Reach One More - James 1:27 - Ray Allen

Sunday June 27, 2026     Ray Allen

NASB

27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained [a]by the world.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:23

Good morning, good morning. We got it figured out, Sean. Man, it's an honor and a pleasure to be here with you all this morning. I promise I will have you out before dinner. So no worries. But uh my name is Ray Allen. I'm the executive director of partnerships at One More Child. Um and Pastor Adam, thank you so much for your kind words. Um it is a it's a privilege uh to have the opportunity to speak and to share um about what God is doing on the earth. And I'm gonna talk about one more child and then we're gonna jump into what his word has to say uh to us this morning. And so our mission at One More Child is to provide Christine of services to vulnerable children and struggling families. And we do that in five ways. We work in foster care licensing and wraparound support in anti-trafficking. Uh, we work with child hunger, child sponsorship, uh, with family support programs and family resource centers and single moms. And we get to do that wonderful work um all across the U.S. Um and also in 20 countries. So we also work internationally. And it keeps us busy. Uh but uh it's also a gift and a privilege uh to be able to serve uh in that capacity. And so uh hopefully you'll get the opportunity to see uh those slides if we want to put those slides up. Uh and I'll just kind of walk you through a few things um as we uh dive into today's uh word. Um so uh the title of everything that we'll be uh discussing and talking through today is For One More. So next slide, please. As I uh share, uh that's who we serve. Um and today it is kind of twofold. One, uh, we are inviting you to partake in uh and come alongside us in being a part of that mission. And we also are constantly looking for ways that we can come alongside the mission of the church. Uh it's so exciting to see the things that you are a part of. Um, I was informed I just missed the sending off of your uh missions trip this morning by just a few moments. I actually probably passed them on the road on the way in. Um, by the time I got to the parking lot, they had just left. Uh, but those moments become so pivotal and so crucial for us as believers. When we look at what James is highlighting for us and what he's unpacking for us, uh in verse 27, what he outlines is something very, very important. He outlines what should be considered as religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless. And so to give a little backstory, James is the half-brother of Jesus. James is also one who is presenting to the church as a whole. He's speaking to all of the churches at this point. And so he's talking at this point about individuals that have come to know who Jesus is. They are listening, they are learning how to live, how to lead, and he's highlighting something that is very, very important. Because again, if we think about what's taken place, they got the opportunity to walk with Jesus. They saw him, the things that he did. And I think James actually, even considering being the half-brother of Jesus, James actually has a really unique perspective because I think that James actually gets us. He understands what it's like to be a human being that is trying to hear the word, understand the word, process the word, and live that out. And he provides some very critical steps that if we are mindful of, will actually change the way that we live. So my first point today is this to reach one more, it requires faith. He opens this passage reminding people of two things. One, our faith is going to be tested, and that this process is going to expose our true colors. You see that in James chapter one. So I love stories. Uh, I feel like there's always a wonderful story even this morning. I had the opportunity to participate in stories. Uh, the great thing about having a life and a heart that's open to stories is that you actually don't get to choose the story, so you have to be okay with things happening. Because that's how great stories take place. So I want to share with you what has happened in my life recently. Um I'm married, I have four children, and my daughter was asked to prone. Yeah. That's how I feel about it too. And I'm I'm outside, I'm actually cleaning my car. It's like a Saturday morning, and this car pulls up. Okay, didn't pay any attention. The young man gets out of the car, he starts walking up to my house. I'm like, well, this is strange. I'm not expecting anyone. I don't know you because you don't know my son, so you're not one of my son's friends. The only thing that I have left in my house are girls. So what's happening at this point? And he walks up and he stops and he says, Are you Mr. Allen? And I said, Yes, I am Mr. Allen, and you are. And he shares his name, and we have a brief conversation. And at this point, I can see that he's starting to sweat a little bit. And you know, words are starting to get a little jumbled. Uh but he did it, he did a good job. He actually finished, you know, clear, coherent sentences. And at some point, I said, Oh, so you're here to ask my daughter a problem. He said, Yes, sir. I am. And I said, Well, let me ask you this question. What are your intentions? And one, I know he was not expecting that to be the question, but that's a very important question. Because when we think about faith and what James is posing to us, James is actually highlighting something very important when it comes to our faith. He's unearthing the fact that our faith actually reveals our intentions. And then he lays out this idea