WEBVTT 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:07.280 Welcome to the Awakening Church Podcast. 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:11.599 We exist to awaken this generation to new life in Christ. 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:13.039 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:16.399 To find out more, go to awakeningchurch.com. 00:00:18.559 --> 00:00:20.160 Welcome to Awakening. 00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:21.679 If you're new, my name's Ryan. 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:25.440 We're so glad to have you join us today. 00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:28.640 And let's just begin this way. 00:00:28.879 --> 00:00:31.440 It's been a week, hasn't it? 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:45.840 It's been a few weeks that have just been heavy and filled with all sorts of emotions and anger and like we don't even know how or what to feel, and some are numb and we're all over the map. 00:00:45.920 --> 00:00:50.560 And it's just like, oh God, our hearts break. 00:00:52.000 --> 00:01:08.719 And in the midst of this, in the midst of social injustice and social unrest, our hearts are longing, our nation's longing is this. 00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:12.719 How do we experience social restoration? 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:37.680 Like, how do we experience where the brokenness and the fracturedness of our society and the brokenness and the fracturedness of what the evils of racism, the evils of prejudice, the brokenness and the fracturedness of when we go to the extremes and we just cast people in categories? 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:45.200 How do we begin to see restoration and healing and wholeness? 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:59.599 And I think there's actually another question for those of us who are followers of Jesus that we have to ask is how do we bring about social restoration? 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:05.359 You see, you see, the church was never intended to be a social club. 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:06.959 We've turned it into that. 00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:09.439 I go, I'm a part of this, I get my community. 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:10.319 No, no, no. 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:16.960 We are to be a people to bring out a social revolution in the name of Jesus. 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:27.520 That is our purpose on this planet to bring the gospel which changes hearts and lives and healing and wholeness. 00:02:28.240 --> 00:02:33.599 Well, last week we kicked off this series, Social Restoration. 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:40.719 And some of my pastors' friends were talking about this because, in the light of where we're at, they're like, how do we respond? 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:44.240 They're like, Ryan, did you have to change up your series for this week? 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:50.319 And I said, honestly, you'll never believe the title of the series that we kicked off last week. 00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:51.759 And like, what was it? 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:53.919 Social restoration. 00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:56.560 Like, like God prepared us in advance. 00:02:56.639 --> 00:03:01.439 And actually, we talked about favoritism and racism last week. 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:03.599 Go back and listen to that. 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:10.560 And we're actually spending four weeks looking at how do we bring about social restoration? 00:03:10.719 --> 00:03:19.280 And in fact, James, the half-brother of Jesus, he was the pastor of the church in Jerusalem that was undergoing their own social upheaval. 00:03:19.759 --> 00:03:29.120 They experienced intense persecution, they were scattered, they were in unrest, they were disoriented emotionally, trying to figure out how to navigate life. 00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:41.199 And he's going to give us four phases or areas in which we are to engage in, to experience, or to bring about social restoration. 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:44.960 Last week we looked at phase one and it was social distinction. 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:53.919 We said this that social restoration begins when followers of Jesus embrace there is no social distinction. 00:03:54.080 --> 00:04:00.000 Now listen, among followers of Jesus, there is to be no favoritism. 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:02.879 There is to be no prejudice. 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:09.919 It has no place among the people of God. 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:21.920 The apostle Paul would say it this way: that there is neither Jew nor Creek, there's neither slave nor free, there's neither male nor female, but all are one in Christ. 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:30.079 And where we embrace that as followers of Jesus, the first step is hey, there is no social distinction. 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:37.920 A distinctive mark of the first followers of Jesus and the followers today is to be that there is no social distinction. 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:42.399 Well, this morning we're looking at phase two, social action. 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:43.759 Remember that question. 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:47.120 How do we bring about social restoration? 