Morning Service, 11 October 2009

The result of depression is that one often can’t see the trees for the forest. The mind is swamped by all that lays before it and it looms as an impossible task. By focussing on one manageable task at a time they begin to achieve. Those who are depressed need to be active, but it is best that this be done in manageable steps experiencing accomplishment with each one. Don’t expect the heavy cloud to all go at once, to be able to do what you did before it ascended. Be realistic. Highlight manageable projects, small goals to accomplish. A small but progressive list. Then start cutting those trees down one at a time.

This is often what God calls us to do. I read of one minister whose wife died, resulting in deep spiritual dejection and discouragement. Friends advised him to get away from all the things that would remind him of his wife. So he went from place to place, and still that heavy cloud was upon him. It was not until he returned to his pulpit and shouldered the heavy responsibility of shepherding a flock of God, that once again he knew something of that vital relationship with his God.

Is this not what Jesus Christ did with Peter after he repented from his sin of denial? Oh the tears he shed, the unease he must have felt even among the other disciples. But Jesus came to him – for we read in the resurrection appearances that “He appeared to Peter”. Jesus forgave that sin and reassured Peter of His love for him. But He not only did that, He also re-commissioned him. He said to Peter “feed My sheep” (Jn 21:16). He gave to Peter some work to do. It was a work that was pleasing to him, one which he had enjoyed and clearly one for which he was gifted to do. It was work that he would do for Jesus – notice the repeated emphasis on Jesus in His use of “My”. Peter would be doing it certainly in a sense for himself, certainly for the benefit of others, but primarily for the Lord, because they were the Lord’s people he would teach and guide.

If we find ourselves in such circumstances, struggling with depression, then we must come out and be usefully employed in some activity that benefits others to the glory of God. The simple reality is that if you are involved in the needs of others you can’t afford the luxury of retreating to a juniper tree. A mother who has little ones dependent upon her for nourishment and for a warm and loving atmosphere in the home can’t afford such a luxury. So when you get tired with all the pressures and responsibilities of your family, thank God that at least those can keep you from going out and making a juniper tree and sitting under it.

But even if this is not our present we still know the burden of responsibilities, especially in the area of service in the kingdom, that at times we wish we can shrug off. But they can keep you from retreating to a state of dejection and despair. Keep at the task God gives you, and fulfil it with an eye to God and to His glory.

Doesn’t this show the terrible nature of sin? God comes in grace seeking Elijah, and sin causes Elijah to evade. Of course we never do that do we? God in His grace seeks us, maybe in our private devotions or during the preaching, as a portion of Scripture gets down into our souls and opens up our wounds we begin to shift responsibility, to excuse, to rationalise our feelings and actions. Don’t monkey around. Face God honestly. Tell Him the truth.

3. God reminds him of a spiritual principle

As Elijah seeks to evade spiritual reflection God takes him back to his first error concerning how God works. In v.11-12 Elijah is given what might be called a enacted parable from nature.

He is confronted with a series of mighty displays of power which are often in the Bible associated with the presence of God, yet it says that the Lord was not in them. If we had been asked to describe the Lord’s presence surely we would have used such symbols. But it was the small, still whisper in the air that touched the listening heart of Elijah and drew him with a sense of expectation to the mouth of the cave. When he heard this he knew he was about to meet God face to face as seen also by the fact that he covered his face.

What does this mean? We are not explicitly told but clearly Elijah got the message. I think that F B Meyer is right in suggesting that Elijah had to learn this lesson about God’s working: that though God sometimes works in dramatic ways He doesn’t always, and indeed has a preference to work in the ‘gentle blowing’.

Elijah thought that if there was to be any true reformation there must be, as it were, a baptism of fire. At Mt Carmel he thought the time had come. But the eagerness of the people died down, and Elijah thought God was not working at all. God is pointing out to Hs servant that He is not always to be found in great visible movements, that He loves to work gently and unperceived. He declares that this is the case as evidenced by the 7,000 true believers.

Yet it is often heard, ‘Oh if God would do something that would shake the earth, turn the wicked…’ Not that we should no pray for revival, for powerful visitations of God’s saving power. Oh yes we should pray for such days, such heart-seeking after God for salvation; but until God is prepared to act that way what will we do? Take a 7 year lease on a broom tree? No, learn the lesson that God often works silently and secretly yet powerfully, that God is doing so even now. Do not give upon the work in discouragement, do not despise the day of small things, but labour trusting God to work as He wills.

And that principal applies in every area of life. It is what we are to challenge every cause of discouragement that seeks to embattle our souls into despair. We need to remember that God is not inactive, but even more we need to submit to His sovereign will and purposes in what is happening in our lives.

The person given over to depression often finds that at the very root they have dictated to God how He ought to work, what He ought to have achieved. It is no surprise that such get disappointed and are open to deep discouragement. We need to see it for what it is: idolatry, which always leads to spiritual bankruptcy.

Instead recognise the breadth of God’s ways of working, and not disparage the wisdom of God to work as He will in our life and day, or despise the day of apparent small things. May we have, and if necessary regain, and above all maintain right views of God.

Inevitably involved in depression are spiritual issues that are real and need to be dealt with – issues that arise from and articulate wrong views of God and how He works, and also of ourselves and our expectations/demands of how God should work. We need to repent of any rebellion, of any idolatrous attachment to our ideas and schemes of how God should and if we are honest we believe must work. We must rest in God’s wisdom in the knowledge that He is sovereignly involved in our life.

We all know that if there is insufficient lighting the photo we take will look darker than the reality. One of satan’s tactics is to present thing in such a way that everything is much darker than its reality – particularly our perspective of God and how we relate to Him or how we perceive the way He relates to us. In such times we need to take the journey of grace using the light of God’s Word which shows God and His relationship to us in its proper light as one of grace and compassion, as one of the advance of His kingdom in our hearts and through our lives.

Evening Service, 4 October 2009

Like the rest of James, chapter 3 has proved to be a very challenging chapter.

Who among us does not have trouble with the tongue? Who among us has not been affected by the wisdom of our age so that we find ourselves sometimes expressing a ‘wisdom’ that is not from above?

It is a chapter that looks deeply at our motives, and one which calls us to respond to the grace and love of God in a more consistent godly manner. James has been calling us to ‘Make your choice!’

This week we come to what James sees as the key to wisdom’s effectiveness. James is saying that you can know you have wisdom by the way in which you use it. That key is “peace”.

James introduces this to us under a gardening metaphor, where the soil is peace “sown in peace”; the green-fingered gardeners are those who “make peace”; and the resultant fruit is “the fruit of righteousness” – which in itself lies at the heart of peace.

Now “peace” is something people in this world continually seek.

Gustav Valbert in his day (early 19^th Century) could report that ‘From the year 1496 B.C. to A.D. 1861 in 3358 years there were 227 years of peace with 3,130 years of war, or 13 years of war to every year of peace”. He also added that in the same period “more than 8,000 treaties of peace, meant to remain in force forever, were concluded. The average time they remained in force was two years.’ And that’s on the basis of limited information covering no doubts much more limited areas of the globe compared to what we would have access to today. One thing we can say is that things have not changed much since then! Conflicts and skirmishes between and within nations continue as a present and ugly curse on humanity.

Could we not go further and draw parallels in the areas of the work-place, community activity, home-life and family relationships, yet alone of the inner-man? There seems to be no sphere where man is and there is not some longing for peace or for clearer and consistent peace?

James sees “peace” as the centre-piece of Wisdom’s effectiveness. But what is “peace”?

It is usually used to mean the absence of fear, conflict or passion.

But in the Bible “peace” has a much fuller and richer meaning, as can be seen by its use in Josh 6:31 (“an altar of whole stones, over which no man has lift up any iron” – the word “whole”, indicating that these stones were unbroken, complete is basically “peace”. In Neh 6:15 we note “so the wall was finished”, and here again “finished” is from the basic word “peace”, and means complete.

