PRAYER IS A PRIORITY (early will I seek God)

PRAYER IS A PRIORITY (early will I seek God)

Philosophy behind my lesson; - Adapted from Ray Gonzales

                   Try,(key word) to give you more than you have heard before, to              stir your heart to know Jesus better, by prayer, His Word and                        fellowship - to give a taste of the riches of God's goodness, an                      appetizer -  to move you to say in your heart "I want more".

          Last week;

                   Two of the Bibles most noted "Pray -ers"; 

                             David in 2 Samuel 7                          

                             Jesus instructions to His disciples on how to pray from                                     The Gospel of Matthew 6.

                   What about David's prayer stuck in your thoughts?

                   What about Jesus instructions stuck in your mind?

                  

                   What about Psalm 63 do you remember? 

                                      PRAYER IS A PRIORITY (early will I seek God)

          Prayer, Honors - God the Creator, LORD  and Redeemer

              Reminds -  us that we are His creatures

                                      (NOT Creator, keeps us humble)

              Prompts - thankfulness for all God has provided

              Moves - us to extend forgiveness to others as we have been forgiven

                                      (Testimony of God's mercy)

              Strengthens - our ability to obey and keeps opens the way of                                                      repentance when we sin and fall sort.

              Extends - the borders of God's kingdom by interceding for those                                                 who   the Holy Spirit moves us to pray for.

               Guards - our hearts against unbelief, prayer is the exercise of belief                                            and faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

                                      Hebrews 3:12 (NASB95)

¹²Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.

         

          This week;  Book of James on prayer

                    A. The man, James;

          James who was  he?  The brother of the incarnate Son of God.  A Jew of the 1st century in a culture which was impacted by the Greeks both in language and thinking.  James is the second child of Mary, the first of Joseph.  James life could be divided into two parts;

1st     Pre conversion; brother of Jesus, his relationship to Jesus may have        been the greatest obstacle to his salvation.  From all appearances        James family was normal, 5 boys at least two sisters.  Joseph was a     craftsman, what we would call a tradesman , "blue collar" someone    who worked and taught his sons his trade.  As a working class family         they all worked    together, took meals together and generally lived          and slept in the same  modest home.  They had years of seeing the        lacks, failures and needs of one another, except for Jesus.  He always       could be counted on to obey    and do His share of the work.  James      being the oldest son after Jesus probably heard more than once that      "you should more like Jesus".   It seems James did not believe his           brother was God until after Jesus suffered death and resurrected.   James would have been about 26 to 28 years old at the time Jesus    began His ministry, still not convinced Jesus claims were true.   

2nd    After conversion; a slave of God and the LORD Jesus Christ

          1 Corinthians 15:3–7 (NASB95)

                                ³For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received,                                that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

                                ⁴and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day                               according to the Scriptures,

                                ⁵and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

                                ⁶After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one                                       time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen                                asleep;

                                ⁷then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;

          James was never the same after that visit.  All he did reflected someone who encountered God. 

                   B.  "the bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ"

                                     ^{doulos                            theou                                  kyriou     Iesou      Christou}

                            

          1.       James description of himself in verse 1 ;

                                      "doulos"=one who is a slave in the sense of                                                                  becoming property of an owner  (God)

                                      "theou"=the One supreme supernatural being as                                                 creator and sustainer of the universe

                                      "kyriou"=(a title for God and for Christ) one who                                                        exercises supernatural authority over mankind                                          - Lord, Ruler, One who commands

                                      "Iesou"=Jesus Christ of Nazareth

                                      "Christou"=(the Greek translation of the Hebrew                                                         and Aramaic word 'Messiah')

                                      James does not reference any special relationship to                        his 1/2 brother but, someone of low degree owned, all his                                   desires and intentions subject to his owner.  Later as                                           leader of the church in Jerusalem James was known as                                        "James the just", he was also called "old camel knees" by                                  Eusebius of Caesarea a Roman historian and Christian                                       polemicist who later became the Bishop of Caesarea about                                 AD 319.  

                             James epistle is a unique blend of wisdom in short                                    bursts, some may not appear to be obviously related but,                                   they are.  It has been compared to "Proverbs", a book with                              little logical progression, both Proverbs and the book of                                     James are considered "Wisdom literature".  James uses                                  specific words to link ideas and that is what we are to                                 focus on.  

                                     

          From his epistle we discern 5 notable character traits                                          about James;

                   1st     He was a man of true humility, he used a term to describe                                  himself as one who was subject to another not elevating                                     himself as Jesus 1/2 brother.

                   2nd    He was righteous man, later known as "James the Just",                                    warning of trappings of sin and encouraging right living.

                   3rd    He was a loving pastor, his mention and concern for the                                    poor is seen in his writings, calling all the members of the                                   church beloved.

                   4th    He was a man of the word, he quotes and refers to the                               writings of Moses many times and the need for prayer.

                   5th    He was a theologian, dealing with sin, law,  faith, wisdom                                  and that God is One.

           James various key ideas are for the practical benefit for those who have that same profession as;

                            " James, a bond-servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ" 

                             and as well, those who are intrigued by having knees like                                   a camel's. 