that it's actually important for you to endure trials, to actually be tested, because it exposes us in a way where we have the opportunity to truly see what's revealed inside of us. I joined uh Sunday school this morning, and it was great because I walked into um Miss Gill's class, Jacob's Well, um, for those of you that were in that class, I see a few of you out there, um, and she started talking about James 1, and I shared with Pastor Adam. I said, those are always great moments when God can speak to you and put something on your heart to share, and then he reinforces it from someone that you've never met before sitting in a Sunday school class. And she began to highlight different portions of James chapter one, and I said, Thank you, Lord. I know we're in the right space. See, our faith needs to be tested because it produces endurance. Let's look at the definition of endurance. Endurance means the ability or strength to continue or to last. See, the work that we do at one more child, to actually sit with the widow, the orphan, to actually take space with them, to walk with them, to journey with them, to listen beyond just the words requires endurance. James is highlighting our faith because our faith not only has to be tested, but it has to produce a lasting belief. See, we in today's society there are a lot of beliefs. There are a lot of people that have faith. And when I say that, I mean faith in terms of just the word to believe in something. But what is your belief in? See, faith rooted in God is very different. What it produces as a result of believing in Him is very different. A lasting faith is necessary for us to do what it says in Hebrews 12, 1 through 4, which is that we would find ourselves running the race with perseverance, the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of truth. See, without an enduring faith, without a persevering faith that is intested through trials that God allows. Miss Gill said this morning, and I wrote it down. I was like, that's a great way to say it. She said, trials are actually a part of God's plan for us. Because he knows as a good loving father what it will produce in us as the result of us yielding and saying yes to him. When we think about James 1.27 and we find ourselves enduring in faith, right? This product of what a tested faith looks like, we find that not only is it giving us strength to remain, but it also moves us to the place that we will begin to ask for wisdom for any and everything that requires faith. See, it's not just about us having faith, it's having faith in the one that gives, and having faith that his word will continue to give. See, we know this that without faith it is impossible to please God. So faith isn't just something that sounds good, faith is actually needed for those children that are in care. In Citrus County, there are 250, I believe, children in care. And it's actually defined as out-of-home care. See, that requires an enduring faith to open up your heart and your home to say yes. There are over 200,000 reported acts of trafficking in the state of Florida, and that's just reported. It requires an enduring faith to step into that space and say, I'm here because I know that there is a God that sees you. Because he sees you, he sent me. See, the reality is that God is always looking for one more. And to say yes to that, it requires an enduring faith. My second point this morning is this to reach one more, it requires the word. As I say, James gets us. Like he understands that wrestling with what we are supposed to do, with this love that we have received, this freedom that we've been given, this transformation in our lives, a faith that is necessary, a faith that he's in working out through process to give us endurance and perseverance. And these things are actually only produced as a result of trials that we endure. And then God is just in his great wisdom, is so kind to us that he provides ways where we can actually reach one more. And James highlights not only is he asking you to reach one more, he's saying, Hey, go be present with one translation of James 1.27 says that we actually go and we sit in the midst of. Now, again, I love stories, and I feel like the best stories come from your personal experience. So when I share this, I know that you all are great people, and none of you make this mistake. This is just me. Because, see, I'm married, and sometimes my wife and I have what we call intense fellowship. It's great, it's wonderful. Normally, that intense fellowship is because we've had some kind of conversation, and in that conversation, something was said, and I promise I was listening, like I'm there listening. I hear the words coming out, and my brain is registering them. But somewhere in this process of a conversation, what were we talking about again? This moment happens. And again, because none of you are like that, it's just me. The Lord is working on me, still working. I think sometimes when we read the word and when we hear the word, it's a lot like us. We read the word, we hear the word, we're present, we are intent, and we're listening. And somewhere in there, there is a request that comes from God. And that request might just seem a little unreasonable. Because God, why would you knock on my door to say there are children in care? And I want you to care for those children. So that you all are collecting food for probably a local organization that provides meals. That maybe the Lord is whispering to you and saying, Hey, yeah, just swing by the store and pick up a couple more items, because there are children that are hungry and are in need. That maybe in the conversations that God is having with us, He