So when we see “peace” used in this fuller biblical sense it has the idea of being whole, complete. Is not merely the absence of hostility but the enjoyment of restoration, of wholeness.

Now let us see how James in a very practical way works the relationship of peace here – and in so doing I want to use the 3 points suggested by John Blanchard as he for analysis looks at this verse in the reverse order of its ideas: The Christian’s Approach, Attitude, and Aim

1. Peace has to be ‘made’.

Immediately we see here that peace is something someone has to take responsibility for. It just doesn’t happen; in other words, it is not something natural in a fallen world.

2. Every Christian knows this from personal experience.

They have peace with God, but how did this come to be? It didn’t happen naturally, nor did it come from man who is described as being “at enmity with God” (Rom 8:7). No, it came because God worked it through His Son Jesus Christ.

Therefore it should not surprise us that James says on the one hand we must have the approach to life of labouring for peace if there is going to be any peace, and on the other hand says that this comes naturally to the Christian.

It is significant that Jesus in describing the citizens of His Kingdom in Matt 5:9 says they are “peacemakers”, that our lives go out to produce peace, and in so doing prove to be the children of God by exhibiting something of His approach to this world.

3. So our approach to Christians and others is that of “peace”

We are to pursue it: “Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14); “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another” (Rom 14:19).

We are also to preserve it: “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”(Eph 4:2-3); “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14) .

It is our very ministry: “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:18-20).

When we see disruption in the fellowship, in families, etc, our heart aches and we are driven to find ways of establishing peace. Where we find peace we remain watchful and vigilant, ever alert to maintaining that which we delight in.

Is this not what wisdom is? So acting, guiding, advising, and so correcting that peace, that completeness between us may be restored and maintained. Even our evangelism is to be undertaken not as getting people in pews or scalps on belts, but to see people at peace with God and so with others. Indeed evangelism is called “preaching peace by Jesus Christ” in Acts 10:36.

When we see conflict in the church we need to remember that we are both saved – that my Saviour loves us equally. Am I ready to say that my Lord is wrong to love him? Those who are comfortable with unresolved conflicts in the past need to ask God to soften their heart, to make them more Christ-like.

May God give us grace that this will obviously be our approach to life, to those about us, to any circumstance we find ourselves in. The Church and the world would be a more blessed place if this were so.

1. Here James again calls us to question our motives

It is not sufficient to labour for peace, the way that we do so should demonstrate the same peace consuming us. That not only are you doing something for peace, but that you are doing it in a peace-loving way. Not only working for peace, but peaceful in your working.

2. It is possible to address issues of conflict in a self-destructive way, in a militant, bitter and critical way – or to appear to.

Two ministers were having a conversation ‘What did you preach on last Sunday? l preached on “The wicked shall be turned into hell”.’ ‘Did you preach it tenderly?’ he was asked. It is said of Robert Murray McCheyne that when he preached on hell he could not help but weep. That is a good policy, even more it is an echoing of Christ’s heart who wept over Jerusalem even though it rejected Hi and was about to call for His crucifixion.

How many people have reacted against the approaches of others for peace because of the attitude of judgementalism or sanctimoniousness that they perceived in the hopeful ‘peacemaker’?

Some of the most eager to pursue righteousness, in doing the right thing, in calling for discipline, sadly show an aggressiveness and hostility in what they do – and as a result undermine the very thing they seek to do. Let me ask you, Will such encourage a sister or brother to take seriously your efforts at reconciliation? Let us beware, for while what at times may be appropriately thundered from a pulpit must be spoken tenderly face to face.

3. The question we are forced to ask of ourselves here is, How am I being perceived as I make my appeals? What attitudes do I betray?

To that end we need to be courteous; we need to be sensitive; tenderness and concern controlling the tones as well as the words.

In our love of righteousness and hatred of sin let us be careful for we may be tempted to secretly detest and despise someone. We need to remind ourselves of our own numerous faults and wonder about how others put up with us. We need to seek God’s forgiveness for our faults of attitude as well as of action, seeking also to get things in proportion, remembering all the ways of the offender which demand respect. This will cause us to really and transparently mean our approach of peace.

This is why Paul said in Gal 6:1 pointed out that those who are to work in resolving the difficulties of sin in the lives of others must be “spiritual” and must function with “gentleness” – “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”

1. Righteousness is the harvest among the wise.

James is talking about the exercise of wisdom, and here shows that its fruit is righteousness.

You will remember we described wisdom is living rightly, is walking with God, is living God’s way. At its essence then righteousness and wisdom go hand in hand. Last week we noted that you must look at the effect of the wisdom to see if it is from above or from below. Here James asserts that when you put biblical wisdom to a similar test it always has the effect of righteousness. This must be our aim – righteousness, right living before God.

2. Yet wisdom never separates peace and righteousness.

There can be no peace without righteousness; nor righteousness without peace. The Psalmist look forward to the coming day when “righteousness and peace have kissed” each other (Psa 85:10). That day has come in Christ, and will reach its fullest expression in the coming Day of Christ. Jesus Christ had to die for sinners that they might know peace and righteousness together. Let us be careful, then, in separating what God has joined together.

It is true that Scripture tells us that there is a place for holding our “peace” over some things we see in others. In Prov.10:12, quoted by 1 Peter 4:8, we read, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers a multitude of sins”. That is, love does not expose sin unnecessarily, and certainly not to cause pain or to get an advantage over another. Love is peaceable and peace-loving; it is helpful; not destructive and vindictive. Indeed it does what it can to remove the cause of disruptions by seeking to deal with the sin in another – the word cover also carrying the idea of atonement.

Clearly this is essential for the harmony of the church. This realisation that as God is taking time with us, and that in the same way we need to be patient with others and not lose perspective. There is a godly tolerance.

But when it comes to serious offences of the kind which require church discipline there has been a tendency to also say that this person’s offence should be ignored. That is a sinful tolerance.

Our aim is not just peace, and certainly not ‘peace at any price’. As Thomas Manton said, ‘Peace without righteousness is but a sordid compliance; righteousness without peace but a rough austerity.’

And so, even in formal church discipline it must still be with an approach of seeking peace through reconciliation and restoration in righteousness, and must be approached with an attitude marked by peace.

Only thus, in the pursuit of peace with peace can we expect to see righteousness as the glorious fruit of wisdom.

“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Rom 12:18); “…the kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17). May God cause such fruit to blossom amongst us, that we would be known as “peacemakers” and “seekers after righteousness”!

Evening Service, 20 September 2009

HEAVENLY WISDOM (James 3:13-17)

We have already seen James in 1:5 put a high premium upon wisdom as that which is essential for all Christians, and for the absence of which no Christian has any valid excuse. Its source is in God who freely and ungrudgingly extends it to His children in response to their prayers.

Here James reinforces this by stressing that wisdom is the necessary link between tongue and life in this world.

James speaks of “wisdom and understanding” indicating that they are related but separate realities.

Understanding refers to attaining knowledge – both of the Word and the world. We are to learn, to be thinkers, to give serious thought and discover the knowledge we need to know. Wisdom is not basically having understanding, yet understanding enables a greater exercise of wisdom. There is no excuse for ignorance, nor for laziness and careless preparation, for letting TV do our thinking for us. Peter tells us to “gird up the loins of your mind” (1 Peter 1:13), which has the idea of putting the corners of garment in the loin belt so that you could get down to serious activity. Christians are to be people committed to understanding. This is why education has always had a priority with Christians; education in general, but especially in the things of God as revealed in His Word. We cannot expect wisdom apart from growing in “the grace and knowledge of the Lord” (2 Peter 3:18).

But understanding of itself is not sufficient. It is possible to have great knowledge without wisdom – “Great men are not always wise” (Job 32:9). This is why James puts the greater emphasis on wisdom. So what is wisdom?

