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James 1:27-28 “27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
Let’s confess our anger… even our “righteous indignation”
Now, what do orphans and anger have to do with one another?
Do you ever read a passage of scripture, and then put it in contexts, and wonder “what in the world was God thinking when you put these together?” and wondered “What do these things have to do with each other?” Me too. Including this particular passage.
I have found more than any other letter in the Bible, James seems to put things in place as you would never anticipate or expect. Things that don’t appear to be interrelated but when I take time to read, and reread them, and praying through them and allowing them to examine me, I begin to see how they are so incredibly relevant to one another.
Recalibrating our minds and hearts - to what matters to God. Yes, the circumstances of the day certainly matter to God, but He is truly sovereign over such things.
What is essential now, is that we see our current situation in light of 2 perspectives
Eternal - now, but distant
Immediate - now, and close
As opposed to what is big, and far, and seemingly near, that an be taken out of eternal context, and at the same time, keep us from seeing, or distracting us from, what we are actually responsible for - to God and right here, now, around me.
We need to ask ourselves: “Over what do we have dominion over? How we practice our religion?”
So, again, what does anger have to do with orphans AND my responsibility with and for them?
Anger keeps me from seeing what God sees and how He sees them
Keeps me from seeing my role in God’s work - work that is dear to His heart and therefore ought to be dear to mine (partly because we can’t see Him or it clearly)
Anger builds ramparts around my heart that keep from seeing anything beyond - me and my desires, and, those who I feel are attempting to thwart my heart and its desires
Therefore…
We need to understand that...
Our anger defiles our religion, even Good prompted righteous indignation - that God meant to provoke us to do good - when we make it too much ours, actually diminishes our righteousness. It makes our religion powerless and ineffective. It perverts it.
Anger has a way of pitting me against everyone around me. It causes me to think what I think is right, and no one else can be. That it is me against the world, or at least me against you. And even more profoundly, you against me and mine.
So, I can’t hear, then I won’t hear. I can’t listen, I won’t listen. I speak quickly, forcefully, with little regard for anyone or anything else… including God and what is dear to Him - eternally, and here in the now, right around me.
James 1:22-27
19My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20because human anger does not produce the righteousness (or the righteous life) that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
26Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Religious; religion: devout; fearing or worshiping God; piety - godliness, spiritual
Without controlling his tongue:
This leads us to transformation - having the truth truly set us free. From what? Being deceived! In this case, James is warning us that our anger defiles our religion and can work to deceive us into thinking what we think and feel - is right - at the expense of working together, even in a time that is so personally vexing, with people we are personally offended by.
1:26 “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless”
Deceives himself: to be deceived - to believe or convince oneself of falsehood, an untruth, or a lie, cheat oneself, lead into error - this is Isaiah 58!!!!
Decieve using tactics like seduction, giving distorted impressions, lured into deception
Personal desires - one’s religion (one’s faith practice, or personal piety) has either -
Not (been effective in having) stripped one of (living for) personal desires, pleasures, through selfishness and self-centerdednss
Deceived oneself into thinking or believing that knowledge and “worship” is enough - giving oneself a distorted impression of what faith and religion are
Hypicritical showing -
Cheat, deceive, or beguile
Cheat oneself of the refreshment of true religion through odedience and ministry as well as cheating oneself of faith building process of trust and entrust
Cheat others of one’s self and the care and service they need and should be able to lean on from a brother or sister or church that one is meant to provide
Cheat the church of eidification by/through one’s grace given/distributed gifts (1Cor 12) or resources gathered and readied to minister to the needy in its midst (Deut 14:22,29; 15:9-11; Ps 41:1; Pr 22:9; Ecc 11:1; Acts 2 - where the Jews had a history of generosity and care; 2Cor 9 - to the (afluent) gentile who had to be taught generosity toward others)
Cheat the word from its honr, respect, and trust by not obeying it
Cheat God’s glory by not living according to His word and will
27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Faultless: not defiled, unsoiled; free from that by which the nature of a thing is deformed and debased, or its force and vigor impaired" - pure, free from adultery
Caring for what God, our Father, cares for...
Orphan: bereaved, fatherless, desolate, comfortless; bereft of father or parents, or of a teacher, guide or guardian
Why is this important today? Because we have orphans, and we have widows. What is a widow again? As a woman without a husband. Whether that be by choice, by neglect, or by death. We have a nation, populated with women without partners, without helpers, without men.
