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June 6, 2021 3:00 am
Notes
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” —Revelation 1:3 ESV
James shows us three different kinds of faith:
1. Dead Faith
People with a dead faith often substitute their knowledge and their words for action.
2. Demonic Faith
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” —John 5:24 ESV
You can be enlightened in your mind and stirred in your heart but be lost forever.
3. Dynamic Faith
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” —Romans 10:17 ESV
Dead faith touches only the intellect; demonic faith involves both the mind and the emotions; but dynamic faith involves the will.
2 Corinthians 13:5 MSG
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Everybody Greg Laurie here. You're listening to the Grigori podcast and my objective is to deliver hopefully compelling practical insights and faith culture and current events. From a biblical perspective to find out more about our ministry.
Just go to our website harvest.org so thanks for joining me for this podcast. My name is Jonathan Lori and I'm one of the pastors and I get to share the message with you today. Open up in your Bible to James chapter 2 that's were to be going through together as we look at this message which I have titled so what so what we get into that in just a moment. If you are watching with us last week.
My dad shared about how we had this really really cool opportunity to partner with the brand who sponsors a NASCAR car is pretty big deal.
The drivers Jeffrey Earnhardt and he is a really famous racecar driver.
He's a grandson of Dale Earnhardt kind of a big deal. And so Jeffrey he was driving his car in this ministry that it partnered with us. They told us that they wanted to put our website on the bumper of their car with words find hope. Well, we were so excited because you know millions of people to be watching this program and were excited to see Jenny here just about the fruit was gonna take place and so we thought maybe it you know it pop up on camera one or two times and for lucky. And hey, we'll see what happens will check this out as the driver was driving around the race track at some point the bumper became dislodged and look at this on the bumper they read it ripped off and this is what you would call friends viral marketing. How ridiculous is this that is literally waving in the wind with tight close-up cameras all over appointing people to our website.
I love that that was so hilarious when I saw it I just started laughing so hard because that's exactly how God works. He works in mysterious ways. Does any we we did know what was gonna happen. We are hoping for the best. But this time he give me a break. This is best case scenario right here and so praise God. And hey, maybe some of you are watching right now because you saw it on our website resolve that little website on the bumper and so you join us will hate that's amazing were so glad that you joined as I hope that you have. If you have, actually, would you mind to say hey I saw your website Walter watching the NASCAR race on the bumper. Once you throw in the comments. If you have that would be seriously insane if you were, we would love that.
So today we are going through a message as I mentioned earlier that I've titled so what. It's in James chapter 2. The reason I titled it this way is because the last few months, together here on Sundays and and Saturday evenings at harvest home. We been going through the book of Revelation together. I met what a blast it is been a we been going through it in our teaching with my dad's he's led us through it. Also in our small groups. If you're part of one of our small groups. We been studying it and I tell you what it is been one of my favorite books to go through.
This is been such a fun series.
An interesting and engaging in, and challenging and convicting is well and it's been a great time and now if you're new to harvest or you came in a little bit later for the series, you might be of the mindset that Revelation. It's at the back of the Bible for a reason.
Okay, now you note Moses, Jesus, Adam and Eve know King David. You know, these are the characters that you're familiar with. We've heard the Bible stories about we've heard great teachings on these characters we love hearing about them, but you know that once you get to that book that's between June and the concordance and all the colorful maps know that's that's an interesting place that book of Revelation. That's where you find you know the child eating dragons and that's where you find you know this great prostitute who is riding around on a seven headed, 10 horned starlet covered beast while simultaneously drinking human blood yet that's a description in the Bible of the antichrist and what a crazy description that is.
Let's be honest, it's a little terrifying. We can kinda chuckle about and say this is like the most radical graphic description of anything we've ever heard of sounds terrifying. It sounds terrifying. It is you study Revelation. As we have here on Sundays. What you learn. Especially with that description. In particular, is that many of those things are symbolic their symbolic and descriptions of the antichrist and the power that he has during the tribulation. And so if you going to Revelation. And you don't understand what you're doing or what you're going through my encouragement to you would be this if you miss one of those messages. This is such a good book for you to go through.
This is such a good book for you to understand, to see what the future holds for the believer. It's all good news for us.