Wisdom is understood as ‘skilfully applying knowledge to the matter of practical living’ (MacArthur). At its heart, it is being God-orientated in our thinking and living out understanding in real-life situations. As we read for example in Ps 111:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”. John Blanchard makes this striking observation about wisdom as defined in the Bible: ‘As far as l can discover, nowhere in the Bible … is wisdom used to describe an unbeliever’. We might add that they are often designated as “fools” – the very opposite of being wise (eg, Ps. 14:1).

Until your life is God-orientated, you may be intelligent but you certainly aren’t wise. The wisdom of this world is defective for this reason. It denies any relationship with yet alone existence of God. That’s like a blind man walking through a room denying or being indifferent to the existence of furniture. The inevitable result is catastrophe, and it is not far away. And that is what we see around us in this present world, isn’t it?

Motyer observes, ‘It is those who live closely to God who can see more clearly into things and know just how to manage life’s varied circumstances’.

Now as Christians we should be the first to acknowledge that truth. So James throws out the challenge to the church – v.13a. In so doing it is clear that James expects to find wise people in the church. But James is also aware that there is a need to test our claims to having wisdom. And that even those with heavenly wisdom at times act or speak with a pseudo-wisdom, a reality we need to be alert to. It sounds so good, but its fruit evidences it was not from God at all.

He was very much aware of the reality that Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 6:5 where he writes “I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren?” This was a church that claimed to itself such a high opinion as a result of the multiplicity of gifts of the Spirit, yet Paul was ashamed for them. Why? Because there was a lack of true wisdom. They were claiming to be wise but in everything they saw as wisdom, Paul saw the opposite.

In v.13 James calls us to show the evidence that we have wisdom. It is as if James is saying, ‘Do you claim to have this wisdom? Then let me see the evidence. I can hear your words; I want to see your works.’

True wisdom shows itself in two ways, according to James:

Throughout your life – “his works” characterising a life of “good conduct”.

In other words, we are called away from that type of Christianity so current today which is marked by occasional good works which really only look so good because the rest of their life is generally carnal.

It is not now and then, but continually, repeatedly, characteristically. This is not to be what has been euphemistically called ‘spiritual measles’ – wisdom only shown in spots. True wisdom will pervade the whole life – it is not something we show off, but show out!

Through your manner – “in the meekness of wisdom”

Our manner is not to be aggressive or self-serving. In other words wisdom is something we have to show out not shout out.

“meekness” is a self-denying gentleness, the opposite of arrogance and self-promotion, and is used only in the context of a relationship, either with God or man.

The greatest example of course is Jesus Himself as Peter points out in 1 Peter 2:21-23! He trusted to Him who judges righteously. That is meekness! It is not in self-defence mode or privately or publicly self-justifying, at any hint of opposition, not even at its outright intensity. It gets on with living and doing as God wills, leaving the outcome to Him, including any vindication. As such then it is an expression of confidence in one’s relationship with God and even others. It has been described as ‘a conviction rooted in the conviction of the overruling sovereignty of God’.

In all our attitudes and relationships with others at work, in the home, in Christian activity – as you respond to those who rub you up the wrong way just as you talk to someone about Jesus Christ we must show and exercise wisdom with meekness.

As he calls us to show it, he also utters a warning:

Be careful of counterfeits – v.14-16. Here James,

Delineates its character as “earthly”, this worldly, as “minds set on earthly things” (Phil 3:19). It may be the ‘wisdom’ that comes out of our universities and parliaments, it may be the ‘home-spun’ wisdom that underpins much of one’s national or family culture). It is also “sensual” – here the idea is that of unspiritual or natural over against spiritual; of being driven by lusts and passion instead of by the Holy Spirit. But in tracing such wisdom back to its ultimate roots, it is “demonic”. It is lies from the father of lies!

This type of wisdom is so clearly seen in the utterance of Peter in Mark 8:32-33. Here he showed wisdom when in a spirit of concern he counselled Jesus not to go the way of the cross. Jesus rightly attributed this wisdom to Satan! It ignored God’s redemptive purposes, and was concerned with sensual comfort and security.

Describes its motives as “bitter envying and self-seeking in the heart”

As a wise pastor James never tires of warning us about our motives – here he reminds us again that it is possible to do even religious things from the wrong motives (cf 2:4 and 4:3).

When you decide what is the wise course of action, what is it that drives that decision? With pseudo-wisdom two things stand out as its ‘genetic’ markers:

“Bitter envying” is a desire to humiliate, degrade, get even; to rather see something was not done at all if you couldn’t do it or if someone else might actually be better able to do it. And so your whole decision-making and influence bearing on others is flavoured by this.

“Self-seeking” is a natural partner and speaks of being driven by selfish ambition: Are you speaking, acting, even manipulating others because of your desire to get somewhere in the church? at work? in that social club? Is your enthusiasm, interest, drive merely a cover-up for selfish ambition? If these are in you, stop claiming your wisdom to be from God! It’s of the world and the devil.

How much false and evil counsel the world has had to suffer because of these two motivations!

Declares its results in v.16

There will be arguments and disputes within the church. Sin will continue to abound. False wisdom stirred up by false motives will result in false actions, in all manner of evil. How often do we hear, ‘But I thought I was doing the right thing’? Let us watch out against this type of wisdom.

James is not repudiating knowledge which we see even in unbelievers. He is saying ‘Don’t be too impressed by the world’s wisdom. Ask what kind of fruit it is producing in the lives of those who you think have it. Are they at peace? Do they have a genuine inner joy? What is their life-style like? Then also ask, what has their advice done to other people?’ The tragedy of ‘the wisdom of Dr Spock’ occurs again and again in this world that rejects authority yet ever looks for someone to tell it what to do – so long as it leaves the true God out.

“Confusion” is the result, as Prov 14:12 reminds us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Death is the ultimate confusion, the confusion of utter and irreversible dissolution. And with it is found “every evil thing” – literally ‘every worthless or vile work – they may not be intrinsically evil, but they are worthless.

Have you noticed that in describing heavenly wisdom in v.17 as we should expect to see it, James uses a particular style of word?

I was intrigued by the insight of Alec Motyer who pointed out that James does not give us a list of verbs (commands to do this or that), nor does he use nouns (specifying items of good conduct). What he has given us here is a list of adverbs, which are words about the sort of people we are to be whatever we do.

It begins with purity. Heavenly wisdom is essentially concerned with purity, a fact further stressed by its priority in the list, that it is pure – that is, it is free of contamination, being both unadulterated and undiluted; it’s the original. And at the same time its key evidence is purity – in self and as the objective of what you seek to lead others into.

Yet though it begins with this quality, a common characteristic of lists in the NT is that the first mentioned is a moderating item, that is all those that follow in some way impact back on it, are descriptive of what it looks like. So though the others are important in their own right, what this indicates is that this is what heavenly or pure wisdom will look like in our relationships, and therefore it help us see whether this is the wisdom that we have.

So then we see that it is also peaceable – ie., peace-loving and peace-making. Here let us note that the exercise of wisdom is with a desire for reconciliation and the promotion of a healthy relationship with God and others. This is not a tranquillised state so that you don’t feel the issues of life, but peace in the issues of life arising from a knowledge of and walking with God. This then flows out in relation to others. It is working to settle the differences and restore friendship.

It is “gentle”. A good paraphrase would be ‘ready to make allowances’; it means seeing the best in other people. Having the right to condemn, you forgive, are generous. Paired with this is “willing to yield” – open to reason, to another’s view. True wisdom considers others and their point of view.

It is also “full of mercy and good fruits” – exhibiting a genuine concern for the welfare of others. The wisdom of the world cries out ‘It’s his own fault.’ Though such a person may be at fault, true wisdom however shows mercy nonetheless and seeks for opportunities to bring help rather than use that as an excuse to mock let alone remove oneself from that person and their plight.