And so, we have children, without fathers.
Please let me be very clear: I’m not in any way disparaging - looking down upon or judging - a woman with children who does not have a husband for the child’s father with her. This is not a judgment statement. It is an observation. And although many women, and men, without their children’s other parent in their lives, are capable of raising good, sound, godly, responsible children - this is not the ideal. Infact, this is far from the ideal.
The fact is, no one person has everything in them to be everything that a child needs, Man or woman. It is difficult enough for a man and a woman, a couple, in a good salad marriage, to raise their children.
And then there is the acute issue of children without any parentage. Or for whatever reason whose parents could not keep them. Or whose parents are struggling, and need assistance.
Yes, this is a HUGE problem, this is a global pandemic in and of itself.
According to the most recent federal data, there are currently more than 400,000 children in foster care in the United States. They range in age from infants to 21 years old (in some states). The average age of a child in foster care is more than 8 years old, and there are slightly more boys than girls.
Yes, we are called to be part of the solution, we are called to make a difference by this very text
But, if we only see the BIG issues, that big problem, we will never enter into the fray because we will feel as though there’s nothing we can do that will make a difference - because it is too much.
Because of the sheer scale, it is these types of things we need to leave in God’s hands, commit to him, and trust him, and know that His will will be done - lest we become discouraged.
Then, we must ask Him to open our hearts to see...
In the meantime, He calls us to now shift our focus from the macro, to the micro, to what is within our sphere, our concentric circle, our scope. Those things that we can be a part of, we can make a difference in, we cane, because we are to, take responsibility for.
From Stephanie:
“I thought last week’s sermon about the macro/micro perspectives was significant and ties into the idea of caring for the vulnerable in society.
The government can meet physical needs, but true life change won’t happen without connection/relationship.
If we look around us and see a need, we should meet that. If we’re thinking micro, we’d see that we can bring a meal, sit and listen, send a card, watch kids so foster or single mom can catch her breath, teach someone a life skill...
...those are the kind of things that change people, and ultimately, the world.”
Regardless of what goes on in the macro - beyond us - it in no way should distract us from our responsibilities in our sphere of ministry and mission.
In fact, if anything, it should compel us to work all the harder in the micro - in our little world, because we know that the macro affects the micro, so that we are alerted to the problem,what happens in the world, the “all” does affect the individual - the every and the each - and the micro DOES effect the macro - as all those numbers, every one of them, is a person - each.
So we all, every one of us, each have a primary responsible to each person who intersects with our sphere of ministry and mission
Who is responsible for who…? the Body
In this, we must come to understand and realize, that it is not about us: what we get, our welfare, our good. That, we must trust, is ultimately, taken care of by God, and, hopefully, the body with which we serve and fellowship - as we each take responsibility for one another.
...ourselves…
It is our responsibility, as we ensure our own health and standing through sound biblical disciplines, now…
...love others, as we love ourselves….
apply that strength, those resources, all that I have been graced with and blessed by, to the lives of others.
With little concern, necessarily, that mine needs be met, but, trusting that they will - not demanding, but trusting
We need to understand that the church’s first responsibility is to care for the body, and that each member is responsible for the body - that all the members of the body are cared for in a way that promotes health and growth. Then, from that budding health and growth, the body, as a body, and its members, are able to:
Example Christ’s love - and this by loving one another
Promote the health and strength of those ministering - which better equips us for both ministry and mission
Accomplish the ministry and mission for which God has established and placed the church
Exercise well the fruit of the Spirit
Garners blessing - give and it will be given to you…
Our responsibility is to be responsible, with an eye to bless:
God - living to His glory
Family - our first and primary responsibility
Church - our second family responsibility
My sphere of influence - that place in which I have dominion under God’s sovereign rule
My community
My country
My world
What is it to be responsible, or, take responsibility?
Trust and entrust ourselves to God’s sovereign will - knowing Him and who we are to Him
Know and obey God’s word
Live with an eye to express love as God did and does - being an imitator of God, as a dearly loved child - and, give generously
Live in such a way as to have established margins that I live to God’s glory, by giving generously - whatever generously means in my context
That why God established the principles of - so that every one can give (
Tithing a percentage
Gleaning
We do this by living according to God’s values:
Responsible to God “looking to one’s own interests” but...