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:55.839 If we want to experience social restoration, followers of Jesus need to engage in a very specific social action. 00:04:55.920 --> 00:05:07.279 And James is going to unpack it for us in uh James chapter two, verse um, I might I gotta get better context, verse 14, or my my numbers are a little bit small there. 00:05:07.439 --> 00:05:11.519 If you got your Bibles, would you open up and dive in with me today? 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:14.240 We're talking all about social action. 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:16.079 And here's what James says. 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:24.319 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deed? 00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:26.399 What good is it? 00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:33.040 What good does it do if I believe in certain things but I don't do what I say I believe? 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:35.120 And then he asks another question. 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:37.519 Can such a faith save them? 00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:40.160 Can such a faith help them? 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:45.120 What kind of faith does that produce or what does it do? 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:47.040 Does it do anything at all? 00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:49.519 And then he's going to give us an illustration. 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:53.519 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes. 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:57.759 Now I want you to get this awakening because here's the picture that he's painting. 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:04.480 Suppose you're walking around uh your neighborhood, or maybe downtown, wherever that is for you. 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:08.879 Mine would be downtown Willow Glenn, and you come across someone in your small group. 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:10.879 All right, so that's the picture. 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:11.519 You got that. 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:14.800 You come across somebody in your small group, you're like, well, I'm not in a small group. 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:15.439 Fantastic. 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:16.399 Let's get you into one. 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:16.959 That'd be great. 00:06:17.120 --> 00:06:19.120 Sign up right now on the connection card. 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:24.879 But if you've come across someone, you're going like, man, this is someone I know, someone I love. 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:28.000 This is a brother or a sister in Christ. 00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:30.800 Suppose you come across them and they're without clothes. 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:32.240 Literally, in the Greek, it's naked. 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:34.480 That's how you say it in Texas, naked. 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:38.560 Suppose they're naked, they're butt naked, and you're like, wow, that's awkward. 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:39.040 Hello. 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:41.360 Kind of covering up right there. 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:45.759 This is the picture he's painting, and they have no daily food. 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:55.199 Now, if one of you says to them, go in peace, which is just a typical farewell, have a good day. 00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:58.560 Maybe we'd say it this way: take care. 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:00.399 Like, like, like, take care. 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:03.439 Like you should, you know, you need to take some care. 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:04.560 You gotta be careful. 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:08.160 You like you, and there's you need some clothes there. 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:20.160 And and he says this keep warm and well fed, which is actually the person commanding them, you should get some clothes, you should get some food. 00:07:20.800 --> 00:07:28.560 You you really need to take care of that, but does nothing about their physical need. 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:31.439 Now, the question, what good is it? 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:35.600 And the answer, you know and I know, no good at all. 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:38.160 It does them no good. 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:44.079 If if I just have good feelings, good intentions, good thoughts, oh, I'm just gonna send you good thoughts. 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:45.199 I don't even know what that means. 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:50.319 I'm gonna send you good thoughts, but I do nothing good, then it does no good at all. 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:53.040 This is what James is saying, and now he's bringing it home. 00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:57.120 He says, in the same way, in like manner, listen to this. 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:04.800 Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead. 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:14.160 Faith by itself, if not accompanied with action, is useless or worthless. 