I assure you, if you're a follower of Christ. You can know we win in the end, so my encouragement to you is if you miss one of these messages through this series is my dad wrapped it up this last Sunday or you didn't get to hear any of it go to harvest.org or go to our YouTube channel and watch these messages are free of charge. You can check them out, and I assure you, you're going to be encouraged and you can be challenging. You're gonna love it last week in my dad's message as he wrapped up this series and is opening part of his message. He started talking about some of the words that people will say on their deathbed words that celebrities have said words the common people have said as they laid there honoring the last phrases in the last noises that they ever would we find those things interesting right we find those things interesting how a statement uttered by someone on their deathbed can give insight into who they really are what really matter to them the things they cared about and it's interesting.
It gives us insight will the book of Revelation contains the last recorded words of Jesus Christ. Everybody wants to one of the last things that Jesus said was commanded he gave what he wants to do the book of Revelation contains all of that except they weren't uttered when Jesus was on his deathbed know they were uttered when Jesus was in glory uttered from heaven when he was in the throne room of God spoken down to John the disciple whom Jesus loved, and he shared these words, the book of Revelation is so important for us to understand and as we have read this book together and studied it together and we will study it again in the future right here harvest.
We do this because it contains the words of Jesus Christ.
That's why that's the simple reason why is because it contains the words of Jesus Christ. It is Scripture. It is breathed out by God and in this book. In particular, it gives us insight it gives us instruction and it gives us hope and it's the only book with a built-in blessing, which I love and that third verse in the book of Revelation. Revelation one chapter of verse three it says these words. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written for the time is near. What I like is the third verse out of 404 that are found in the book of Revelation, it tells us exactly what its goal is a gives us the key to unlocking it right there in verse three Blessed is he blessed is she who reads, hears and keeps most importantly the words found in this book. For the time is near of Christ return. I love that this is not a book solely for our intellect for our cerebral understanding that we should pursue those things know the book of Revelation was written to give us hope to give us perspective so that we can live our lives here on earth with hope.
We see how our story ends. And because of that we can live our lives with confidence with boldness, with faith and with action. We know how her story ends two years ago my little boy Christopher. He was seven years old and now Christopher.
He is what you would maybe call accident-prone as some people have said this, I don't know if he's accident-prone. I think that he's just kind of a daredevil and he is a high tolerance for pain. And so what happens is usually comes, always bleeding his legs bleeding what you do. Oh, I don't know if this is not a big deal.
We came home when he was about seven years old couple years ago and his leg was bleeding pretty bad and he was hurt.
He came in he said that I fell. He told me the stories that he was sitting in his friend's window and he fell out of the window into some bushes was much as I tried to drill down, like how high was this window. How hard did you fall into the bushes. It was a really clear to this day, but he fell into the bushes and there are some twigs and there are some sticks and branches. There were sharp enough that it punctured his leg and he got a good little hole just below his butt and so we knew that right away written have taken to the emergency room, taken to the walk in clinic and get that stitched up and know my my policy is apparent when it comes to taking my kids to the doctor or taking them to the emergency room or whatever might be has always been complete transparency. I always tell him exactly what's going to happen because I always just a figurehead, rather than know and be prepared, and then we'll get through better and so with Christopher were driving to the hospital and we're talking just about what was going to happen. I told hate okay buddy. So what's can happen is you get some stitches.
You can have get it, you know one or two maybe three shots of numbing yell this numbing stuff that I do put into your leg so you don't feel it when they give the stitches and it's got to be uncomfortable it's gonna hurt for a little while their constituents are knocking to feel it will be a big deal will be in there for 30 minutes an hour at the most and so I tell him all the stuff we get in there and he just handles it like a champ. One of the reasons he handled it so well was because yes, he knew what was coming, so he knew they pounded the amount of pain you can have to endure the discomfort he is enough to go through but I also told him at the end when it's all finished.
I can take you to go get ice cream or I've told before.
What was worse injury undertake to go buy a new video game ready to rent a movie. Whatever you want. Just something for him to look forward to and so because Christopher knew what was coming because Christopher knew that there was light at the end of the tunnel.