And it is “without partiality and without hypocrisy” – it is consistent regardless of the person or situation which it faces. You can depend on this person to say the same, he is warmly open to all, he is real.

Now ALL of these things ought to appear in the Christian’s life. This is how heavenly wisdom will work out in our lives.

Will you now face the challenge of v.13a? As you do so, remember James 1:5.

Morning Service, 27 September 2009

Oh, Sweet Gentleness! (1 Kings 19:5-8)

What do you do when you see someone in the depth of their weakness? In our better moments we would have compassion, our hearts would be drawn out to them in kindness and acts of kindness.

But what if that someone is one who you trusted even relied on for something, yet here they are before you in weakness and failure? More often than not our response would range from annoyance, frustration, anger, even to disgust. Do we not tend to lose a sense of our own human frailties, forget our own sinful tendencies? Indeed how often we have succumbed to temptation to the neglect or hurt of others.

What was the Lord’s response to Elijah who was not where he should be, was not doing what he should’ve been doing, but lay here crippled by spiritual depression, seeking to be released from his burden by death?

Did He turn away with disgust from such a sight, leaving him to reap what he had sown, to suffer the full and final deserts of his unbelief?

Could the Good Shepherd refuse to take care of one of His strayed sheep, lying helpless by the wayside? Could the Great Doctor refuse assistance to one of His patients just when he needs Him most?

No, God’s response was one of gentleness arising out of His longsuffering towards us. This is the reason for Elijah’s restoration and future usefulness, indeed greatness. It lies in the Lord’s activity as described by the Psalmist in Ps 18:35 – “and Your gentleness makes me great”. That is a strange phrase. We would’ve expected power or wisdom to make him great. But no, it is all down to God’s gentleness.

As we look at these verses we see the kindness and gentleness with which God dealt with Elijah in that

1. He assures Elijah of His love and concern for him

Having in a bout of severe depression prayed to die, we then find that Elijah laid himself down to sleep. The idea was clearly that he might not awaken again but rather die in his sleep. But he is awakened to find that it is an angel of the Lord who has awakened him.

We may have expected a rebuke, a verbal ‘spanking’ but the Lord sends this special token of His loving concern. Yes the Lord could’ve used earthly means such as a raven or a widow to speak to him but in Elijah’s present state of mind he might have misunderstood it as a coincidence. But there was no mistaking this for an angel is not a free agent but serves at the command of God. So if an angel is here it is because God has initiated in love all that followed. It was a way of dealing with Elijah that forced him to come to the only possible conclusion.

But notice also the way the Angel interacted with the sleeping Elijah. He touched him. That is, the angel gently aroused him. How different this is from the angelic treatment of Peter asleep in Herod’s prison! There the angel kicked Peter, making him jump to wakefulness. The reason for the difference lies not in the location nor even in the depth of sleep, but rather largely in the state of the sleeper’s mind. Elijah was of a very fragile state of heart, unlike Peter who was resting in peaceful confidence of the Lord’s sovereign purposes and over-ruling. Elijah was wholly given over to despair, and so he needed a much gentler approach.

By it God was saying two things to Elijah:

(1) ‘Elijah you have not gone beyond the sight of My eye.’ We may lose ourselves in a wilderness, but God does not lose us. In this regard remember the insight into God Hagar was given when driven from Abraham’s tent with Ishmael and lost in the wilderness but also ministered to by God. In Gen 16:13 we read that “she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are- the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me?’” Wherever we are we may look at Him who ‘lives and sees’ us.

(2) ‘Elijah you have not roamed beyond the love of My heart.’ God as it were plays host and servant to Elijah to express that He loves Elijah. As He does to us in the Lord’s Supper and the regular ministry of the Word – we come here to worship and serve God but we find Him meeting us with the ministry of the spoken and visible Word, speaking to our individual hearts assuring us of His grace, mercy and love.

Let us learn from this that we need to treat people differently according to their emotional and spiritual condition. How gentle we need to be with those of a fragile mind and those weakened spiritually – we cannot use confrontation, our weapon must be assuring gentleness, with demonstrations of genuine kindness and love.

But especially let us note that this is how God deals with His servants, individually and appropriately to their state before Him, and even as that condition may change from one moment in our lives to another. He always deals with us with great wisdom, kindness and love.

2. He meets Elijah’s immediate physical needs

Notice how the angel ministered to him. He did not come initially with spiritual food, ie with a verse or two from Scripture addressing his situation, or exhortations that would lift him out of his despair and move him on to renewed service.

Instead God by this angel came with food with food and drink, and then allowed Elijah to go back to sleep. By this God shows how He deals with sinning servants. If physical weariness and deprivation has in anyway contributed to sin He doesn’t by-pass that as if body and soul are separate entities.

Yes Elijah sought to hide in sleep – but God still knew he needed sleep just as he needed food and drink. Elijah had retreated into sleep as an evasion, but here the angel by not hindering sleep highlights its proper function as being for the recovery of the body and for supplying the physical resources that would be need for future activity.

The angel is making known that there is a vital link between body and soul, and that a weakened body works negatively on the state of the soul.

God is going to deal with Elijah’s sin, He is going to probe His conscience, but He knows that we are not fit to grapple with deep spiritual issues if we are in a state of physical imbalance. That of course, is something we need to give careful thought to in terms of our preparation for worship or the study of God’s Word – get enough rest the night before, have a decent breakfast, don’t rush (leave enough time to get here relaxed). Teachers know the great need of such preparation – how often they find students unable to learn because of their failure to do so!

How can we expect to seriously handle the searching ministry of the Holy Spirit by the Word of God if we are tired physically and mentally, if we are distracted by other things pressing against the use of such times for soul work.

But it is especially something that we need to bear in mind when we are dealing with spiritually fragile brethren. God teaches us here to have a holistic approach to God’s people, to encourage the structuring or restructuring of their lives so that there is a proper balance in life. In dealing with souls we need to be aware of this for inevitably where a believer is in spiritual trouble other aspects of their lives also begin to suffer and compound their problems and work against recovery.

3. He gives Elijah a token of His presence and His power

Having allowed him to rest a second time the angel awakes and feeds him, and this is with a particular journey in mind. He was to travel to Horeb is the mountain where God appeared to Moses, otherwise known as Mt Sinai.

That was normally a journey that would take only 3 to 4 days, this one turned out to take him 40 days and nights of expending energy and exposure to the elements. No wonder the angel told him to eat up. Then in v.8 we are told that he was carried, in the strength of this food, to Horeb, the mountain of God. It was God who wonderfully and miraculously sustained him during this travel.

Why did God do this? Remember 18:46 where we read that Elijah travelled about 30kms in the strength and power of God. He was conscious of the unusual presence and power of the Lord resting upon him, enabling him. Now he experiences that same surge of Divine enablement and power as one day enters into another. By this Elijah would’ve been forced to recognise that there is no other possible explanation than God, and so by this God is effectively giving him an assurance of His presence and power. Does this not remind us of the fact that the shoes of Israel did not wear out and that mana and quails were daily provided for them during the wilderness wanderings? A fitting parallel to encourage Elijah!

Elijah was effectively back-tracking that journey under God’s provision to the mount where God formally entered into His covenant with His people. Here Elijah is being drawn to ponder God’s covenant mercy and covenant faithfulness, which is always the antidote to our depression.

Are we not amazed at the gentleness and kindness of God? He hasn’t yet probed Elijah’s conscience, dealt with him about his area of responsibility, let alone addressed Elijah’s misinterpretation of how God is working. In His grace God first undertakes to meet Elijah’s immediate physical and emotional needs. God deals with us much better than we deserve! He did not take Elijah at his word, and likewise how thankful we should be that He does not take us at our word and grant us our foolish passionate requests.