00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:23.199 See, he's saying if we want to experience social restoration, followers of Jesus need to put their faith into action. 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:31.519 He's calling you and I to have a faith that works, a faith that gets to work. 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:37.360 See, it's one thing to talk the talk, and we all know this, it's another thing to walk the walk. 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:44.000 He's saying, practice what you preach, put it into action. 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:59.600 See, what James is addressing here is something that it has become, ah, like the way we've started to engage as followers of Jesus in America. 00:08:59.919 --> 00:09:09.600 See, what he's addressing with these early followers is a type of mentality that we can have what some have called a fire insurance faith, right? 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:17.679 It means I believe certain things, I say certain things, it has zero impact about my daily life. 00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:21.039 Like I'll go to church on Sunday, but it has no impact on Monday. 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:32.240 But because I believe these certain things, I hold to these propositional truths, then my eternity is secure, though it has no impact on my earthly reality. 00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:37.440 And he's confronting that type of engagement from followers of Jesus. 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:52.240 And he says, No, no, no, the calling for you and I, if we want to experience social restoration, is a faith that works, a faith that gets to work, a faith that does the work of faith. 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:54.000 Well, what is faith? 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:59.679 And I want to define this for us because I think we over-spiritualize faith, right? 00:09:59.840 --> 00:10:03.279 And so it becomes this like very abstract concept. 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:09.279 And yet the reality is every single action that you take is preceded by faith in you. 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:11.679 We live and operate by faith. 00:10:11.840 --> 00:10:22.480 I mean, when you turned on your car, that was an act of faith, trusting that all the things that are going to work on uh, you know, the way they built that machine, it would work to turn on and take you somewhere. 00:10:23.039 --> 00:10:25.919 We do these step by step all the time. 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:27.840 So let me give you a definition of faith. 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:33.759 Faith is a strong confidence in and reliance upon someone or something. 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:42.879 Like I have confidence in you, and so I'm going to rely or trust or bank on you or someone. 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:48.559 It means to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance. 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:51.440 For example, let me give you an example of this. 00:10:51.840 --> 00:11:05.759 You go to the doctor, the doctor gives you a diagnosis, and maybe you have some sort of infection, and you've been going through this, and then they give you antibiotics. 00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:08.080 This is fantastic. 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:24.000 Faith is trusting the doctor's diagnosis that you have confidence in, reliance upon the medicine that they gave you, and so you take that pill, you take the antibiotics to get well. 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:29.039 And what James is saying is it's great to say I have confidence in the doctor. 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:34.000 It's great to say, I have, you know, this pill right here, these antibiotics, fantastic. 00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:38.320 But if you do not take the pill, what good is it for you? 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:40.559 No good at all. 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:45.120 So let's then uh turn this of what is biblical faith? 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:55.679 Well, that faith is the confidence in that God is who he said he is, his character, and he will do or accomplish what he said he will do. 00:11:55.919 --> 00:12:08.159 Meaning, then I will begin to take what I cognitively believe about God and who he said he is and what he said is true, and put that into practice in my daily life. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:10.240 I like how John Ortberg said it. 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:16.960 He said, Faith is coming to believe with my whole body what I say I believe with my mind. 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:22.320 Faith is coming to believe with my whole body, what I say I believe with my mind. 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:28.799 And so to trust Jesus is to believe that he was right about everything. 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:35.120 He was right about how we should go about life. 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:45.360 He was right about the best ways of life, he was right that he is life itself and that no one can come to the Father except through him. 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:52.559 And to follow Jesus is to follow and step into life. 00:12:53.120 --> 00:13:03.120 Now, for some you're wrestling with and wondering about, okay, Ingram, what happened to salvation by faith alone? 