If you will that something good was coming at the end of all of this he was able to face it with confidence. He was able to face it, without fear. He was able to face it with perspective and Christian. It's no different for you or I is no different for us. For those of us who follow Jesus Christ. Because here's the reality because of the perspective that we have been given by our heavenly father through prophecy we to know what's going to happen we to know what the worst is going to be. We to know that we are going to endure some discomfort written endure some painful things in this life, but we also know how her story ends and I think it's worth saying thank you Lord that we know we win in the end Christ conquers the devil. Jesus conquers death. We know how her story ends and we can say thank you God to you. Goes all the glory. And so for us, reading hearing and keeping the truths found in the book of Revelation in all Scripture for that matter, are to be a way of life for believers and because we also know how her story will end. It gives us further incentive we know how her story ends.
And so, let's live in light of that list live out the things God has called us to. So as I prepare my message for this weekend. I put myself in the shoes of a cynical person a.k.a. I put on my own shoes I can end up being a little cynical out and I lean that way somewhat, but I thought of a person specifically who would care this whole book.
This amazing book of prophecy here these wonderful teachings of these wonderful exhortations found in Scripture, spoken by Jesus himself from eternity in heaven. I thought of a person who be sitting there, with her arms folded and saying okay who cares who cares so what why should I care what's next right. That's our message title. So what is I thought of that person, one person really came to mind.
I was reminded of the most cynical and jaded person probably in all of Scripture. It was Jesus very own half-brother, James. That's right Jesus half-brother, James, no James did not believe in his brother Jesus, in the sense that he was the Messiah, and he believed that he was coming to deliver mankind from their sin. He didn't believe in him and that sense but James knew that there something special about his brother and but ultimately it wasn't until Jesus appeared to James after his death and resurrection. They James came to believe as a result of that encounter.
One of the things that James did was write this letter, which we now call today the book of James's exhortation throughout this letter is towards action towards response to live out what we know is true you could kind of start off the book of James with this statement. If everything that you believed about Jesus Christ is true. How would it affect your daily life. A friend we know that the things about Christ are true. We know that the things found in Scripture are true and so how should we live as a response again.
James exhortation in this letter towards action response and to live out what we know is true.
So James in our text today, he highlights for us a couple of different types of faith, the people can have as a result of reading revelation and encountering Jesus, but only one of them is a saving faith. Only one of them is a true faith. Only one of them is a living faith is a let's read together in James chapter 2 and see what he has to say about the type of faith we need to have as followers of Jesus Christ James chapter 2, starting in verse 14 he says these words, what good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works cannot faith save him.
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food and one of you says to them go in peace, be warmed and filled, without giving the things needed for the body what code is that and so also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say all you have faith and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe the God is one. James continues you do well, even the demons believe, and shudder. Verse 20.
Do you want to be shown, you foolish person that faith apart from works is useless. It's always a great way to speak to your audience.
Call them fools right no but seriously, you want to be shown, he says, you foolish person that faith apart from works is useless. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar. You see, this is the key right here that faith was active, along with his works and faith was completed by his works and the Scripture was fulfilled a set. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. And he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone in the same way, was not Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. Again I titled this message.
So what so what who cares right. Who cares what is it matter we look at all these things in Scripture we hear about us. All this awesome stuff that's you know true for us. These resources that we have these gifts that we have so what what are we supposed to do. As a result. Okay, so let's look together at point number one. The first type of faith they James points out for us is a dead faith. Number one dead faith we read about in verses 14 to 17 James talks about basically how is walking down the street. He illustrates his dead faith is walking on the street and there's a person kinda sit there on the ground there cold and are hungry and are asking for food and James is like, what kind of faith is this. If you walk over to that person you see their need. You have the means to meet their need and he bent down to go hey brother how you doing pretty cold out here ha hey, be warmed and filled, take care God bless and then he just gone walking what the heck is wrong with you what kind of faith is that what a terrible thing to do.
That is not a good faith that is not a true faith. What good is that James says it would almost be like you're on the freeway and the card from you gets into a bad car accident and it burst into flames and you look on in your passenger seat you got a brand-new fire extinguisher you just bought. And so you run your car, you grab the fire at single sure you run up to the car and you set the fire sings for next to the car and then you go over and you open up the doors for the people there their past out there not able to get out on their own and you're able to reach in and unbuckled her seatbelt and you open the door and you unbuckled her seatbelt, but you don't pull amount and then you go over to your phone and you dialed 911, but you don't press call. What the heck is that what's wrong with you.