Did you notice that the angel of v.5 is identified as “the Angel of the Lord” in v.7? In the OT this Angel receives and accepts worship from God’s people, carries the very name of Yahweh in Himself, and does things that are peculiar to deity. Most Bible students agree that the Angel of the Lord is a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ. We are given in other words a glorious picture of Christ fulfilling that role of which Isaiah speaks in 42:3 – “A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench”. The Messiah totally cares for His people even when they are damaged. It is ‘the gentleness of our Saviour that makes us strong.’

As Christians we ought to understand and remember that there is no explanation for your sitting here other than that Jesus is that kind of a kind and tender Saviour, full not only of patience but compassion toward His people. How often we have been such an Elijah, and when it would’ve been easier to have the Lord come with fiery eye and smite us, He has assured us of His love and concern, stooping to minister to our needs. Here is our hope of the journey through life – the only reason any of us will persevere is because the God who has done a good work in us has pledged to perfect it and carry it on till the day of Christ. Have you fallen? Given yourself over to despair and despondency in the midst of trials? Look to Him with hope seeing the fresh tokens of His love. He will not cast you aside but even now is drawing you to refresh yourself from His hand. “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:13)

When faith is tested, as it surely is in times of deep despair or depression, we must, as God encouraged Elijah to do, remember that our God lives, but even more focus on the character of our God who lives – that He is full of compassion to His people, that He acts tenderly to them – He deals with us wisely, and that means as suited by our condition.

The greatly encouraging thing about the Lord’s kindness is that it doesn’t depend on perfection – it is the manifestation of God’s perfection that intersects with our imperfection day after day. Elijah didn’t have to sort himself out, pick himself up from the bootlaces, snap himself out of his deep blue funk before he received it. No quite the opposite, even when he was determined that there was no more life, no more need to expend energy to do anything, in the very depth of it he found God kindly coming near and ministering to him. Sensitively, wisely, suitably.
This is the God we know, and this is the God we are to be like as His children.

Examine your own philosophy. Do you value kindness? Examine your own actions, secret as well as public. Do you values doing acts of kindness?

Has God placed within your horizon, perhaps in very close proximity, who has many problems, and who is not handling them well? Have you ever caught yourself judging that person, wondering if they have brought their problems in upon themselves, blaming them? Are we like Job’s friends, ‘helping’ by enlightening them about sins for which God must be punishing them? I

It is quite possible that our judgements are correct, at least in part. Elijah’s depression found a root in sinful responses to intimidation and in sinful unbelief concerning God’s presence, purpose and power.

But is it possible that God has a double purpose? That God is testing us as well? Is He asking us, ‘Are you going to show kindness to them?’

Every day brings with it many opportunities to express kindness, and above all here we are reminded that whatever else a depressed person needs to experience is kindness, and indeed without which they may not really hear anything else. Kindness builds bridges of hope, pointing to God’s kindness.

Evening Service, 13 September 2009

James (14) Controlling the Tongue (James 3:2b–12)

In v.2 James calls us to a Biblical Realism. He is not saying that there is a ‘perfect man’ – in fact quite the opposite.

A wise old Christian was speaking to one ‘believed in sinless perfectionism, and who indeed had been bragging about his sinlessness. He asked, “Can you point to a single man or woman, other than Jesus, in the entire Bible?” “Yes,” replied the perfectionist, “turn to Luke 1:6 and you will read of Elizabeth and Zacharias that “…they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” “I am glad you mentioned Zacharias,” said the old saint, “for if you read on you will find that the Bible says he was struck dumb because he did not believe the special revelation which God gave him through Gabriel.” (see Luke 1:20)

Here James explodes the false notion of sinless perfectionism by stating that every person is guilty of sin – literally, “we stumble again and again” (see also Eccles 7:20; 1 Jn 1:8; Rom 3:10, 23).

He does so demonstrating it in our use of the tongue, particularly in that we don’t control it as we should. James in vv.1-12 is highlighting the scriptural truth that the mouth is a focal point and vivid indicator of man’s fallenness and sinful heart condition (cf. Isa 6:5; Matt 15:11,16–19; Mark 7:20–23; Rom 3:13,14). As Doriani points out, ‘The tongue daily demonstrates both our sinfulness and our inability to reform ourselves. Failures of the tongue are frequent and public, hence undeniable.’ How often we have seen the media pouch on the foot-in-mouth disease of politicians and famous people, or any other whom they want to hold up to ridicule or to expose in their eyes the folly of their views. Indeed, do we not know this ourselves. In speaking of teachers James is reminding us that we all suffer from this reality, but also that we all in the pursuit of practical godliness need to take seriously the battle with the tongue, or rather the battle with what the tongue represents, sin-within. It is not only teachers who are called to control their tongue or demonstrate problems to do so.

James is calling all of us to manage or control our tongue, to see this as a point of priority in the Christian life and that it is essential for a consistent Christian life. In fact it could be said that James’ point is that ‘true religion controls the tongue’. To that end James speaks of and calls us to recognise the powerful influence of the tongue. It is

James uses three examples to show this

The ‘bit’ (v.3) which directs and stops the powerful horse. In both cases a disproportionately small thing moves and controls a large body.

The ‘rudder’ (v.4) which though unseen steers the ship against the powerful forces of the wind and waves. For those no familiar with boats, if James was writing today he might have used the idea of a steering wheel in a car. In like manner the tongue has great influence on the whole person.

Then of the ‘spark’ (v.5b) from which a raging forest fire can develop – a reality we are all too well aware of in this country as year after year we face the awful trauma of bushfires and regularly hear news reports of house fires. A little carelessness with fire can cause enormous damage – just a cigarette butt falling into dry grass by the roadside may be all that is required (as the TV ads when I was a child indicated). So too the tongue can set fire to relationships, communities and nations. In Proverbs we read, “An ungodly man digs up evil, and it is on his lips like a burning fire. A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends” (Prov 16:27-28, cf 26:20-22).

Something small, insignificant, accomplishes so much (v.5a) – not a false boast. The small tongue has such a great influence on the whole body.

Have we not seen this throughout history?

It was with the tongue that Sir Winston Churchill galvanised the nation of Great Britain against Germany. And what of Adolf Hitler’s ‘skill’?

Indeed, has not God given the tongue a place of honour in saving people? Do we not come to faith in Christ “through preaching” (Rom 10:10).

Have we not known something of this in our own lives? Been comforted, guided, strengthened, corrected, led to the Lord by the use of someone’s tongue? This is the greatest use of the tongue among humanity.

The use of the tongue, then, is not a minor matter, and controlling your tongue is not a minor thing in developing a consistent Christian character. It is fundamental because of the influence it can bear.

The tongue exercises a disproportional influence. So much damage is done in and for the cause of Christ because we forget this, and many opportunities are wasted because we neglect this. Until we see this about the tongue we will not see the importance of giving attention to controlling it.

Its powerful influence is further seen in that the tongue is the last frontier of human dominion in a sinful world.

James stresses man’s ability

We are renowned for taming the created world. Despite the inroads of sin into the functioning of this world, we show ourselves adept at discovering and controlling it. Discoveries which are almost daily made testify to this. You don’t have to be a Christian to do this. There is sufficient of the image of God in mankind that enables this.

But James equally points out our failure with the tongue!

This is not hard to prove – is it? During WWII the slogan was plastered everywhere, ‘Loose lips sink ships’. The underlying understanding was that even in the best of people there is a tendency to fail to control the tongue. “A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.”(Prov 18:6-7)

Despite our best efforts, under duress or stress, we blow it. It is such a little thing, but we can’t control it! Man can bring under control everything else – but the tongue – by comparison so small and accessible – remains uncontrolled.

James’s point here is that this is not accidental – this failure is due to the defect of our nature through sin.