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:03.759 Right? 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:06.399 Okay, this faith and works deal. 00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:09.519 What happened to salvation by faith alone? 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:14.559 Are are like Paul and James in conflict here? 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:17.200 Are they contradicting each other? 00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:20.159 No, they're not contradicting each other. 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:22.559 In fact, they're complimenting each other. 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:31.679 See, the apostle Paul and the and James are addressing two different groups with two very different issues at hand. 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:36.799 Paul is addressing legalism and how to enter into the family of God. 00:13:36.960 --> 00:13:42.399 And you had legalism saying you have to do X amount of works to be accepted by God. 00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:44.720 And this is who Paul is addressing. 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:50.320 And James is addressing those already in the family of God who say, you know what? 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:55.840 He's talking about activity in the family of God, not how to get into the family of God, but activity in. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:14:03.600 See, the Apostle Paul is addressing the root of salvation or the root of faith. 00:14:04.320 --> 00:14:08.000 James is addressing the fruit of faith. 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:15.600 And if you read the Apostle Paul carefully, you'll recognize he understands this too. 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:22.879 In fact, the famous passage, and if you're still following along in uh in the book of James, you got your analog Bible out. 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:30.720 Just flip over a few uh pages over, you go to Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8, and hear the Apostle Paul. 00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:34.399 This is our salvation by faith alone tax that we hold so dear. 00:14:34.559 --> 00:14:37.840 He says, For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:42.879 And this not of yourself, it is a gift of God, not by works. 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:52.480 You can't do anything to earn the gift of God, you can't do anything to make yourself right with God, so that no one can boast. 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:55.919 See, it's by faith in his grace. 00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:01.440 Okay, but then notice what Paul says in verse 10. 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:04.399 Because we often stop at verse 9. 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:06.720 Four. 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:14.000 We are God's handiwork, his masterpiece, his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:15.279 Now help me out here. 00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:16.960 To do good. 00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:20.399 I know, I wish we were in the same room. 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:23.360 I wish we were, because I would you to do what? 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:32.320 To do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:42.000 See, you are not saved by good works, but you are saved for good works. 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:47.360 See, your good works will never earn you any merit before God. 00:15:47.759 --> 00:16:00.720 But if we understand and recognize the grace of God and what it means to be in his family, we recognize that that our faith and action, we were created in Christ Jesus to do good works right now. 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:06.480 The calling of James and of Paul is a faith that works. 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:08.720 I like how Dallas Willard said it. 00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:10.720 He said, Grace is not opposed to effort. 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:11.840 See, we confuse this. 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:14.480 Grace is opposed to earning. 00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:19.360 Earning is an attitude, effort is an action. 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:24.799 Well, then, what why is this faith that works so very important? 00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:27.440 What's the big deal about all of this? 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:34.960 Why why does James seem to think this is what it's gonna take to help bring about social restoration? 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:39.840 Well, he's gonna give us three reasons why this is so incredibly important. 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:46.320 The first thing he's gonna say to us is your behavior reveals what you truly believe. 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:55.120 How you behave reveals what you actually believe, not just what you say you believe. 00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:57.600 Well, I gotta flip back over to James. 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:04.880 And he says this some will say, You have faith and I have deeds. 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:09.519 Or, you know, you have the faith side and I do the deeds side. 