is speaking and He is whispering, and as James is pointing out, we need to be slow to speak, quick to hear, so that we don't miss what's being said. Personally, I'm not interested in having intense fellowship with the Lord. But how often do we find ourselves in the place where he has spoken, he has whispered, he's shown up present in tangible ways. And we didn't hear. When we think about children in care, we think about the opportunities for us to impact the world around us, I believe that that's the result of us missing out on what James is saying in this chapter. That in my pursuits and all of the things that I want to do, am I slowing down, listening more, so that I can hear what God is really saying. See, faith by itself is just belief, but when that faith is rooted in the word of God, it produces a steadfastness. Gives us what we need to run the race, it provides truth. And what we see in this chapter is James is utilizing scripture to point to a faith in the Word of God that's necessary for us to live like Jesus. James is pointing to something that's coming in the future and a kingdom that we are currently living in at the same time. He's reminding us that God is saying, listen first, children. He's telling us to check our emotions. Remember that the trial is for your good. Because I find that my faith is tested by my spouse, my kids, traffic, technology, by so many things in this world, and I have the opportunity to demonstrate and reveal what's truly inside of me. Is it endurance and perseverance that is the result of a faith that's rooted in him? Or am I very, very quick to speak? And oftentimes, if I'm honest, the things that come out, as Miss Gail said this morning, the things that come out, it's not Christ-like. My emotions, it's all of the things that the Lord is still working in, out and through me. But he's such a good God. As we grow and we practice endurance, we are exercising muscles needed for a lasting faith. Receiving the word in weakness is to receive the word submissively, patiently, allowing his word to teach us the truth. See, James says that this word is able to save our souls. So instead of censoring God in the midst of my trials, what would it look like for us to open our ears and our hearts to hear what he's saying to us? What does it look like for our faith to be overly exposed in our daily lives so that the true word of God can be planted? So our God talk will align with God action. See, James is stepping into a moment where he is addressing the church and he's saying, Church, it's not enough to just talk about faith. Our words have to align and connect with our works. That our words should actually be a reflection of the word of God that's in us. And the truth that has set us free, the truth that is changing and transforming us on a daily basis, is moving us to action. That these are not separate things, but it's actually a wholeness that James is outlining exists when we not only allow our faith to be lived out in our lives, but we allow the word to connect to our faith and to produce in our lives. And that is you. So if you will indulge me for the next few seconds, I want you to look at the person next to you. And if you stop looking at them already, which most of us most of us have already done, I want you to look back at them. And I want you to hold that look for a moment. See, it's hard to miss someone that you actually are intentionally looking at. Makes sense why God sees you. He's intentionally looking at you. Sometimes it's hard for us to acknowledge and to see what's taking place in our world because we are unwilling to see. And God is outlining and reminding us that hey, I left the nine and nine for the one, and you were the one. And now the work that I'm doing on this earth requires you. So tell that person that you've been staring at to reach one more, it requires you. See, you are needed. You're important. You're so important that God the Father, creator of heaven and earth, loved you to the point that he sent his son to die for you. We see that in Romans 5.8. He then calls us with his love to this new life that we have been given to follow him in Matthew 16, 24 and 25. God's redemptive work on the earth is being presented in James chapter 1. And that work that God is doing in each of us, the work that he's doing on this earth, is reaching one more. James is helping us to understand that we can't just be present within the walls of the church. We can't just say yes to Jesus. But those things have to move us to the place that we are also doers of his word. See, to hear the word of God is for doing the word of God. As you sit here today and you think about those individuals that might be in need, whether it's feeding children, sponsoring a child, opening your homework to say yes to someone. Maybe it's reaching out to a single mom in your community to provide support. The reason that he requires you is because you will reach the one more. We had no idea where food was gonna come from. Single mom. Living in poverty. Trauma-filled life, you name it, and I can check all of the boxes. But someone in a room like this heard a message and said, I am willing to allow my faith to be tested and to connect the word of God to my faith in such a way that it was going to move me to action. One more child, one of the things that we love to talk about and share, we have what we call compassion centers, and we collect food resources. They are another resources and they're tangible goods. And the reason we call it a compassion center is because there's something that we noticed in the life of Jesus. That Jesus was not just sympathetic towards creation. He wasn't just filled with