That's like the worst thing that you could do you. Michael to jail for that, and rightfully so, you had the means to help somebody you have the ability you have the knowledge but you didn't do it. You didn't do it. James says this is a dead faith.
This is what a dead faith is like what good is that is so James uses this laughable illustration to tell us that a faith that knows the right thing to do but chooses not to do it and chooses not to act on it while that's a dead faith. That's a false faith. People with the dead faith often substitute their knowledge for actions they know the right things they need to do they know the vocabulary to use. They know the behavior they should engage in, and they often tell others how they should be living their life so I know exactly what you're supposed to do.
I can come and fix this situation just write and tell you all you need to reconcile with your wife need be a better parent.
Nedra read your Bible and do all these things. I know the steps you're supposed to be doing. But often they don't do it themselves. Now this dead faith. It doesn't change or affect the way you treat your family would change or affect the way you treat your roommates the way you do your taxes. It would change the way you drive or the way you talk to people would change how you spend your free time would prompt you to share your faith would prompt you to be generous and start leaning into that and it wouldn't also prompt you to make yourself available to help others and to serve the church.
It would do any of those things.
Why because it's a dead faith, a dead faith isn't going to prompt you to do those things. Maybe a better way for us to understand it rather than works. Is this James as you know faith without works is dead. Maybe a better way for us to understand it would would be this faith that doesn't drive you to action isn't real faith it isn't saving faith. That's a big deal. We always hear salvation by grace through faith is faith alone that we need to have in Christ that saves us yes that's very true. But James is telling us different kinds of faith. If you have the wrong faith it isn't a saving faith you're knocking to go to heaven with this type of faith and so we need to listen and be aware in James 214, and a modern translation.
He says these words, dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this life. If you learn all the right words.
You never do anything does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it.
How good is that does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really hasn't.
I tell you what.
There's some people today walking around. They can walk around they can talk the talk but they don't walk the walk. They don't walk the walk worn where's the he said these words.
Any declaration of faith that does not result in a changed life and good works is a false declaration that kind of faith is a dead faith. John Calvin.
He said this is faith alone that justifies, but faith that justifies can never be alone, so a dead faith is knowing God, and what behavior we need to turn from and turn to but for whatever reason we don't do it.
We choose not to reason could be apathy could be apathy just don't care how whatever I don't care. You know, not that big of a deal. I don't care what God has to say.
It could be that you disagree with some aspect of Scripture I don't like this. I'll think this applies to me. I was gonna pick and choose the parts that I like that the parts that apply to me.
In my mind it could be that you want the appearance of being something that you are not the appearance of being a Christian without having any of the character traits without any of the discipline without any of the obedience know what we would've called you back in high school when I was a kid would've called you a poser who called to oppose or not opposer is opposer's summary that dresses like a surfer or a skater or a mountain biker or whatever and they have all the prayers I got all the gear they can talk the talk but then is like hey man, here's a skateboard. Do a kick flip why I can't do that in the you know they step on escape when they fall. They cracked their head open or something is like. I thought you were skater know are you kidding me. I just looked like I distress all that you know the different ways that coping opposer you don't want to be opposer you don't want opposer faith opposer faith is a dead faith and has no power to save you the second type of faith.
James points us to is a demonic faith. Yeah, a demonic faith. Look at verse 18 but someone will say we you have faith and I have works man show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. James says you believe the God is one. You do well, even the demons believe and they shot her. I love that James has hate you got faith. Congratulations Lottie.kudos to you. Well done.
Even the demons believe in the shutter. James is is calling us out.
He's called us out and some people today and I'm sure back then it would surprise them that the demons the demons have a type of faith.
Yeah, they sure do the demons have faith. What are they believe will demons would for sure know that the existence of God is true they would believe in the existence of God because they exist. They are neither atheists or agnostics. Demons also believe in the deity of Christ. They believe that Jesus is the son of God throughout Scripture. In the New Testament will be read whenever Jesus would encounter a demon possessed person. The demon would immediately say why are you here have you come early to throw me into the lake of fire. Whatever else all the son of God Jesus the son of God, he would. The demons would always recognize this. They always knew they believe in the deity of Christ. Jesus said in John 524, speaking on this type of faith, he said, truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my words and believes him who sent me has eternal life, he is not coming to judgment but is passed from death to life. That's interesting verse because right there. Jesus says whoever hears my words and believes in me has eternal life, so Jonathan this is one of those parts in the Bible. That's a contradiction James says faith without works is dead.