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:11.359 You know, we can't all do the same. 00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:14.079 And he says this show me your faith without deeds. 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:17.119 I will show you my faith by my deeds. 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:22.720 And then he goes on to say this you believe that there is one God. 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:24.799 Great for you. 00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:26.960 I could see him just clapping. 00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:30.640 Nice, awesome. 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:34.720 Even the demons believe that and shudder. 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:36.160 Don't miss this. 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:38.319 So check this out. 00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:41.839 Doctrinal correctness is incredibly important. 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:43.279 So don't hear me. 00:17:43.359 --> 00:17:44.240 I'm not saying that. 00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:47.359 Doctrinal correctness is incredibly important. 00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:58.720 But if all you have is doctrinal correctness without a life that lives it out, it says it doesn't differentiate you from the demons. 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:07.359 See, your behavior reveals what you truly believe. 00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:14.160 You know, um, John Ortberg in his book, uh Faith and Doubt, I'd encourage you. 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:22.559 If you're wrestling with your faith, I know the season, as I've talked to some, has shaken your faith and you're trying to process. 00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:25.200 I'd encourage you, it's a great book to read. 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:30.880 Uh, he unpacks um three types of faith that we have or hold. 00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:40.079 He talks about your public faith, he talks about your private faith, and then he talks about your core faith or public conviction, private conviction, and core conviction. 00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:42.880 And here's what he says about uh each of those. 00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:47.200 He says, your public conviction is what you say you believe. 00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:49.920 It's what you want others to believe about you. 00:18:50.079 --> 00:19:05.279 In fact, every company right now, isn't it true, is posting and trying to help other people like go, hey, this is what they believe, and they're spending lots of time and energy to craft these statements of like, we get back, here's what we want others to believe about us. 00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:09.839 Your public conviction is what you say you believe. 00:19:10.079 --> 00:19:12.720 It's what you're posting on Instagram right now. 00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:19.279 It's it's what you want others to perceive of you that is true of you. 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:22.079 Then your private conviction. 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:27.279 Your private conviction is what you think you believe. 00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:30.079 It's the things that you hold internally. 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:36.960 Now, the interesting thing about a private conviction, let's just talk about maybe you have a private conviction of generosity. 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:43.359 Maybe you have a private conviction of um equality for all of humankind. 00:19:43.519 --> 00:19:50.880 Maybe, maybe you have a private conviction of um integrity and doing what's right. 00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:59.200 Is those convictions, we we hold them, but uh they aren't really, we don't really know how true they are until they're put to the test. 00:19:59.599 --> 00:20:04.400 See, generosity is not put to the test when you have a lot, but when you have a little. 00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:11.599 Integrity is not put to the test when you're just going about life and you have nothing that is confronting you. 00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:20.960 Integrity is put to the test when when you have a private decision and you won't ever be found out about it, or at least you don't think you will, and you have a decision of what you're gonna do. 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:29.519 See, for many, our private conviction, what we think about ourselves and what it actually is, there's some challenge or dissonance. 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:40.640 Your your public conviction, what you say you believe, your private conviction, what you um think you believe, and then there is your core conviction. 00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:46.160 It's what you actually believe, revealed by how you live. 00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:50.480 See, this is convicting. 00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:52.640 And it's convicting for me. 00:20:55.680 --> 00:21:10.079 Um see, if I want to know what I really believe, I I I just have to look at how I spend my time, how I spend my energy, how I spend my money. 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:16.079 See, all those things reveal what I actually believe about God. 