mocking” (2:13) and ends with the abuse “you are mad” (26:24), and of the 50 or so references to persecution of Christians in-between it was usually at the hands of the rich or influential people. And how they dragged the Lord’s Name into contempt – that name which Christians bore and respected.

James is saying that there is no sense in pandering to the rich as a class for their very wealth and power so easily and sadly often are used against us. To do this is to perverse logic.

But He is also saying that this fails to realise a central aspect of faith – the impact of sin upon our hearts is to make us perverse. It is to attribute to man what man cannot do, what only God can. To favour the rich because of some perceived advantage even for the church if not for self is to turn the gospel on its head. The gospel tells us to distrust human nature and to depend only on God. It is to Him we should look and on Him trust – never to men. The future prospects of the congregation lie not in the hands of the richest persons here, or on nay persons here, but solely in God and in God alone. He will use human instruments, yes – both poor and rich, but we are never to substitute them for God.

James very clearly knew what churches could be like and how a local church could easily do things that were against its very being. That he writes these things in a general letter shows that it was one to which the congregations would easily identify with. What about us?

Do you recognise and practise oneness amongst the people of God who understand and delight in God’s salvation? Are you committed to this? Do you think of others in terms of Christ’s dealings and the Father’s purpose? Gal 3:28 says we are “all one in Christ Jesus”. Let us be committed, because of God’s relationship to us, to be just that.

So Paul brings to bear the implications of this to Philemon when sending back his runaway slave Onesimus – in effect saying: Onesimus was a slave, but now Philemon “receive him forever as a beloved brother”.

Let us as be careful about our dealings with one another. Be alert to those being ‘passed by’ so as to fellowship with them; be alert to mercenary tendencies within the fellowship so as to attack it with the gospel; and be alert to always reminding ourselves, ‘Who am I to judge my neighbour?’

Morning Service 9 August 2009

Ezekiel had confronted the people of Israel with the two basic alternatives that shape life, calling them to decision: God or Baal. Today it may not be Baal, it may be another out of the smorgasbord of deities promoted in the modern world, it may be something you have so set your heart on that you cannot conceive of happiness or of a life worth living without having it, or it might be a belief in ‘no God’. But however we construe it this is the challenge that underpins our life and worldview; God or Baal. This is a very modern and very personal contest, not some curiosity from the past.

What we see is God, graciously responding to human weakness as well as the deceitfulness of sin, coming along side them to provide a practical and irrefutable demonstration of reality. Here we see that this decision, despite what some say about religion, is not to be based on emotionalism, is not made by first parking your brain outside. At the heart of the challenge is coming to grips with evidence, with substance, with reality. By contrast, it declares that any and all other alternatives, no matter how one may convince themselves of their reality as surely as these prophets of Baal did, they were unreal, such faith empty.

Ralph Burton, apparently a successful cartoonist, chose to end his life leaving a note which said: ‘I have had few difficulties, many friends, and great successes. I have gone from wife to wife, and from house to house, and visited great countries of the world; but I am fed up with inventing devices to fill up twenty-four hours of the day.’

How tragic! Yet he is expressing the severe consequences of putting faith in empty things. That is what the prophets of Baal did, what Israel was doing. And here is Elijah exposing the folly of it. We see:

The terms are explained. An altar and sacrifice was to be established. There was to be no difference between the two sacrifices. But what is important is that both were not to use fire. This is what the true God would do. It is the God who answers by fire who will be the true God.

At the same time was aware of a deception used by these false prophets of hiding a heat source underneath which in would cause what appeared to be a sudden combustion. So in being very explicit here it was to be clear to all concerned that there was no trickery. As such then Elijah created a situation where everything depended upon Baal and God, and not upon man. Men were to pray for answer, but Baal or God was to light the fire.

It was a fair proposal. Baal was the chief deity, the god of the environment, the Lord of the Sun and of the storm, and was therefore associated with fire. In the ancient art of Syria Baal is shown holding a lightning bolt in his right hand. He should have easily been able to send a flash of lightning to set alight a sacrifice presented by his followers. What could be a more natural and easy thing for Baal to do?

It was calculated to appeal to the mind of Israel with reference to God who many times in the past had associated Himself with fire: the burning bush, the pillar of fire in the wilderness wandering, the fire on top of Mt Sinai. In Lev 9:24 in association with the first official sacrifice of the newly consecrated priesthood we read: “and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.” This then would identify the Lord God of Elijah as the God of their forefathers.

It was an accepted proposal. – The Israelites approved, and so the prophets of Baal were trapped. They could hardly say anything against it or seek to evade it, which certainly they would want to when they couldn’t plant secret fire.

It was a divine proposal. Was Elijah presumptive in his faith that God would answer this prayer and reveal Himself? Should we do the same thing today – engage in power evangelism, using miracles to confront people with the truth of God’s being and of their rebellion against Him? Some have said yes to such a proposal, believing that this is the reason for the weakness of evangelism today. But notice here in v.36 that Elijah indicates to God that all this was done “at Your word”. He was not acting presumptuously but under direct and explicit orders from God. It is not that Elijah is challenging God to do anything; it is rather God who has planned the whole affair and is challenging Elijah to obey Him.