empathy, he was moved with compassion. And that compassion always led to action. So today's word isn't just about one more child. Today's word is not just about the good things that we can do. Today's word is about you finding a space in your life and in this moment where you are willing to say, God, I need you to connect my faith to your word in such a way that I am actually doing God's word. If anything, to do one part of that actually nullifies the other. If I'm unwilling to take action, then is my faith really real? And if all I want to do is take action, but I have no belief, there's not the connection necessary for true transformation and ultimately the revelation of God's impactful love on the earth. See, someone sitting in your seat heard this word and responded. My mom would share with me stories of just opening the door and finding groceries on the front door, having no idea where they came from. Because reaching one more requires you. And I get the opportunity to testify about the goodness of God because someone heard a message of hope and decided to become hope for someone else. I am daily becoming that someone because I get the opportunity to just share that God's love is that tangible. Reaching one more is that tangible. It's a again because James gets us. He doesn't require us to become superheroes. He actually just requires us to do what we see in James 1.27. And it reads. And to keep oneself from being polluted by the world, the world. See, our world has painted this picture and has told us that you should do what's best for your life. Take care of yourself. Make sure that you have pleased yourself. Gratify self. And every part of the picture, regardless of the road that you take, this world will always come back to self. But James is highlighting and speaking again to those believers historically and in our present time who have found Jesus. But Jesus points to another way. He begins to change the story. And the reason I think I love stories so much is because I am living a story that's been changed and transformed. I am married. I've gone to college, graduated, I've taught, I've checked a lot of things off the list. And at the end of the day, I always go back to, I will never forget that someone heard this verse and responded. Because grocery short showed up on my doorstep. See, today First Baptist Church of Emverness, you all are being provided with a choice. And the choice that you are being provided with today is to allow this word that James is highlighting for us to be deposited in our lives in such a way that it will produce the fruit that we know as believers is possible. Not a fruit that is exempt from challenges or trials. A fruit that has to endure those things in order to produce endurance, perseverance, steadfastness, so that the true word of God that has to be carried, so that your race can be run, so that you have the ability to see the widow and the orphan, the children that are in need of care can be produced in your life. James really gets us. And in getting us, he calls us and points to what he knows to be true. And that is in doing these things, ultimately we get the opportunity to live like Jesus. So today is I get the opportunity just to share more about one more child. One more child does not exist without Jesus Christ. His love, his care, his compassion. Reaching one more does not exist without faith in him. Believing in his word. And it doesn't exist without you. Pastor Adam, thank you for this wonderful opportunity to share. I'm grateful for you all. And I pray that God's word, as it always, always, always is faithful to, will not fall on deaf ears. It will not return avoid, but it will produce good fruit in his time. So thankful for what we heard this morning from God's Word. The importance of hearing God's Word. We've heard it this morning. Now comes the doing. The doing part. Some of you perhaps have heard God's word, but you've never followed through in faith. Well, that's the first place of response is hearing God's word is responding to it in faith and trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior. Some of you may have been hearing from God's Word things that you need to do in your life. And you've heard this message this morning and you're convicted about things in your own life that you should be doing. This is a great reminder this morning to not just hear those things in God's Word you should be doing, but to do those things that you hear in God's word. The key there is to respond, is to respond to what you've heard. And again, so thankful for Brother Roe. If you've heard this this morning, you still have some questions, you still have some things that you're working through and some difficulties. You'd like to talk to someone, myself or one of the deacons will be up here to gladly take the time to talk with you about those things and look at God's word together with you. I'd like to remind you also to please be in prayer again for Pastor and the team as they're traveling. Let's pray. About the importance of faith, the importance of your word, and the re the reminder of the importance for us to respond. For us to take action, to respond in faith to you as our Savior. To respond in what we hear from your word, about telling others of your grace. To respond in what we've heard about caring for our brothers and our sisters, and also caring for our neighbors and orphans and widows. And then also response in living a life that's holy and separate to you. We ask for your help and your guidance in these things. And thank you for this important and timely reminder this morning. Help us to keep you as our focus, to run the race with endurance. Amen.