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:22.160 See, I was confronted with this the other day. 00:21:23.359 --> 00:21:39.039 As I would say, both publicly and private conviction, and having been in areas like Georgia where I've seen racism and evil and hatred, and I just go, it's it's an offense to the heart of God. 00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:45.200 And then I'm sitting in my living room. 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:59.839 And as the protesting began to move onto the streets, I was in having a quiet time, and it's on my couch and my window's right here, and my street is right there. 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:04.400 And I look out my street as people are hitting the streets. 00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:06.319 There's no one on my street. 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:15.359 Literally, because of my circumstances, I could stay in my safe home and be unaffected. 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:18.000 I could stay comfortable. 00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:21.359 Sit back. 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:30.319 See, it was in that moment that God was challenging me of like, okay, are you going to have a faith that works? 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:32.160 Are you going to have a faith that engages? 00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:36.960 Are you going to have a faith that's going to move into the uncomfortable? 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:46.240 A powerful thing happened this week as a bunch of us pastors gathered together to join those that are speaking up for justice. 00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:49.039 And I know people are all across the board on all this. 00:22:49.599 --> 00:23:03.759 So let me just tell you, we just came to speak up for justice in the name of Jesus and to kneel in prayer for our country, for our city, for our brothers and sisters in love and for justice. 00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:13.200 See, core conviction is revealed not by what I say, but how I live. 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:19.119 And James is saying, your behavior reveals what you truly believe. 00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:28.000 And then he's going to say, why this is so important is action is actually the completion of your faith, not in competition. 00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:34.319 We believed a lie that somehow faith and works and those things are in competition and they're, you know, pulling against each other. 00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:35.279 No, no, no, no. 00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:37.119 Action's the completion of it. 00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:51.200 And he begins to tell uh Abraham's story, and Paul uses Abraham's story as well, of when Genesis chapter 15, of where Abraham, you know, believed God and it was credited him as righteousness. 00:23:51.359 --> 00:23:52.880 That's Genesis chapter 15. 00:23:52.960 --> 00:24:01.440 And then he fast forward to Genesis 22 when God asks him, Hey, you to sacrifice your only son, the son of promise. 00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:07.039 And he goes, Okay, well, if I'm going to believe you then, I'm going to believe you now. 00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:08.319 And he does that. 00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:11.759 He doesn't actually kill him, God saves him in that moment. 00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:28.160 And he says, That moment in Genesis Genesis 15, fast forward 30 years was the completion of that action. 00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:31.279 In fact, this is why James says it this way. 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:39.039 He says, You see that his faith, this is in verse 22, and his actions were working together. 00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:43.519 They're in cooperation, not in competition. 00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:50.319 And his faith was made complete by what he did. 00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:03.359 It's easy to, you know, to just go like, yeah, I believe all these sort of things. 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:08.480 We're called to walk the walk. 00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:19.519 There was uh one of the famous examples when uh you may have heard of it when we talk on faith is a tightrope walker back uh a long time ago. 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:25.440 I I didn't write down the actual date, but I think it was 1861 when this happened. 00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:28.079 It was Charles Bloden, uh Blondin. 00:25:28.319 --> 00:25:38.960 Uh he was a famous tightrope walker, uh became world renowned, and he he began do doing tightrope walks over Niagara Falls. 00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:44.400 It is 1100 feet across, uh 260-foot drop. 00:25:44.720 --> 00:25:49.759 He did this 17 different times, and he did all these different, you know, shenanigans on it. 00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:52.480 I mean, you can go and read what he did, it's incredible. 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:59.440 At one point, he's walking on stilts, uh, at another point he had his manager on his back walking across. 00:25:59.680 --> 00:26:07.279 On one particular time, he's got a wheelbarrow and he's going back and forth across the Niagara Falls, and the crowd is just cheering. 00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:18.640 Some people estimated there's up to 100,000 people would come out to watch these acts of you know, incredible feat or whatever you, you know, tightroping that he was doing. 