Likewise we see that we must not take this specific example as a pattern to be carried out by God’s ministers today. It is the Word that regulates God’s servants in all their undertakings. There is no place for experimenting let alone acting in self-will in God’s service. Were there miracles in the NT? Yes – and they were identified as signs of the Apostles, that is validating their word as belonging to Christ. But in Eph 2:20 we read that the foundation has been laid by them. You only lay a foundation once – and that precludes the need then of miracles for evangelism – it is to the foundation attested by miracles that we are to direct people: to the Scriptures itself!

Baal is given the first opportunity. Unable to rely on ‘secret fire’ they had to rely on a direct appeal to their god. And they did – for 6 hours! Round and round the altar in their mystic dance, leaping up and down, crying out their chant, ‘O Baal, hear us; O Baal hear us!’ So energetic and persistent in this were they that they became exhausted. Yet there was no answer (cf Psa 115:4-8).

No doubt satan could’ve sent the fire (Rev 13:13 – “he performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of man”). But on this occasion it is clear that God did not permit him.

After 3 hours Elijah interjected. He is mocking them, trying to point out to Israel the impotency of Baal – v.27. The amazing thing is that the prophets of Baal were motivated by Elijah, taking his mocking seriously! So they persevered, going to even greater lengths to attract Baal’s attention – and even sympathy as they cut themselves for him. But it was all to no avail.

Eventually Baal, the so-called god of fire was shown to have no fire in him! The folly of his worshippers was now obvious to all. The false religion of Baal was exposed as empty and useless, and like all false religion unable to meet the need of any crisis. The Baal prophets at last were made to taste the bitter dregs of falsehood. As was any Israelite who had followed were brought to shame for having been so foolish themselves – having followed something that didn’t exist, who couldn’t respond even when his best called out and even when his very religion depended upon it.

All false religion, like Baal is exposed in a time of crisis. In such times all the confidence of their adherents suddenly dissipates like smoke in air.

As Elijah stands up all of Israel’s attention is drawn to him, but Elijah draws their attention to God both by act and word.

Here Elijah draws attention to the ruins of an altar already there. An altar used to worship God in previous times, but now left in disrepair. Clearly another reason for the choice of this site. Elijah was deliberately calling the people back to God by this act. That this s so is reinforced by the reference to the 12 stones, a number deliberately aimed to remind the people of their identity as the people of promise through Jacob.

Then we are called to notice the timing: that of the evening sacrifice in Jerusalem. By this the people were reminded that they have no relationship with God other than on the basis of the of the appointed sacrifice offered. They were to think of this sacrifice in terms of that one typically offered in the temple for sin, and we of that actually offered at Calvary.

So we see that Elijah is not introducing a new God, but calling them back to THE God, the One who has always been there, who brought Jacob’s family out of Egyptian bondage establishing them as His people by covenant to worship and serve Him and Him alone. The altar in a sense represented God. By repairing it Elijah was putting God back in His rightful place at the heart of the nation. And in any time of apostasy that is what needs to be done. In the church and nation today God needs to be re-enthroned, brought back into view. And like them we need to see ourselves again as God’s people joined to Him by His appointed and accepted sacrifice: Jesus Christ who died to reconcile sinners to God.

With wonder they must have heard his instructions – for by pouring such an amount of water over his sacrifice he was making it harder for God to answer. Have you every tried to light a bonfire that has been thoroughly soaked by the rain? Then they would’ve understood – Elijah was removing any remaining doubt, any potential ground of accusation by the Baal-prophets of trickery. Only the true God – the one who worked those miracles in Egypt, who evidenced power over water at the Red Sea and at the Jordan, could light it now!

Then in contrast to the Baal prophets Elijah quietly prays to God – v.36. He does not berate God, nor is he given over to a view that we get our way to God by nagging Him with repetition. It is the simple pleading of a man who appears to be on intimate terms with God. The chief burden of this prayer is that God should vindicate Himself that day, that He would make known His mighty power. God responds immediately with an all-consuming fire. That it consumed even the stone indicates supernatural force, that it descended from heaven displays its divine origin. As a result we see that God is not remote nor impotent, He hears prayers and has the capacity and will to answer.

But we taught to also see that in so doing God also displayed His wondrous grace – as v.37 points out! This was not a miracle to convince the people to repent, but a display of God’s intention to turn their heart, and therefore an encouragement to them to now turn seeing that God was willing to receive them back and had already accepted the sacrifice for sin to enable Him to. Of which grace we are reminded by the sacrifice of Jesus!

To the people the conclusion was clear: there is no other God but the Lord God of Israel, and they declared it. This was an acknowledgement of God and of their own sinfulness. But even more they removed the alternative, the poison of the false prophets of Baal, taking them and killing as directed by Elijah (v.40).