In v.6 we see the impact of the tongue for evil in that it is described as “a world of iniquity” – not that all evil is due to the tongue, rather that much of the evil in this world is related to this small instrument! It’s incredible capacity to suggest sin establishes it as a source of great wickedness. It is not that the tongue is necessarily more evil than other members of the body, but speech is involved in almost every form of wickedness and indeed it exercises a corrupt influence. For example, we say someone is selfish or lazy because we think it, but once we say it we think it all the more and find that we relate to them in the light of it all the more earnestly.

But we also see that the cause of this is the activity of satan on human nature – “is set on fire by hell”. As MacArthur notes, ‘Even a slip of the tongue – carries the full potential of all hell’s evil’.

Even the Christian finds themselves vulnerable to satan at this point – so easily at times do we find ourselves succumbing to the influences of satan on our sinful nature.

Notice in v.7– “mankind” is literally “human nature”. There is something in us that enables this dominion to still take place. But as we move to v.8 the idea is that this is not true when it comes to the tongue!

In other words, there is nothing resident within human nature that can control it. We try, but we fail. We will always fail in the end. James is pointing a very bleak picture of humanity here. Such is the impact of sin upon us we cannot in and of ourselves control the tongue. You may see the depths of human wickedness revealed in some of the vile acts of people – James sees it in the tongue. If you are not convinced of the both the depravity and inability of human nature then look at the tongue! The Bible gives a long ‘crime sheet’ of the tongue.

Indeed we can extrapolate James’ thinking further and say that this is true of bringing all our body to glorify God. We cannot do it in and of ourselves. This is why works–religion will fail!

Do you get the point? You will never be able to control your tongue so long as you rely on your native ability! In the realm of human effort it is an untamed power. And until we see that we will not be able to control it.

We have already seen that the tongue’s use can be beneficial or bad. Here James draws closer to home and deals with the fact that it can be true within the same person. That we can speak as an angel one moment, but as a devil the next. Notice here – James says “we”. He is including himself. This is true within Christians.

Sometime ago a sermon was preached on gossiping entitled ‘Ten Minutes After the Benediction’. In it the questions were asked: ‘Do we move from Gloria to Gossip? Do we move from Creed to Criticism? Do we move from Praising God to Wounding men?’

This inconsistency is what James draws out in v.9–12. “These things ought not to be so” says James. Though it is an inconsistency for the sinner, that it is particularly so for the believer is what James emphasises here. He points out:

a. That such inconsistency is impossible in the natural world

James shows this by drawing our attention to a spring and to the fig tree and grape vine. Natural springs were common there – some were fresh, others salty – but never both. As to the fig and the grape you don’t ever find the fruit of the one growing on the other. Simply put, there is a basic law of consistency in creation.

b. In the same way it is improper in the spiritual world

Though we still have a sinful nature so long as we are in this world, it is a different thing to say that therefore it is natural and proper for both types of tongue use to be present. Even in the case of the unbeliever who has not a recreated spiritual nature, it is not proper – for they too, though fallen, still bear the marks of being created in the image of God. We were created to use our tongue to God’s glory, and this is all the more true for the Christian who is re–created in the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

c. But in this lies our hope for control

That it is improper means that the power of sinful nature over the tongue has been broken in the Christian. We are the “fresh water”. Earlier we noted that the tongue is so easily inflamed by hell – but on the day of Pentecost a different fire came and gave new speech – a tongue intelligibly declaring the wonderful works of God. We cannot control the tongue, but God can. He has made us new, genuinely new though not yet totally new; and He has given us the indwelling Holy Spirit who gives the power that human nature doesn’t have – to free the tongue for righteousness.

The Christian alone then can exercise control of the tongue through the Holy Spirit who strengthens us. He is concerned to use our speech to the glory of God. And so as we find ourselves struggling with our sinful nature which is so easily inflamed by satan, let us turn to God. He is our resource. Is this not what James has already told us in 1:5?

Let us see then that there are no idle words – they all matter. Jesus makes this abundantly clear when He says “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37) This is not a salvation by works, or rather words, rather that our words will reveal the inner reality and so stand as essential evidence for or against us. Let us learn that we must watch our tongues in all its usage – from the words we say to the songs we sing. The advice of Alexander Whyte to new converts is useful here. He said to ask: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? Let us also learn that what no one can do, can and will increasingly be done by the grace of God; that we must look to God to do this, doing it in His strength and by His grace. Our continual prayer must be that of Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, 0 Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer”.

Morning Service – 13 September 2009

The Cry of Despair (1 Kings 19:3-5a)

Last week we saw a side of Elijah which was unexpected, a complete contrast to everything we have seen till then. Here he is a man on the run, running for his life.

There are several ways we can look at this journey from Jezreel to Beersheba in southern edge of Judah, and then another day’s journey into the Wilderness. (1) It was a run that basically covered the length of the country about 140kms or so, and then another day’s journey of 20-30 kms. (2) He ran from high up in the nation of Israel near the Syrian border, to deep into the southern kingdom of Judah. (3) He ran from the apostate nation of the north into the outwardly at least spiritually orthodox nation in the south. (4)Then again he ran from a populated area, by-passing all other population centres deep into a place of physical, social and above all spiritual isolation, even going another day’s journey away from his faithful servant who had been accompanying him.

As we take up the record at v.4 we see Elijah in the ‘slough of despond’, feeling life was no longer worth living. He cannot go on. The choice of location symbolised his mood, a wilderness of despair, as indeed his prayer clearly declared to God. He wanted to be alone, felt he deserved to be alone. Indeed he saw this place of isolation and death as the logical terminus point of his life.

As a result in v.4 we read one of the most frightening prayers ever uttered – and in reading it we tremble in that if such a mighty man of God could pray it how much more would it be possible for us to reach such depths of despair.

As we look at the cry of despondency let us note, firstly,

1. The Setting to the prayer

And I don’t mean so much the geographical or historical setting, but what they reveal of the spiritual setting of this prayer. An important question to ask here is: was Elijah guilty of sin here? Is there any evil?

The answer is clearly ‘Yes’. He was obviously guilty of disobedience as no word of God had come to him to leave Jezreel. He was obviously guilt of unbelief in that because he can’t see what God is doing he begins to doubt that God is doing anything. There is obviously a feeling of wounded pride, and there is obviously discontent with the present state. Such prayers arise from a sinful frame of mind and heart, from a preoccupation with self such that everything and everyone else lose their significance.

Depression is hard to define, and is not properly a description of the mood swings or the ‘downs’ that are normal part of life. Bob Smith defines it this way: ‘Depression is a debilitating mood, feeling or attitude of hopelessness, which becomes a person’s reason for not handling the most important issues of life.’ This feeling orientation can be so strong that it even affects the body, as David describes in Psa 32. Indeed there may be physical causes behind depression such as tumours, illness, hormones, lack of sleep… and this needs to be considered.

But what is also clear is that depression has a spiritual dimension, either as its cause or its complicating factor. Sin may be involved as a direct cause – eg Psa 32:3 where David sees the connection with hiding a specific sin, and that joy was restored when he confessed (v.5). But at other times sin becomes a factor when we fail to respond biblically with trust in the Lord in face of unpleasant or unexpected circumstances – eg in Psa 6 where David speaks of his bout of depression in the face of the overwhelming threat of enemies. When problems are not handled biblically, bad feelings are produced, and when these in turn cause or become the reason for the person to stop functioning in some or all areas of life depression occurs. Yet as Bob Smith helpfully points out depression is different to discouragement. ‘In depression the person ceases handling life or some area of life. In the case of discouragement the person keeps going.’

What was the cause of Elijah’s severe depression? Clearly the trigger was the fear…and this was complicated by the overwhelming realisation of disappointment concerning his ministry and indeed in himself – “I am no better than my fathers!”

2. The Substance of the prayer

Elijah, as he sat under the tree, thought in his despondency that he was unable any longer to bear the burden of life. “It is enough!” I can’t cope any more. I have done enough, endured enough, tried enough – just let me die.