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:20.480 And the crowd's just cheering. 00:26:20.720 --> 00:26:24.799 And then he goes, Do you does anybody believe that I could take a man across this? 00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:26.640 And the crowd's cheering, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:26:26.720 --> 00:26:28.240 Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:26:29.039 --> 00:26:30.960 Who wants to volunteer? 00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:35.119 Crowd got silent. 00:26:36.480 --> 00:26:43.119 See, it's one thing to believe in the ability of someone. 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:47.599 It's another thing to get in the wheelbarrow. 00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:57.119 Following Jesus means getting into the wheelbarrow and saying, You have my whole life and you get a steer and lead it. 00:26:57.200 --> 00:26:58.480 That is faith. 00:26:59.279 --> 00:27:00.799 I trust you. 00:27:01.440 --> 00:27:11.359 I trust that your work from me is final and complete, and your words from me are true and trustworthy. 00:27:11.519 --> 00:27:12.480 Why is that important? 00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:14.880 Your behavior reveals what you truly believe. 00:27:15.039 --> 00:27:18.640 Action is the completion, not the competition of faith. 00:27:18.880 --> 00:27:25.279 And then he's going to go on to say, faith without action is like body without the breath. 00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:27.519 And what I love is he gives two illustrations. 00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:31.359 He gives Abraham, and then he goes and gives Rahab. 00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:34.640 Uh Rahab, uh, and this is so powerful. 00:27:34.720 --> 00:27:42.079 And if you remember last week we ended uh with the story of the woman at the well who you know had three strikes against her. 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:49.119 She she was of the wrong nationality, and uh there's great animosity between Samaritans and Jewish people. 00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:55.920 She was a woman in that day, which was which was there was this gap there, and then she, you know, it was immoral. 00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:58.960 And then we see those same things with Rahab. 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:06.319 You know, she was a part of the um enemy of Israel at that point. 00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:10.960 She was a woman, and she was a prostitute. 00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:21.039 And James elevates, quote, the wrong person who activated her faith to unpack this for us. 00:28:21.440 --> 00:28:22.079 Notice what he says. 00:28:22.240 --> 00:28:26.960 In the same way was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous. 00:28:28.559 --> 00:28:38.079 Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction. 00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:42.319 You can pick up the story if you want to unpack that more in Joshua chapter 2. 00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:53.440 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without action or without deeds is dead. 00:29:00.559 --> 00:29:04.880 See, it's not enough just to feel bad about something. 00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:10.480 See, feeling bad isn't the same thing as doing good. 00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:17.200 Being broken over the con like what's happening in our world. 00:29:17.279 --> 00:29:21.680 At the same time, we have to ask and wrestle, okay, God, what would you have me to do? 00:29:21.839 --> 00:29:23.200 Let me give you a few things. 00:29:23.519 --> 00:29:24.319 Pray. 00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:27.039 Prayer is an act of faith. 00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:30.079 Wherever prayer focuses, the power of God falls. 00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:31.519 That we would pray. 00:29:32.880 --> 00:29:39.200 That that you would take time to learn and to listen, to dive in. 00:29:39.920 --> 00:29:49.039 Maybe for some, you go, I want to like help brief educate my kids and begin to talk about that with our family. 00:29:50.079 --> 00:29:54.000 Maybe it's going and just encouraging people. 00:29:56.960 --> 00:29:59.279 It's more than just posting by the way. 00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:10.880 For some, you may feel strongly like me, where go, like, hey, I'm gonna go out and and and take a stand in a visible way and protest peacefully. 00:30:11.200 --> 00:30:15.839 But faith without action is like a body without breath. 00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:25.440 Social restoration demands that followers of Jesus put their faith into action. 00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:32.400 Social restoration demands that followers of Jesus put their faith into action. 00:30:32.640 --> 00:30:35.359 In fact, the way Jesus said it is this way. 00:30:36.240 --> 00:30:52.559 He says, in the same way, let your light shine before men, that they see your good deeds, your good works, your faith in action, that they may glorify your Father in heaven. 00:30:52.720 --> 00:31:13.039 Like the way we live out our lives, the way we love, the way we shine the light and the grace and the truth and the justice of Jesus, is to point to the Heavenly Father, where they go, Wow, God, you are great. 00:31:13.519 --> 00:31:32.400 You know, one of the ways uh we have tried to do this as a church is when we first started meeting, we meet at Delmar High School, and we've been there the last eight years, and we said this that it's more than a place to meet, but a people to love. 00:31:32.720 --> 00:31:38.799 And we are gonna love the people, the students, the faculty with no strings attached. 