Jesus says a believe in me, and you'll have eternal life, which is it. Which is it James says that even the demons believe in trouble they're not saved, obviously. Then Jesus says right here that you have to have faith to get to heaven well it's not either/or, it's both. It's both. You can have faith, but unless that faith brings you from spiritual death to spiritual life. It's not true saving faith look at the last part of verse 24 of John five Jesus said those words. He does not come to judgment but is passed from death to life.
Okay so this person believes they are passing from death to life.
I would question does a dead person make breakfast does a dead person go for a run on the weekends. Does a dead person do anything except decompose the whole know they don't, why because they're dead and are literally incapable of it. So when Jesus says if we believe we will pass from death to life will go from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive. He saying faith in Christ brings life and where there is life there is evidence of life. This is a good opportunity for us for a moment to be introspective and a pause and look at our own life and ask do I have evidence of spiritual life is there evidence of faith in my life. Is there evidence that I actually do the things I say I believe you II live in a neighborhood and I got some great neighbors and a lot of them are really into doing projects on their homes and doing different things and whenever I have a project taking place in in my house, whether it's tearing something out or fixing something or doing something in the front yard doing some landscaping. Whatever might be. Usually what happens is the neighbors come over they want to talk about. They want to check out what's going on. They went you know they want in on the action owner using the minor solutes. Good choice right there. That's good. You know it is like to come to stand around and hang out. There is evidence of the fact that there is work being done in my house there's also evidence of the fact that when I'm doing a project or let's say you know it's not just a project that I'm having done my house.
Maybe it's I'm having a new surfboard shaped or maybe it's your building a car you're a gearhead in your your you know restoring this beautiful card you want to drive. It's gonna be awesome what you gonna do your gonna talk about that unit talk about every step of that project with your friends with your family with your coworkers, probably at the grocery store at the clerk you know ahead got a new Karaman build another icon cool story.
I can either credit card, please. The point is we can't keep it to ourselves when there's something new, something fresh, something changing in our lives we can keep a tour self, especially when it's something were excited about. And so one of the evidences of spiritual life that takes place inside of us is when God is doing something inside of us and we can't keep it to ourselves were telling others about what God is doing and how great it is and how man you need to let God do this in your life.
And then what happens when that project is completed, or at least you get some major progress on it. You can't wait to start on the next one. Your standout was great.
I love that process. I love drawing. I loved, spiritually developing a love finishing the project on my house even you want to start another one you want have something else take place and you can't keep it to yourself. That is evidence that's evidence of real faith, a faith that is beyond just a cerebral understanding and beyond and emotional faith. You see, you can understand the gospel and you can you know you can you can cry real tears of repentance and you can feel real remorse for your sin, but unless there is action unless there is evidence unless there is fruit. It is not saving faith.
James says you can be enlightened in your mind and stirred in your heart be lost forever. True faith and involve something more and involve something that can be seen and recognized a changed life. Show me your faith apart from your works.
James challenged and I will show you my faith by my works. And so James introduces us to three kinds of faith in the section so far the first two cannot save a person, the first faith was that dead intellectual cerebral faith. The second was a demonic, cerebral and emotional faith.
Adding a motion so that component, but the third and final faith that he closes this section with is the kind of faith that we want is the only faith they can save a sinful person like me and that is a dynamic faith, a dynamic faith number three was like verse 20 together. As James talks about this. He says these words you want to be shown, you foolish person that faith apart from works is useless. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar.
You see that faith was active, along with his works and faith was completed by his works and Scripture was fulfilled that says Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. And he was called a friend of God.
You see a person is justified by works and not by faith alone in the same way, was not Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent out by another way for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. And so here in that section. James points to Abraham and Rahab as examples of dynamic saving faith of faith. It that prompts them to action that prompts them to doing something about what they know to be right dead faith touches only the mind right and only touches the mind. Demonic faith involves both the mind and the emotions, but dynamic faith involves both of those and the will again were weirdly he's one of my favorite commentators great Bible teacher is now in heaven with the Lord. He said this, the whole person plays a part in true saving faith. The mind understands the truth, the heart desires the truth and the will acts upon the truth.