          C.  Key words;

                   James 1:2 (NASB95)

                                                ²Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter                                                  various trials,

          James approach starts in a unique way linking "joy" with "various trails".  Not just once having a different view of "joy" in Chapter 4:9 he tells us what "joy" we have should be turned to gloom and links it to resisting the devil and humbling ourselves in the "presence of the Lord."

          This is not a natural way of thinking, "joy" and "various trails" do not go together.  James 1:1 was the clue that James is "not a natural thinking man".   James has met God in the flesh and his world is never to be the same.

                   James 1:3 (NASB95)

                                                ³knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

           James is a man of "faith" and uses the word 16x's in his epistle.  For James "faith" is always about action, it is not a theological term, it connects to deeds.  Orthodoxy is not James message; Practice-doxy is.

          James begins by telling us "faith" is always producing or related to some action.  He begins with "endurance" = "hypomone" = "capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances - endurance being able to endure" this word is associated with hope and refers to that quality of character which does not allow one to surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial.  It is also translated "perseverance" "steadfastness" and "patience". 

          James pulls the next two verses back to "faith" in verse 3.  "Endurance" is "faith" in action and it's working has a perfect result, that perfect result is related to wisdom.  Let's read verses 4 & 5;

                   

                   James 1:4–5 (NASB95)

                                                ⁴And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may                                           be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

                                                ⁵But 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.

          As wisdom is from God as James points out and it is dispensed generously verses 6 - 8 detail the requirement to receive that wisdom;

                   James 1:6–8 (NASB95)

                                                ⁶But 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.

                                                ⁷For that man ought not to expect that he will receive                                                   anything from the Lord,

                                                ⁸being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

          James focus on faith moves from testing to applying faith and this is where his heart is.  The key is "ASK IN FAITH".  Stability is related to single mindedness.  James uses a root word which also could be translated "believe, trust and faith"="pisteuo" and is clear in making his point that receiving after asking depends on if one doubts.  As the saying goes "doubt and do without, believe and receive".

         

          Two other ideas James draws together is;

                   1.       Humility, the realization that both life and riches are                                 passing.  All of us are poor just some realize it, our                                             position, education and possessions count for nothing.

                             Do not be deceived by_______________?

                   2.       Temptation is from our own lust, not God.  Lust is the                                       beginning of a process which moves us to sin and results                                    in death.

          D.      Key event;

                  

                   Genesis 3:1–7 (NASB95)

                                                ¹Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field                              which the Lord God had made. And he said to the                                             woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat                                              from any tree of the garden’?”

                                                ²The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees                                        of the garden we may eat;

                                                ³but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of                                        the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or                                                touch it, or you will die.’ ”

                                                ⁴The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!

                                                ⁵“For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes                                           will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing                                             good and evil.”

                                                ⁶When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and                                         that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was                                          desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and                              ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he                                   ate.

                                                ⁷Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew                                         that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves                                                   together and made themselves loin coverings.

          After reading those verses there two things which come to mind;

                  

                   1.       Knowing what God really said and doing it could have stopped                                            the discussion.

                   2.       Reason, is the greatest obstacle of obedience and faith.

         

          What should the woman have done? RUN

          E.      Faith & Works;

          James could be accused of being single minded.  When reading the Bible a sign something is important is the frequency of its' use.  In Chapter 2 from verse 14 to 26 James relates "faith and works" 10x's.  Could there be a pattern here?  Taking that same idea about the frequency of use holding importance, two other words may hold the key to James Epistle.  "Ask and pray",  if one word described a characteristic of prayer it would be "faith," applying that "faith" results in "works".

          When we want to imply someone is inseparable from another person we say they are like "Siamese twins" joined together.  That is what James is trying to tell us "faith and works" are inseparable just as "pray and ask" are inseparable.  

         

                   Hebrews 11:6 (NASB95)

                                                ⁶And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he                                               who comes to God must believe that He is and that He                                       is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

                  

Matt. 7:13   Gate/small                      Way/narrow                   Destination/few

                   Faith                              Believe                           Trust realized

                   Entrance                        Travel                            Eventual

                   Justification                             Sanctification                 Glorification

                                                          pisteou

                   Review;

                   If we outlined James;

                             Testing of your faith produces endurance

                             Pray (ask God for wisdom)

                             Lust ends in death (not enough prayer)

                             Hearers of the word show true religion in word & deed

                             Faith & works are always together

                             Pray with right motives (usually for others)

                             Pray in faith ( remember Hebrews 10:6 )

                             Prayer of righteous affects much

                                      (prayer and righteousness are friends)

                             Prayer saves souls and cover a multitude of sins

                                      (extends the boundaries of God's kingdom)

                            

                   James real message could be, "prayer is the proof of our                           faith",  that proof since Jesus told us in Matthew 6 to pray in secret is     known only by God.  For sure He knows what kind of faith we         have, if our faith is measured by how much pray. 

                   No wonder they called James "camel knees", all he wanted              to talk about was prayer.  I guess that is what happens when                     you are visited by God.

                  

                   Like all good Bible lessons you should leave this morning with       two questions on your mind;

                   1.       Do I pray enough?   If you answer yes you need to repent                                            from that lie to yourself / if no ?

                   2.       What I am going to do about it?