2023 Sermon Series: James
Dear Renewal Church,
As we enter into the season after Christmas, we are starting a new sermon series on the letter of James. The Bible is a rich library of 66 books filled with many different genres. The letter of James finds itself thematically as part of the wisdom literature in the Bible. Wisdom literature is in one sense an accumulation of teaching from generations of people who learned how to navigate life in a way that honoured God and helped the people around them flourish. The books of proverbs for example, fit into this theme. But more than an accumulation of how-to’s, wisdom literature presses into what-is: what is the reality of the world, what really is a good life and what does it mean to live well within it.
Psalm 1:1-3, sets a helpful backdrop and puts it this way: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither”. Living wisely starts before we accomplish anything, but starts with orienting ourselves towards God. Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Proverbs 1:7 is helpful here: “Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God”
When we come to a new year, it’s important to have an anchor in their lives: something to which or someone to whom we can keep returning in the midst of uncertainties when everything seems lost. The letter of James, anchors us wisely to Jesus. While the book at first glance has only two direct mentions of Jesus, as we work through this letter, we unearth not far below its’ surface the reality that Jesus reveals in the sermon on the mount; a wonderful God-with-us, upside down kingdom, that is here and to-come. James helps hearers notice this reality and seek a wholehearted commitment to Jesus Christ: that we may become, by the power of the Holy Spirit, more and more like Jesus.
It’s for that reason that James doesn’t hold back. His voice is nurturing but also fierce. He warns us that chasing the wrong things will kill us. James is direct, pragmatic and his imagery is both beautiful and memorable. And with that we want to commit this season to explore the book of James and to yield to the Lordship of Christ.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Josh and the Elders