Faith leads to action. True faith saving faith. Genuine faith not poser or replica faith will lead to action.
The apostle Paul said in second Corinthians 13 test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith don't drift along, taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups you need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay that Jesus Christ is in you tested out. If you fail the test do something about it.
One exhortation to us today. Hey, if you fail the test do something about it. If you see that you know somebody else's telling you about Jesus needing to find out firsthand. You need to witness it and experience it for yourself room of the Scripture that we talked about the very beginning of this message.
Revelation 13 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it for the time is near. So we learn about these three types of faith learned about the dead faith, the.the demonic faith and now the dynamic faith and how that is the type of faith we want. If we want to go to heaven. We need to have a dynamic faith, the faith that touches our minds, our hearts and prompts us to act upon it. And so as we study this book of Revelation.
Over the last few months.
Together, this book of promises. What do we do now. So what right so what "my dad.
He said the reason we learn about the future is to motivate us to live right in the present. Listen we know it we need to do we know the things that we need to do. God is revealed to us the equation that James has presented us with. It makes it very clear. If you have a faith that does not produce action, your faith will not save you out. Salvation comes by grace through faith. The Bible tells us yes that's true but the question is what kind of faith is inside of you. What kind of faith you possess. And so in closing, let's ask yourself this question together. Do I live how the faith inside of me. Do I do the things that I say I believe in you. I live my life in a way that reflects that Christ is living inside of me. If you don't within you need to take self inventory again. The apostle Paul said in second Corinthians 13. If you fail the test, you need to do something about it. The balls in your court. It's your responsibility God is giving you the tools the resources the gifts everything that he can do to make you successful spiritually in this life. It's up to you what you are going to do with them is up to you what you are going to do with all of these wonderful things God has presented to us.
Do I live out the faith inside of me doing live out these things that I say I believe you know the right thing to do. You even sometimes feel the right thing to do what you need to do before whatever reason. Maybe you choose not to learn just how you the person in that equation this missing out the most sought God certainly it's you it's you that's missing out when you don't do what God is called you to your missing out because God has given us amazing gift of forgiveness.
He's given us the amazing gift of restoration and love and adoption into his family is Holy Spirit. The church resources for spiritual growth, but it's up to us what we would do with those gifts. We leave that gift up on your mantle and admire it and look at it while, look how great that gift of salvation.
Look how great that gift of restoration is a gift of grace the gift of the Holy Spirit is so beautiful look at is set up there on the mantle. Listen, have you taken that gift down and unwrapped it and put it on and began to use it as something to do your whole Lotta good just to admire it and know about and talk about it. You need to use it need to use it.is given us an amazing gift he wants to bless us with it.
It's up to us to use it early Sunday, an American evangelist and preacher in the early 20th century. He shared with us an amazing way we can begin to unboxed and unwrapped this amazing gift that I just talked to Billy said these words, if you will spend five minutes every day letting God talk to you five minutes every day talking to God in five minutes every day talking to others about God, nobody will ever be able to write the word backslider after your name.
I left, I loved reading your Bible is talking about letting God talk to you praying talking to God talking about your faith telling others about what God is doing in your life if you do those three things five minutes every day. 15 minutes out of your day. Nobodies can build right that word backslider after your name is. These are the fundamentals of Christianity reading your Bible, praying, being in fellowship really if you talk to any professional athlete. Any person that does any kind of sports really in general. Anybody who successful at it. There gonna tell you, you never outgrow the fundamentals you never stop doing the fundamentals you never stop drilling never stop working them out, you never stop practicing them in the same is true for the believer reading your Bible, praying, being in fellowship talking about what the Lord is doing in your life, you never outgrow those things as you grow those fundamentals and you begin to see the work in the evidence that God is working inside of you. He is changing you into a new creation, making you knew from the inside out your to look for opportunities to be hungry to go and exercise the gifts and the things that God is given to you.
I tell you right out here harvest we have opportunities for you to live out your faith to exercise your faith to practice that dynamic faith. There's a couple different things and just quick all just list a couple of bullet points that you can do is we now have all this information of Revelation we know prophecy.
