WALKING THE GOOD WALK

Sermon Notes, June 29, 2014

Rev. Jan Sinozich

Pastor Jan’s message was titled “Walking the Good Walk,” and was based on James 1:1.   The message of James is that believers should be behavers!  What you believe is what you do.  There’s a connection.  Beliefs can shape your reality.  Psychologist Farouk Radwan says “Contrary to common beliefs, people don’t collect information from the outside world to form new beliefs.  They gather new information that supports their already existing beliefs.” 

Our actions tell the truth about what we believe.  Learning to behave is a process.  When we accept Christ, we become a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  This process is called discipleship—we learn to clean up the public part of our lives to look like what God cleaned up in your heart.  God does the work, then our work begins. (Ephesians 5:3)

Verse 1 tells us about the one who is writing.  James says he is a servant of Jesus.  He was a half-brother of Jesus, from the small town of Nazareth, and like the rest of the town, he didn’t believe Jesus was the Son of God.  Not until after the death and resurrection of Jesus. (1 Corinthians 15:7)  James became a leader in the church. (Acts 15)  His nickname was “Old Camel Knees” because he spent so much time on his knees in prayer.  James grew up in the same house with Jesus.  He watched Him, and he saw that Jesus’ belief matched His behavior.  He KNEW the Lord.

Verse 1 also tells us about the ones who are reading.  It’s addressed to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.  Peter wrote to the Jews scattered in the eastern world; James writes to those scattered in the western world.  The danger to any group is that they take on the character of the culture where they live.  Christians are called to a higher standard of servanthood.  Just as those to whom James wrote, we’re called to minister to a corrupt world in the very presence of visible evil.  The opportunity is the same: Be holy as I am holy; Make disciples in the nations.  The challenge is the same: You are not of this world; this is not your home.  The culture of evil is the same: There can be a distinctive Christian testimony exhibited among God’s people.  In order to BE the Christian, we desire to LOOK like a Christian, SPEAK like a Christian, and WALK like a Christian, or the world won’t recognize us as anything different from the world.

Back to psychologist Farouk Radwan and his article, “How Beliefs Affect Behavior.”  Not only can beliefs affect behavior, but they can affect your life and shape your entire reality.  What you believe can limit your potential.  What you believe can camouflage truth.  What you believe can trump reality.  What you believe can determine your self-confidence.  Beliefs can control your actions, behavior and potential.  There is no more positive or powerful belief than the belief in an unlimited God.  He is limitless.  He is truth.  He is the ultimate reality.  He is the creator of the created.  This is the perfect time to live the Christian faith!