Faith takes Guts

Faith Takes Guts

In 1994 Kevin Carter took a picture that shook the world. A starving Sudanese child. Vultures wait for the child to die. Won the Pulitzer Prize. Question was: What about that child? He didn’t know. Spent 20 minutes setting up picture, took it and left. Didn’t want to get that involved.

Everything in us says: Pick that child up! Carry him to the feeding station! Get involved!

“I will show you my faith by what I do.” James 2:18

The kind of faith that God wants: Faith that gets involved. Takes Guts. Sacrificial.

I. What Faith Looks Like. (James 2:14-26)

Real faith

• James 2:14, Real faith is not just something you
• James 2:15-16, Real faith is not
• James 2:17-18, Real faith is not something
• James 2:19, Real faith is not something (!) Notice, Demons are Theist. They believe in God. I did a study on what demons believe, what knowledge they profess when they talk (usually to Jesus.) I noticed that Demons believe in hell. Demons believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Demons believe in the judgment, the Second Coming, in Jesus’ authority. In fact, if a person does not believe in God, they are behind the demons! It’s rough to be more stupid than a demon. The point is, you can believe in God and still live in rebellion to God. Theological assent is not enough to get us into heaven.
• James 2:20-26, Real faith is something you

*** Real faith abandons self to follow Christ.

II. Three Examples of Active, Authentic Faith:

1. Abraham, a

Frustrating because of how radical it is. This guy completely sold out! God told Abraham: Take your son, only son, you love: Sacrifice him. (He loved that boy more than himself. Boy was his selfie) Mount Moriah. Father: Fire, knife – where’s lamb? God provide. Goes to sacrifice, God says: NO! He gives him a ram. Ram not a lamb. Promise: On this mountain. Later: Son of God died on that same mountain.

• Abraham abandoned himself. His own desires. Wants. Plans. Future. Said: God, I’m going to focus on you. James says: That’s faith that can change the world!
• When God doesn’t make sense, trust his character. 95% of what God does I don’t initially understand. Makes no sense to me. The heavens are higher…. On your best day you might get a wiff of what I’m doing. Just know my character, my ways always be different than your.
• How could Abraham do that? He believed God was doing something he couldn’t understand. See. God was at work somewhere, he just couldn’t see were. “Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead,” Heb. 11:19
• Maybe God’s told you to do some stuff that makes no sense. (Stay with marriage.) (Start tithing) (Reach out estranged fam) (Serve him)
• Abraham named the entire mountain: The Lord will provide.

2. Rahab, an

• Spies to Jericho. Hid them. She expressed what she believed. Wasn’t much. She DID something. Hid them. (Marched around the wall. Put scarlet cord in her window) Wall fell. Brought her out. Gave her a husband. She had to Commit herself to RADICAL change. Couldn’t say: I want to follow God, I also like being a prostitute in Jericho.
• Rahab acted on even the little bit of knowledge she had. Many people have lots of knowledge, do nothing. Rahab would say to us, If I who knew very little can repent and have big faith – what’s your problem?
• Rahab became the mother of Boaz, great grandmother of King David and one of two gentile women mentioned in the brithline of the Messiah.
• What James is responding to:

–Believer loves God: Makes huge changes. / Sitting wall , talking guy:

–Does what he wants. Sex who wants. No interest Bible. Rel. Mess.

–First guy: Know, I’m believer. Changed my life.

–Second guy: Believer too. I believe. (James: NO YOU DON’T.)

Some of you left church because: Your dad believed all the right things, he made life miserable. Problem wasn’t church! (Mom believed all the right stuff, said stuff cut you up. You thought: If this is Christianity, I’m out. Well, that’s not Christianity. She wasn’t applying her faith.)

3. . imaginary Person!

• Sometimes, the big faith steps, we keep out there. I would have great faith if the Hebrew spies showed up needing shelter! Probably not going to happen today. If I had to take these BIG steps, many Christians never live their faith. Do what they want, they are waiting to out in a blaze of glory somewhere… make some huge sacrifice… then God will be impressed wipe out all the time lived for self. But God wants you walking with him the whole way.
• James: Look, if you have clothes, food: Someone in need. It is not faith to say: Praying for you! Do something?
• V.15: He makes up an imaginary person! (ILLU: SOMEONE wrote on wall!) If someone is in need. Don’t have basics. Food. Clothes. And you say: I’m praying for you. You have to believe that if you are friends with God, you have to care about the things God cares about. People God cares about.

= Brian: Food For Life! Hardest thing we do is convince churches to get involved.

= Brandi: Pregnancy Clinic. Actually women who care.

= Paul: Benevolence. Never know all you’ve done.

= You can’t farm this out alone. Needs in this world are constant. You are constantly helping others. Don’t get it done and be done. Get it done, and the next one is coming.

III. Faith is the Courage to

Get involved in the things of God! Obeying God takes GUTS. Courage. God does not give out easy assignments.

Obey God:

1. Be ready to be annoyed. You won’t like the assignment. ANNOYS you with assignments. (Gideon was annoyed!) God going to send you a need takes faith: First response is be annoyed.

2. Be ready to be interrupted.

3. Be ready to be ASKED. To give all.

REAL FAITH: Abandons SELF to follow CHRIST.