We know how are stories going to come to an end and we know we win in the end we have perspective, it's all good. As we know these things it ought to prompt us to begin to work and begin to develop our faith even more and develop others. So some of the ways we can do that. Just quick couple of bullet points. You can join a small group, you can join a small group online. We have harvested home groups tell you right now.
One of the ways I drew most in my faith as a young believer was joining a small group having a study guide to help me understand Scripture and to understand the different things men.
It was one of the best ways for me to grow my relationship with the Lord. Another way that you can practice your faith and in practice, that dynamic faith is even invite someone with you to come and watch the service with you yeah get come to church with me. Come watch harvested home with me. Hey check out this link which watches together. I want to talk to about it afterwards. Check this out on YouTube. You could do that. Another way you could do it. As you can help volunteer serve online be one of her online hosts help sign up for email lists. We can let you know about opportunities you can engage in to serve, you can make the Lord a central part of your family by discipling your children discipling your wife praying together talking about the Lord reading Scripture together having bedtime stories and reading God's word to them. Praying together. These are ways you can grow in your relationship with God. These are ways that things that are our faith is dynamic faith as we have this information is going to prompt us towards you can start one of our reading plans through the Bible app. You can go look that up type and regular and you'll see a number of great Bible plans that will help you get into God's word every single day. You can start giving of your finances and practicing generosity which God is called us to, and begin to reflect the nature of the God is shown to us his generosity and his love and his grace and his mercy was in God is called you to do all of these things. I promise you, you were going to grow as a result of them, you're going to be blessed as a result of them in your never to look back and say man. I'm so bummed out that I spent the last you know two years. My life really spending time with the Lord and focusing on my relationship with God.
Now you can look back and say man I wish I started sooner. I wish I started sooner. I wish I leaned into my relationship with God at an earlier age.
Send Juergen be so happy and you're not even to recognize yourself at the end of the day because God is going to transform you into a new creation.
You're gonna love who you become by the power of God's Holy Spirit. He will do that for you.
He's called you to.
And we also know that because of how our story ends.
We can live our lives with confidence. We can live our lives with boldness. We live our lives with faith and we can live our lives with action its own closing right now. I can't help but think about that person who's listening to this and saying that's all great for the Christian, but what about me.
What about me. If you've never put your faith in Christ.
If you've never called out on God. If you never asked him to come into your life. Put your faith in him or if you are one of those people that is experiencing that that dead faith or that demonic faith and it hasn't done anything inside of you listen you need to repent from that and you need to turn to God, and you need to experience that dynamic faith that creates action true repentance true change only can take place by the power of God's Holy Spirit is own closing right now. I want to invite you to ask Jesus Christ come into your life to make you a new creation. He can do that for you is done for me is on for so many others. He's can the do it for you if you call on him with a pure heart and he turned from that sin.
So would you pray with me now Lord, I do thank you for all the people there watching. I think you Lord for the truth that is found in Scripture.
I think you Lord for all the principles that we find that help us grow and become amazing people your children. God, we ask that you would help us to become more and more like you each and every day, and while were praying together. If you do want to put your faith in Jesus Christ you can do that, you can ask Christ come and share life he can make you new creation from the inside out. I believe he can do it for you because he's done for me and for so many others so if you need Jesus. If you would say today that when I die I want to go to heaven you want to be a child of God, you're ready to say yes to Jesus Christ.
Would you just pray this prayer wherever you're out you can prayed out loud. You can prayed in your heart you might be in your car might be on your way to work. You might be sitting at work with some headphones in might be watching on your television set. Whatever it might be you can pray this prayer right now.
Just pray these words. Dear God, I know I'm a sinner but I know Jesus is the Savior who came to this world and died in my place so I turned from ice and now I turn to you from this moment forward. Help me to walk with you. Help me to talk with you.
Help me to fall more in love with you. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and help you become the person you want me to. In Jesus name I pray, amen. Everybody great glory here. Thanks for listening to our podcast, the learn more about harvest ministries. Please subscribe and consider supporting this show. Just go to harvest.org and by the way, if you want to find out how to come into a personal relationship with God.
Go to know God.org that's key NOW Geo D.org