This is is often reacted to today with an uneasy feeling even among Christians. But we are to bear in mind that they were doing this at God’s direction through His prophet, and as such also in compliance with God’s earlier directions in Deut 13:13-15. In so doing they showed they were desirous of coming back under God’s rule and live the covenant life as God’s people.

We are to understand by this that God demands a clear and complete or thorough break with sin as well as a commitment to the future. In Ephesus we read that they burned their pagan books (Acts 19:19), and in Thessalonica that they turned from idols to serve the living God (1 Thess 1:9-10). The lesson is clear: God must be given His place in and over all our lives, we must become His people, and it can only come through the sacrifice He has ordained.

At the same time we are to see in all of this a mini-enactemnt of the end times conflict where God will intervene into human history to vindicate His name completely and to eradicate idolatry from the world. In Rev 16:16-21John describes the apocalyptic battle taking place at Armageddon, ‘mountain of Meggido’. Mt Carmel looked over the ancient city f Megiddo in the plain of Jezreel below (Dillard). The utter defeat of evil and idolatry, of all that sets itself up against God, is part of the goal of history and will come when the Lord Jesus returns. There remains “a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries” of God (Hebrews 10:27)!

But also we are taught to see that worship breaks down our misdirected loyalties even as it builds up our deepest loyalty to God. As someone pointed out, ‘Every hymn of praise is a little anti-idolatry campaign’. Every time we sing praise to the triune God, we are asserting our opposition to anything that would attempt to stand in God’s place. That when we sing ‘Praise God from whom all blessings flow’ we are also saying ‘Down with the gods from whom no blessings flow.’

Further we are also led to see the emptiness and futility of false religion exposed in contrast to God who is there in His power and grace even in the crisis and our extremity. I am reminded of Isa 46:1-4 which tells us that in a crisis false religion has to be carried by its adherents, but by contrast God carries His people, even with all their weakness. This is the God we are called to trust and worship, the God who alone is real and before whom all will one day bow: “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10-11)

As we think of this we do well to remember Christ’s declared hatred of lukewarmness in Rev 3:15, 16 – “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”

3. The Resultant Action Necessitated

Again we are drawn to the “if…; if…” It demands decision. The time had long since come for this tottering people to make up their mind, to let the false worship go and be destroyed, and to turn wholeheartedly to God.

Moses coming down form Mt Sinai saw people worshipping a golden calf. In Exod 32:26 we read that when he came to them he cried out “Who is on the Lord’s side?” But if we look at this we will notice it is immediately followed by a command to action: “Let him come to me!” Words were not enough, action was required, a clear-cut and public alignment must be made. And the Levites did exactly that.

Now the call that goes out to Israel is that they will declare themselves publicly and wholly for God, and to demonstrate that by willingly doing all that God should require of them.

Likewise we must declare ourselves. Our decision must be public! We are to honour God by standing with Him and for Him. It is important that others stand to, but whether they stand with you or not, you must stand for God.

So Joshua, to refer to those words made so familiar to us as a congregation by the stained glass window by the door, after calling Israel to stand committed to God nevertheless says, in effect regardless of what anyone else will do in this matter, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Elijah calls Israel to show it by letting go of their paganism. What is God calling you to let go of? Having recognised it, do it; and having done it, remain faithful. The “if…; if…” implies no turning back!

The great tragedy is that we read “but the people answered him not a word”! They could say nothing to justify themselves, yet they would not renounce their false god and sinful life. They sought refuge in silence. Certainly this is better than frivolous excuses so often offered, but they were hiding from decision. As we read on we see Elijah leading them to making this decision and declaration – but better it would’ve been if they had made it now, if they had made it on the basis of known revelation. God was gracious to this people in giving them further inducements, but He is not always so.

‘God demands no more from us than He can make out a title to’ (Henry). Surely we ought to give Him the glory He is due and stop halting between God and sin, between Christ and our lusts. Surely it is folly and clearly dangerous to do anything less than this.

The great tragedy here is that this call from Elijah was met with a dead silence from the people before whom he stood as God’s prophet. Let there be no such silence in our heart! But equally do not let yourself be carried away with naked enthusiasm as later Israel at large were – faith must take residence in the heart and exercise there its control. Passion without heart-known faith is offensive in God’s sight.

Covenant children your godly parents stand before you like Elijah testifying to God whose power and grace is seen in their lives and through them mediated in a general way to your life… yet as you came into this world you were by inherent sinfulness a worshipping of false gods, especially the false god of self… though you know about God and have benefited from his covenant… How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If Christianity be of God, decide for it with body and soul: embrace the cross, embrace Christ by faith and His Kingdom life.

But as we think of our children and as it were plead with them through the Word this day, what of the church? What of ourselves? If Christianity be of God, decide for it with body and soul: embrace the cross; be willing to suffer affliction with the despised people of God; forsake the pleasures and vanities of the world, and employ all your endeavours to promote the kingdom and glory of Christ.