To him there was no sense living anymore. He’s ministry was for nothing. He has no purpose left to live. Apostasy reigns, Jezebel sits entrenched in the palace; the weak wavering unprincipled Ahab is just a servant of her whims; and the nation still seems to be wedded to its idolatry despite all that it has endured and has recently been privileged to see.

Krummacher picks up the obvious mood and thoughts behind Elijah’s prayer: ‘It is enough, O Lord! Why should I remain longer in this land of travail? My existence is useless. If my labours in Israel, in the midst of so many signs and wonders, have missed their aim, where shall they be of any service? It is enough! Why should I remain here and longer to witness the decline of thy kingdom? Therefore, take me now, O Lord, my poor and troubled soul from me; for I am not better than my fathers. Certainly I hoped to see what many kings and prophets have desired to see; but I too have been disappointed. But who am I, that I should venture to desire such great things at Thy hand; who am I that with presumptuous hope could promise myself a preference, for which saints, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear, have longed in vain? It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life!’

Elijah had run out of fear of death and yet now he cries out for death! This tells us that during the run fear had worked its evil fruit in his soul. He had come to view the situation of Israel as hopeless, that his ministry despite all that had been achieved changed nothing and the situation is hopeless. But it was also that he saw that he himself as hopeless too. He was full of shame that he had run, that he was utterly worthless, a failure, unable to do anything good despite his great desires and efforts. As he looked at his work and at himself he saw only hopelessness, that there were no answers. In this we need to be careful not to confuse humility with the self-denunciation of a severely depressed person. True humility is a gift of the Spirit is joined with respect and confidence for God’s gifts – a good example of this companionship is found in 1 Cor 15:10 – “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me”. But that is not what we see herein Elijah. All his thinking was leaving out God and His sovereign grace and distinguishing mercy. It was an expression of pride, not a looking unto God to do what man cannot do. How we need to remember the counsel of Jesus in Mark 10:27 – “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

True humility looks away from self to God and develops hope; depression looks away from God to self and fills one with hopelessness.

The prayer of Elijah is not marked by a trusting and joyful faith. It was full of confused and feeling-orientated thinking and decision making.

This is not like the prayer of Simeon “Now let your servant die in peace!” or that of Paul “I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ” – such are full of peace and cheerful language. Yet his was not as bad as Jeremiah who cried “Cursed be the day in which I was born” or that of Job: “Let that day perish, let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.”

Is this prayer of Elijah also known among us? Not just amongst ministers but also those in teaching or working roles in the church; in the work place; in the family (parents with their heavy responsibility for children)… in fact it is possible in any situation. But we need to learn that our labour is not in vain in the Lord – even though we may think it is! None of us is warranted to say “It is enough!” It is only enough when God says it is.

If we feel inclined to cry out this sort of prayer, that you can’t bear the burden of your ministry or especially your life any longer, then do not do as Elijah did but go sit under the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, the cross of Him who did not cry out “It is enough!” but endured all things for your sake until He could cry “It is finished!” Here is refreshment and new strength. Here you will no longer think of complaining of the greatness of your burden for here you see sufferings in comparison to which yours must be regarded as light indeed. Indeed in the view of the cross you will soon forget your distresses, for the love of God in Christ will absorb all your thoughts and the grace of God to you in Christ will absorb all your doubts.

3. The Sequel to the Prayer

What do we see? We will look at this more fully next time but let us note here

a. with reference to Elijah that he lay down under the tree and slept! But be warned, for as well as much needed rest sleep is often but a ‘retreat from the world of reality’, from that world with which we are discontent. Sleep can be to the Christian what alcoholic drink can be to the non-Christian: a retreat from the world of reality. How like Elijah though, having enough spiritual sense not to attempt to answer that prayer ourselves, we see that the next closest thing is that of the land of ‘Nod’ where we are out of contact from that real world that brings all that pressure upon us. Yet this is only one way of ‘shutting down’ or to stop functioning – hiding in TV, even busy in other things or even visiting people – just so we don’t have to think, feel, face the call to do.

b. with reference to God we see that this prayer is unanswered! It is the only recorded prayer of Elijah God did not answer. James reminds us that a hallmark of Elijah’s faith was that God answered his prayers (“the prayers of a righteous man avails much”). Yet God sometimes, because He knows what’s best for us, says ‘No!’ Do you recognise this truth? Do you submit to it or do you grumble?

Oh the blessing of unanswered prayer! Often we are encouraged to share ‘answered prayers’, maybe we should share ‘unanswered prayers’. I believe Elijah would be the first to such a blessing! Why? Because God still had work for Elijah to do, and He had a better way to take him when it really was enough.

What blessings Elijah would’ve missed out on if God had said ‘Okay.’ What an inglorious ending if someone had just found him dead under that tree. What grace God shows to His own with unanswered prayers – it is as much and perhaps more frequent that the answered prayers which we rejoice in.

Elijah reached the point in his life when he felt it was enough and prayed to die. But God had other plans for Elijah. He knew that some of the prophet’s greatest successes still lay ahead of him: anointing the king of Syria and the king of Israel, training Elisha as his successor, and miraculously crossing the Jordan on a dry river bed. Instead of taking his life, God strengthened him and sent Elijah back to active duty. Though Elijah saw this as the end-point of his ministry and life, God moved him on having another end point in mind, the journey to which the visit to Horeb or Mt Sinai was but the starting point – I refer of course to the miracle of translation from earth to heaven on the other side of the journey in the fiery chariot – but that is in the future and there is much ministry yet to be done. But first God must tenderly support and deal with His servant.

Perhaps you feel like saying, “It is enough!” If not tempted to take your life, you may at least feel like you no longer want to walk with the Lord. God understands, and if you place your life completely in His loving hands, He can give you the grace to start over. Who knows, God may have the most productive years of your life planned for your future. Our quitting point is God’s beginning point.

Beware then of prayers that burst from a fit of carnal passion instead of from the fire of burning love for God. And beware of contributing to ever leading a servant of God to ever pray that prayer. Remember what brought Elijah here. Ultimately it was his sin – yes – but what contributed to it? It was not merely Elijah’s reactions, but also the sin of commission on the part of God’s people. We need to encourage and strengthen, get alongside and support, or gently correct faults when we see it before despair reaches such depths. How can God use you to do this?

4. The Surprise of the prayer – Do you not see it, that spark of faith?

In this prayer there is yet some good. He was addressing it to the Lord by which he was both remembering and laying claim to God’s love and concern for His servants. That is the spark of faith. He had not totally shut God out of his thoughts, but still saw himself as one standing before God. Then also note that there is enough spiritual perception in that he doesn’t seek to take his own life.

God does not have to bring him anew to faith, but merely renew or revitalise that faith, fan the embers into a flame. God is not dealing with an unbeliever here, but a believer gripped by deep despair that all but silences that faith. But the greater note of hope here is that God has not and does not desert His children even in their deepest unbelief and darkest despair. He is there. Elijah had run from all people, from all responsibility, but he could not run from God. Though he was letting go of the Lord, God was still holding on to him! So he rightly, even though weakly so, he turns unto God. How much he would’ve been spared if he had done so earlier, but the Spirit draws him to do so even when he is at his weakest. God does not desert let alone despise His troubled servants – and that is our hope and comfort too!

It is against this dark background that we see the glories of Divine grace. In the hour of despair and need, the Lord did not forsake His poor servant, nor will He us if found in such a state.

Evening Service, 6 September 2009

The great preacher of last century, Charles Spurgeon, is reputed to have regularly told those who came to tell him of their calling to be a preacher that if they can do anything else, then they should.

He understood that there is not always an exact equivalence between those wanting to come into a formal teaching position within the church and those so called and gifted by God.

He also understood that opening up the Word of God was such a serious task that only those really called should do so – and even then with a constant eye to both the awesome responsibility involved and to their personal weakness. He himself is said to have those nervous butterflies in the stomach every time he went into the pulpit for that very reason.

