Dynamic Faith
James 2:26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead,
so also faith apart from works is dead.
so also faith apart from works is dead.
Your faith is dead, demonic, or dynamic.
Because of your faith, your works will start shining through. You will grow! Dynamic is the opposite of static. Static: Staying still, not moving. Dead people are static. What do dead people do? Nothing! What’s a dead faith do? Nothing!
Just go do it. God may use it to teach you, grow you. It looks like getting out of your recliner, off your comfy seat on the couch, out your front door and asking God how he can use you. It’s taking a meal to the homeless guy on the sidewalk. He may just be doing that to get free stuff – so? What if he’s not? It may mean volunteering at a battered women’s shelter or the Muncie mission. Why not? I don’t like germs, I don’t like dirt – I, I, I. It may mean volunteering with Habitat for Humanity to build a house. It may mean sitting in the prayer room at 9:30 on Sunday to pray over our church.
When you’re comfortable, you’re static. When you’re uncomfortable, you’re dynamic. Watch a dog at the vet or a child at the doctor’s office. They fidget, they just got to be doing something. That’s dynamic. Stop thinking you can stop, you’ve arrived – that’s a lie. And you may end up being one of the people Jesus is talking to in Matthew 7. You see, broad is the way, super, super wide is the highway that leads to destruction but narrow is the way, straight is the path, and few there be that find it.
If you were to be on trial for being a Christian, would you be convicted by a jury of your peers? If they weren’t allowed to look at Facebook (because you post all the best inspirational quotes!) – if they just looked at your life, your actions, would they see change, growth, and service because you love the Lord and want to become more like Jesus and lead others to him? Do you recognize your absolute and complete incompetence when it comes to saving yourself? Do you recognize how feeble you are in your attempt to be holy? Do you get how miniscule your faith and your life truly are in front of an all-mighty, all-holy, all-righteous, all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful, God? Apart from him, YOU ARE NOTHING! When we say, we’re all in – you have to be all-in! There’s nothing else! You don’t get to just stick your toe in the water and think you’ll try it. No! If you want to be more like Christ, he said take up your cross daily and follow him. It’s going to hurt! Get off the couch, out of the recliner, away from the computer, and GO DO.
Because of your faith, your works will start shining through. You will grow! Dynamic is the opposite of static. Static: Staying still, not moving. Dead people are static. What do dead people do? Nothing! What’s a dead faith do? Nothing!
Just go do it. God may use it to teach you, grow you. It looks like getting out of your recliner, off your comfy seat on the couch, out your front door and asking God how he can use you. It’s taking a meal to the homeless guy on the sidewalk. He may just be doing that to get free stuff – so? What if he’s not? It may mean volunteering at a battered women’s shelter or the Muncie mission. Why not? I don’t like germs, I don’t like dirt – I, I, I. It may mean volunteering with Habitat for Humanity to build a house. It may mean sitting in the prayer room at 9:30 on Sunday to pray over our church.
When you’re comfortable, you’re static. When you’re uncomfortable, you’re dynamic. Watch a dog at the vet or a child at the doctor’s office. They fidget, they just got to be doing something. That’s dynamic. Stop thinking you can stop, you’ve arrived – that’s a lie. And you may end up being one of the people Jesus is talking to in Matthew 7. You see, broad is the way, super, super wide is the highway that leads to destruction but narrow is the way, straight is the path, and few there be that find it.
If you were to be on trial for being a Christian, would you be convicted by a jury of your peers? If they weren’t allowed to look at Facebook (because you post all the best inspirational quotes!) – if they just looked at your life, your actions, would they see change, growth, and service because you love the Lord and want to become more like Jesus and lead others to him? Do you recognize your absolute and complete incompetence when it comes to saving yourself? Do you recognize how feeble you are in your attempt to be holy? Do you get how miniscule your faith and your life truly are in front of an all-mighty, all-holy, all-righteous, all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful, God? Apart from him, YOU ARE NOTHING! When we say, we’re all in – you have to be all-in! There’s nothing else! You don’t get to just stick your toe in the water and think you’ll try it. No! If you want to be more like Christ, he said take up your cross daily and follow him. It’s going to hurt! Get off the couch, out of the recliner, away from the computer, and GO DO.
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If you’re already doing all those things, why is the church in the shape that the church is in? Why is the Church not growing more and faster? Why are we not seeing more people flood the altar, begging God for forgiveness, recognizing that they’re a complete loser apart from him? If we’re doing all that, why is there more of a need for mental health facilities and orphanages apart from the church? Why are there so many orphanages to begin with? Why aren’t we caring? Why aren’t we loving? Here’s why: because we as a nation are loaded with money, and we’d rather reach into our pocket, and throw a twenty at it and walk away than roll up our sleeves, dig in, get dirty, and love people. That’s why!
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“...we have no right to feel sympathy unless we at least attempt to put that sympathy into action.” William Barclay |
Examine your actions. Examine your motives for those actions. Church, you have some business you need to do with God.
Father, your word is holy. Your word is good. Your word teaches us. Your word convicts us. Your word also strengthens us and encourages us. May we be reminded that it’s okay to be where we are, but it’s not okay to stay there. As we continue to hear and grow in your word, make us dynamic. Give us your strength for our faith to be dynamic, for our faith to produce the works that Paul talks about and James talks about. May our faith get us up and get us out. May our faith in you and our strength in you, may we love and serve you, and may we love and serve our neighbors. Open our doors and hearts and minds. Renew our dead faith, bring us back to life. May we repent of our demonic faith and have living dynamic faith in you. Work in these people this morning in this room right now. May we cry out to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Father, your word is holy. Your word is good. Your word teaches us. Your word convicts us. Your word also strengthens us and encourages us. May we be reminded that it’s okay to be where we are, but it’s not okay to stay there. As we continue to hear and grow in your word, make us dynamic. Give us your strength for our faith to be dynamic, for our faith to produce the works that Paul talks about and James talks about. May our faith get us up and get us out. May our faith in you and our strength in you, may we love and serve you, and may we love and serve our neighbors. Open our doors and hearts and minds. Renew our dead faith, bring us back to life. May we repent of our demonic faith and have living dynamic faith in you. Work in these people this morning in this room right now. May we cry out to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.