Respectful “...not only one’s own interests”
Responsible for others “...but, to the interests of others”
Redemptively “...in humility, seeing others as better than self”
In our day, our culture, our community, we, as a people approach some of this by fostering children - kids who are currently in a position of need due to family unhealth or difficult circumstances… so we could ask ourselves, as believers, as a church, the following questions.
Should I, could I, join this mission by being a foster parent?
In this case, it is not to say we all become foster parents, but it is to say that we might all take it into prayer consideration - not every ministry is for everyone, but every ministry is for someone.
Or, if that is not God’s prompting…
Can I, should I, be a support, an encouragement, to someone who is a foster parent?
It seems that something all, every, and each of us can do, is support those who are in the midst of incredibly important acts of service. No one person can support everyone, but every person can support someone.
Now, to be sure, not everyone is called to everything. We each have God given graces for the benefit of the body… (Matthew 25; Romans 12; 1Corinthians 12; 2Corinthians 9)
Talents and strengths
Gifts and passions
Resources and opportunities
Sphere of influence
Call to ministry and service
Call to mission or evangelism
What can we do? What an I do?
There are a number of ways we might get involved. Whether that is financial, relational ,or shared responsibility, it might be ours, yours, to have the honor and privilege to support someone who has been called to this all important ministry.
It is important that we do not ignore this admonition - a reminder of what our religion should look like as a reflection of what is dear to our Father’s heart… As children of God, we are reminded of the heart of Father, and that is toncare of those who cannot care for themselves.
With this reminder, we must be sure to examine God’s word and assess our ministries and service, as well as our missional outreach (to the lost and needy).
One litmus for any church is when one or more members of our body is compelled, prompted, directed, Spirit-inspired to help the body obey an aspect of God’s word, especially one that is fundamental. When we have someone rise up, we, in response, need to pray and discern:
Is there a need within the body?
Are we to consider this specific ministry as a body?
Are there those who sense a call to this ministry?
What can the body do to support those who are called?
Do we possess the people and resources for this ministry?
Though not every individual believer may be called to the specific ministry of:, in the case, foster care, it is essential that as a body, as we see the command to understand what God considers “acceptable religion” that He lays out in scripture, and then we subject our ministries to that scrutiny. In this case:
Widows
Orphans, specifically
Poor
We know that not every church is going to excel in all things, but when we are challenged by scripture and it has become one of our member’s promptings, it is necessary for us to pray, examine, assess, and adjust.
In our case, we have among us those who have been called to foster and have offered their lives and homes for that purpose
Ironically, we have, had those who have a prompting to help those ministering in this specific ministry, to bring support, encouragement and aid
At mosaic, we believe that this may be a leading from God to see what this means for us as a body.
In response, we need to be aware and alert to God’s heart expressed in His word, the prompting of the heart, and the need among us.
We need to be informed of the issue and if and how we might play a part.
But it is there with liberty. As though the command is there, there’s no specific instruction as to what it is I need to do. He leaves that up to me and my conscience, the leading of his spirit, the prompting of his word, and then the wisdom and insight to see my circumstances as they are, and how I might have dominion over my sphere, as to not be rained by my flash, but that I would have dominion with God as he reigns over me, and I apply myself to his desires, his will, and his purposes.
This is why Ephesians says we need to be full of the spirit, under its driving influence, and be prepared to take it vantage of every opportunity, Hebrew says do not worry and doing good, Thessalonians, says the same thing. First John and James will speak to the idea if we have the opportunity and the resources to meet need, for us to not do so would be a sin.
Again, there are no specifics there because he leaves that up to us who we are what it is he’s in doubt us with the sphere of influence he’s given us, and then the opportunities and how we are guided through them by his word in the spirit and buy one another.
For many of us, we may never truly have an opportunity to see an orphan, meet in orphan, or take care of an orphan on the other hand, and therefore have our own ministries in missions in which God has placed us to accomplish what he’s designed for us to accomplish and then placed us in the midst of giving us all the resources gifts strengths and opportunity to be prepared to take it vantage of attitude up to out with. But we need to be alert to what his commands
We need to be prepared for every opportunity we need to be willing to at least engage the Holy Spirit and ask him what about me? What would you have of me?