00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:42.240 You know, so much of our love in the today comes with strings attached. 00:31:42.319 --> 00:31:44.799 I'm gonna love you, but I expect something else to come from you. 00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:52.160 There's gonna be something, you know, and so we're always so cautious and so weary, you know, about like, okay, what do they really want? 00:31:52.319 --> 00:31:58.079 In fact, that was even how Del Mar, when we first started this with them, and rightfully so, you get this, they were a little suspicious. 00:31:58.160 --> 00:32:00.160 They're like, why are you doing these nice things for us? 00:32:00.240 --> 00:32:07.680 And like, hey, like the first couple years, like, we don't really know if we trust you, and we're we're not so sure, and totally get that. 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:13.759 But we said we're gonna love uh you um just the way we think Jesus would love you. 00:32:14.480 --> 00:32:19.200 And so we've done things like Del Mar Serve Days, where we've done beautified the campus. 00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:24.400 Every uh Friday we drop off coffee and donuts for the teachers. 00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:32.160 At the end of every semester, we throw a party for the teachers, bring in a taco truck, and we just bless and serve them. 00:32:32.319 --> 00:32:39.680 It's so fun because we hang out together and we get to, you know, make an incredible environment just to say, Wow, and we so love you. 00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:51.519 Uh we've been able to, in the COVID season, give, you know,$15,000 just in grocery gift cards uh to families in need. 00:32:51.680 --> 00:32:55.599 And then we've had acute needs that have been brought to us by the school, like this last week. 00:32:55.680 --> 00:32:57.680 We just helped pay someone's rent. 00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:00.720 And we've done that time and time and time and time again. 00:33:00.960 --> 00:33:02.480 Eight years of this. 00:33:04.079 --> 00:33:12.000 Uh, one of our team members had this great idea because with COVID, we weren't able to do the lunch at the end. 00:33:12.160 --> 00:33:19.680 They said, well, what if we sent them like Chipotle gift cards and just and sent them an encouraging note from Awakening? 00:33:20.640 --> 00:33:22.000 That's a fantastic idea. 00:33:22.480 --> 00:33:30.000 Since we can't gather and since we can't honor you, and it's been such a crazy year, we still want to love you even though we're not with you. 00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:30.720 Why? 00:33:30.960 --> 00:33:34.000 Just simply because that's what Jesus would do. 00:33:34.480 --> 00:33:35.440 And so we did that. 00:33:36.160 --> 00:33:39.039 And then I got this email. 00:33:39.599 --> 00:33:41.200 I just have to read it to you. 00:33:43.119 --> 00:33:46.160 This comes from one of the faculty at Del Mar. 00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:50.400 And I say, hello, and thanks for the gift card. 00:33:50.640 --> 00:33:56.720 Thanks as well for all the help you've provided, uh, you provide to our community of students and families. 00:33:57.039 --> 00:34:05.119 I was just emailing with Courtney, trying to express to her how amazing all caps I think your organization is. 00:34:05.440 --> 00:34:17.119 And notice this, don't miss this, balancing that with the balancing that with the really hard time I have in understanding some of your core religious beliefs. 00:34:17.360 --> 00:34:26.960 And then in parentheses, and I guess my own baggage I carry in terms of understanding of the Christian church. 00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:36.800 The fact of the matter is, your deeds are inspirational, and the love behind them is evident and strongly felt. 00:34:38.159 --> 00:34:57.360 Oh, church, that we would be a people everywhere we go, that our light would so shine before others that they would look at our lives, they would look at how we love, and they go, I am not so sure about what you believe, but I cannot deny how you love. 00:34:59.119 --> 00:35:05.519 They glorify the Father and having social restoration demands. 00:35:06.079 --> 00:35:14.239 The followers of Jesus put their faith into social action, a faith that works. 00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:31.119 And the reason I wanted to share that story right now is right now there's a lot of emotional intensity surrounding the eradication of racism in America. 00:35:32.239 --> 00:35:42.559 And my prayer is for the church, this is not a moment that has an intense feeling and dissipates in a month. 00:35:43.440 --> 00:35:47.519 That this is actually something that we journey with. 00:35:47.679 --> 00:35:50.000 It took eight years for that email. 00:35:50.400 --> 00:35:57.760 Friends, consistency of love beats intensity of emotion and lasting impact in our culture. 00:35:58.559 --> 00:36:09.840 May we be that consistent church, Heavenly Father, we come to you and invite you to do the work in us. 00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:16.960 We confess the areas where our lip service has not moved into our life service. 00:36:17.199 --> 00:36:26.639 And so, God, would you give each person who has heard my words today and responding to your word the courage to respond? 00:36:27.920 --> 00:36:36.480 That you would put a burning conviction upon their heart to take the next right step that you place in front of them. 00:36:37.119 --> 00:36:49.679 And may we be a people that let your light so shine that they see our good deeds, a faith that works, and they'd glorify you. 00:36:49.920 --> 00:36:51.519 In Jesus' name. 00:36:52.000 --> 00:36:52.639 Amen.