James is very much in sympathy with this as he begins this chapter. The key teaching emphasis in this chapter is on the use of tongue, and the realisation of the powerful influence of the tongue on our lives and that of others. And he begins in v.1-2a at the very best use of the tongue – in teaching – and addresses the dangers associated with it.

In his startling way James, in effect, says: ‘Whatever you do, don’t think of Christian service!’ The word for “teacher” was often used of rabbis and any who functioned in an official teaching or preaching role (cf. John 3:10), suggesting that James was speaking of the teaching office in the church (cf. 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11). (MacArthur)

James here is NOT denying that teaching is a gift from Christ to His church, nor that we need this gift, nor that this is a gift that should be sought.

Rather he is telling us that we should be hesitant in adopting this exercise of the tongue, pointing out that too many take it up too lightly and with wrong motives; that too often it is exercised without any reference to accountability before God; and that too often it is exercised with too little remembrance of the personal frailty and failures of those so exercising it.

Let us notice then the three warnings James gives here to those who are seen as or see themselves as teachers:

1. James looks for God-appointed teachers.

Notice he does not say ‘any’ but “many”. He clearly sees that there will be some; indeed that there needs to be some. This is an essential part of the Christ’s program for the church through the ministry of the Spirit – Eph 4:11-12. If the Spirit is active in the church He will raise up some to be “pastors and teachers” … “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

2. But he is conscious that because of the position of importance that the teacher has in the congregation that there will be many attracted to it who should not be undertaking it.

He is not trying to discourage the genuinely called, nor is he seeking to give them an opportunity to opt out just because things are tough. Rather he is asking each to consider what their true motivation is.

Teachers ranked highly in the NT church, as they should amongst us in this congregation. And this is clearly the point James is underpinning here. We want serious-minded, gifted teachers, not just anyone. The danger that comes with such a high emphasis and recognition of the importance of teachers is that some may long for the status and feel that they need to be teachers.

Jesus had this in mind when he warned His disciples “But you, [ie, unlike the scribes] do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.” (Matt 23:8) In fact Jesus indicates with clear rebuke that many rabbis relished their prestige and privilege (Matt 23:2, 5–7). Obviously there were some among those to whom James wrote who had such motives and who desired to become teachers for the wrong reason.

Both Paul and John spoke of this in reference to the early church. Paul speaks in a general way of those who – “desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.” (1 Timothy 1:7). In spite of their immaturity and spiritual ignorance they wanted to be teachers – that is carnal ambition. We see it also in 3 John 29 where it is said of Diotrephes in particular that he “loves to have pre-eminence”.

Parallel to this is the shortest chapter in Jeremiah (45) where his private secretary is addressed by God. Jeremiah was required to say some hard things to his people, but it appears that Baruch wasn’t too comfortable with this. In v.5 God says, “And do you seek great things for yourself, seek them not.” This too is a warning against carnal ambition.

If we are seeking great things for the Lord Jesus, for the sake of the lost; for God’s people – then seek them. That is the proper motivation. But don’t be in this work of teaching, or any other for that matter, for what you can get out of it for yourself.

John Blanchard writes: ‘What a terrible amount of striving, wriggling and scheming there is in the Christian church today – to be chairman of this, secretary of that, leader of the other. Ecclesiastical climbing is a loathsome thing! But not more loathsome than aspiring to teaching roles for some personal kudos or gain.’

Let us beware of carnal ambition in considering or functioning in teaching; of seeking some privilege that teaching appears to bestow.

1. James draws attention to the increased severity teachers are exposed to.

This is not a reference to eternal separation from the living God, rather to what Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” It is what Jesus declares also in the Parable of the Talents (Matt 25).

All that we say or do is under God’s microscope – and James adds to that by saying that those who’ve taken a position of authority and taught others will face a stricter judgement. This is not a trivial matter! We must take it seriously. God does!

2. A person who is aware of the accountability attached to privilege will be more careful about the exercise of the privilege.

James understands that for many the danger is not over-preparation but under-preparation, and that this is a problem for the lazy person as it is for the busy person.

Is it not true that we find inadequate time to prepare? That we are easily distracted by other things? Are you concerned about this? What do you do to overcome it? Or do you just put up with coming with minimum preparation and somehow justify it by saying that this is all that God has allowed for me?

We should see from what James is saying here that every teacher, for their own sake as well as that of their hearers, must take as much care in preparing as possible. We must give prayerful attention to the content as well as the presentation of our teaching.

Every teacher must put in as much care into the preparation of a lesson as a Chemist in filling in a prescription from a doctor (even the label must be carefully and correctly typed!). Truth rightly brought to bear upon young and old will promote health. But just-off’ truth is poisonous to the soul – and against this we must be ever vigilant.

James is saying that God wants the best for His people, and is here warning us of His high expectations. Do you want and expect it?

This does not mean that we should not stop teaching until we are a perfect teacher, rather he is saying that we must teach what we know, ever seeking to increase our understanding. True teachers must continue to be learners.

1. James reminds us of our own failures in v.2a – they are frequent!

Now why does he do this in this context? Because he knows that it is easy for those in position of teaching to wrongly adopt an attitude of superiority over others – after all they are the teachers.

This is the danger that James would also have us be mindful of. In fact it applies across the spectrum of teachers from Pastor to parent. It is the danger of a self-assumed superiority which soon leads itself to a critical attitude to others. Teachers who forget their own frailty and sin soon become critics of others.

And, indeed, we would also find that there would also be fewer arm-chair critics in the church if there was a greater understanding of sin and its presence within all of us. Fewer self-appointed instructors of the faithful! Oh that we would learn this lesson well!

2. And points out that teachers must not lose their humility

The teachers James wants and which we should want to be and have around us are humble ones who are conscious of their own utter dependence upon God’s grace and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Those who honestly deal with themselves before God seeking and finding fresh supplies of forgiveness are the ones who will prove helpful to our souls – the ones who first apply the word to themselves, and therefore will be gracious and practical in bringing God’s truth to others.

Does not Paul say the same thing in 2 Timothy 4:2? There is an authority that belongs with teaching, but it is to be exercised “with all longsuffering and teaching”. In other words, teachers are not to be spineless, but they are not to be superior either.

Let us be careful in the presentation of truth that we don’t find ourselves riding rough-shod over others or making them feel insignificant.

All that we have considered here shows a high view of the function of teaching, and a strong desire that it be utilised to its best for the well being of the people of God. God demands it – we should labour for it.

We should be thankful for those who are called and gifted by God to this and take this charge from God very seriously. At the same time we should be watchful that only such exercise this vital ministry amongst us. The best way to honour it amongst ourselves is to carefully monitor motives, practices and attitudes. May God grant this grace to all of us.

We should however, take seriously James’ warning and exhortation. The warning against poor motives for and poor practice of teaching ministry, and the exhortation to congregations to maintain high standards and to those within ministry to consistently aim for higher standards as well as pure motives in their teaching ministry. As John MacArthur rightly points out: ‘Not only false teachers, but also those who ignorantly and carelessly interpret the Word in order to impress others with their knowledge and understanding are a great danger to the church—and are in danger themselves from God. Many teachers in the church today are poorly grounded in Scripture and ill-equipped to teach it. Such teachers who misrepresent God’s Word can do more spiritual and moral damage to God’s people than a hundred atheists or secularists attacking from outside. That is why it is so foolish and spiritually dangerous to have newly converted celebrities, or any other new convert, as well as untrained and unaccountable preachers, speaking and teaching.’

Finally, let us be assured that God will honour any teacher whose motive is to lead people to and establish them in Christ, who labour in the Word and prayer that they might have something to teach and be able to teach it well, and who never forget that he is a frail servant of the King – that any authority comes from Christ and any praise belongs to Christ alone.

May we know such blessing always in this congregation!

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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.