Application Enriches our lives together
Living Together Series • Sermon • Submitted
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· 5 viewsApplying the scripture enhances our life together as the church
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Application and Precautions
Application and Precautions
In our series “Living Together” we have looked at many things thus far.
We are called to live to fellowship together
We are an intimate family
There is no life outside of the body and that every body counts
We looked at some of our worship together
Giving
Supper
Singing and prayers
We are to be an accepting family
A freeing family and that leads to today an enriching family!
Tonight we will start looking at the application section of this series. We have some application and some warnings or things to avoid, be careful of.
When you have a product, first you had to buy it right? Then, if smart, you read the instructions for the application don’t you? But in the instructions, in the small print are the warnings too. Up to now we have looked at all the areas mentioned before how we are to be an intimate family that is interdependent on one another. Tonight as we start into the application there are some warnings we need to look at along the way too. But when applied properly the application will enrich our living together. So the questions arise
What can we do to enrich our lives, our living together
What things should we avoid in our living together so not to cause division or to interrupt our fellowship together
We will be using the Book of James as our focal point. You know the book of Proverbs in the N.T. So buckle in and lets get started.
THe book of James written to the 12 tribes, not that were together, but spread abroad
1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
In our world, in our society today we are diversified, we are mobile and oftentimes are not firmly planted in one place so the words from James to them then are applicable to us and our society today too.
So let’s look together at the application and the warnings as seen in book of James, first the warnings, the things to avoid.
I. Warning labels (things to avoid)
I. Warning labels (things to avoid)
Don’t touch that, don’t do that, don’t go there, we have heard it all before, but in the scripture we are told things for our good and God’s glory as a family things we should avoid like
All filthiness and wickedness (Jam1:21; Eph5:3-5)
21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
who needs to put these things aside? We do! How much of it should we put aside? All of it
3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Replace the ways of the world, our old ways with God’s ways.
This was not anything new Solomon addressed it as the wisest man who ever lived (see Pro6:27-35)
This was not anything new Solomon addressed it as the wisest man who ever lived
Pro
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom And his clothes not be burned? 28 Or can a man walk on hot coals And his feet not be scorched? 29 So is the one who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her will not go unpunished.
30 Men do not despise a thief if he steals To satisfy himself when he is hungry; 31 But when he is found, he must repay sevenfold; He must give all the substance of his house. 32 The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; He who would destroy himself does it.
33 Wounds and disgrace he will find, And his reproach will not be blotted out. 34 For jealousy enrages a man, And he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35 He will not accept any ransom, Nor will he be satisfied though you give many gifts.
Pro6:33-
We cannot touch what is hot and be unscathed (v.27-28)
we cannot commit adultery and not be caught (v.29, 32-33)
We cannot steal and not be held accountable (v.30-31)
Our living together, fellowship together, our being a family can be destroyed if we let filthiness, wickedness or any of the other things mentioned stay in the body. While we may not be perfect we may not be sinless, we cannot allow sin to dwell in our family, so we need to be diligent to lay it aside (Jam1:21)
Avoid partiality (Jam2:1-9)
1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,
1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,”
3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?
5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? 8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Jam
We are to be an accepting fellowship as we had previously discussed and this passage just emphasis that.
We are to show respect to one another, regardless of place or position for when we do not we are sinning (v.9)
where impartiality brings us together, partiality divides us!
Avoid misuse of the tongue (Jam3:1-12)
Tongue can destroy, it has great power in it (vv.5-7)
5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.
7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.
The tongue when misused reveals our shallow nature and the shallowness of our relationship with God (vv.9-12)
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
Avoid selfishness (Jam4:1; Jam3:16)
1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?
(Expand on that some; briefly)
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
Don’t let disorder or evil come in because of jealousy and selfishness
Avoid speaking evil of one another (Jam4:11-12; Jn7:24; 1COr5:9-11)
11 Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?
That tongue, that mouth can get us in all sorts of trouble can’t it? We need to avoid, as this scripture says, speaking against one another for that is judgment. And there is only One who has the power and authority to judge.
His judgment is righteous and it will start with us
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
Judgment that we may use needs to be righteous
Jn
24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
And not condemnation for it starts with us, within the family, within the body
We can all to easily judge one another in according to our own personal beliefs and personal standards and hence divide and destroy that which the scripture says to forgive. When we speak evil of one another we destroy our fellowship, our family, we need to be careful not do devour one another
15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
These things to avoid we have just covered can prevent us from enjoying, enriching our life, our living together. So now having looked at these things, may we now turn our focus to the positive things we can do to enrich our living together
II. Things to enhance our Living Together
II. Things to enhance our Living Together
May we view challenges as opportunities (Jam1:2-4)
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
To get perfect results takes endurance and you will be lacking nothing!
Having the right perspective, God’s perspective is not only good for you, it is good for the family, that together we can make it through trying times
As a family we will go through growing pains that could disrupt our unity, can try to derail our peace and our harmony, but let the family work together through these things
The family can grow together and grow stronger when we work together
May we pray for wisdom (Jam1:5-8)
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
We need wisdom, God’s wisdom by God’s Word and empowered by God’s Spirit so we can grow together. We need to pray personally, but we need to pray corporately (as family) for God’s wisdom and direction.
May we try to maintain proper perspective (Jam1:9-11)
9 But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.
11 For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.
Don’t let pride destroy or disrupt family life; keep the right perspective we are all in this together and are all brothers in Christ!
Try to see one another as God’s see’s us! and this will help eliminate pride within the body
May we be swift to hear, slow to speak (Jam1:19-20)
19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
Be careful to act and not react, be willing to truly listen and respond in the glory to God!
May we apply these Christian graces to our fellowship, to our family, slow to hear, quick to listen, slow to wrath. By doing such we will be able to gracefully handle problems when they arise and they will.
May we practice pure, undefiled religion (Jam1:22-27)
Being doers of the word not just hearers
Letting our actions speak louder than our words
Taking care of the needs of others, especially the poor the widow and the orphan
As trying to be a respecter of time, and there is still much that can be said about application from here tonight, just want to give one more before we wrap up
May we demonstrate our godly wisdom through our Christian conduct (Jam3:13, 17-18)
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
good behavior, in good deeds in gentleness of wisdom and we know all wisdom comes from above
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, full of good fruits, it is unwavering, it is free of hypocrisy and it is seed bearing! Seeds of righteousness and peace
I encourage you to continue to look at Epistle of James for more things like
Praying for one another (Jam5:13-160
Restoring one another (Jam5:19-20)
(Conclusion/Invitation)
Life in the body, in our living together we are able to enrich our living with some simple application of these principles tonight
It starts with being a family, or becoming part of the family
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Gal3:
(Invitation)
Insert Invitation slide