Sermon Tone Analysis

* “Knowing Your Place”*

(James 1:1)

Keith Crosby

*Today is communion Sunday, when we come to the Lord’s table to remember what our Master, Jesus Christ, has done for us and consider how we are living for Him, in light of all He has done.*

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*Until Thursday, I had planned to preach through all of John 11. *However, I realized that I could not get it done in the time we have and still honor Christ through the celebration of the Lord’s table.

*Therefore, I thought it good to give many of you who are unable* to come on Sunday Night to have a taste of what we are learning there.

Thus, today, I will review what we discussed in our kick-off message of the Series we have under way regarding taking your walk with Christ to the next level.

Growing in Christ, growing in grace, is an incremental process that has many steps and is gradual.

Today’s message is entitled “Knowing your place.”

*Our passage is James 1:1. *

*James 1:1 * James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.

*We used our opening passage, or verse, to provide us background and instruction for the whole series.*

This passage is also vital to our rightly partaking of the Lord’s table.

So, let’s start with the basics of the passage.

*Let’s look at the first word:* /James./

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*Who is James?*

There are some who try to attribute this letter to someone other than James, the half brother of Jesus Christ.

*Some would have us believe that this James is the brother of the Apostle John.*

That does not make sense: John’s brother, the other James was executed by Herod, early on.

* *

*So we know this James wasn’t one of the original 12 apostles.*

The other James’ were not of a stature that would have enabled them to write with any kind of authority or recognition to Jews outside of Jerusalem because, and I don’t mean this in any disparaging way, they were relatively unknown.

*As you eliminate the other candidates for authorship, the book of Acts points to James the brother of Jesus.

*This becomes particularly obvious when you read the letter from the Jerusalem Council in the book of Acts, welcoming and affirming Gentile believers to the fellowship of Christ, you see a similarity in writing style and vocabulary.

| *James* |   | *Acts 15* |

| 1:1 | “greetings” | 15:23 |

| 1:16,19; 2:5 | “beloved” | 15:25 |

| 1:21; 5:20 | “your souls” | 15:24,26 |

| 1:27 | “visit” | 15:14 |

| 2:10 | “keep” | 15:24 |

| 5:19,20 | “turn” | 15:19 |

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*That leaves us James, the half brother of Jesus Christ, the son of Joseph and Mary.*

This James became the dominant figure, even among the apostles in the church at Jerusalem.

When the Apostle Paul had been saved and had engaged in ministry, he went to visit James and Peter, whom he both described as Apostles in his letter to the churches of Galatia.

*Galatians 1:18-19 *  18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.

*19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother.*

*His preeminence at the church of Jerusalem is described by Luke in Acts 21:17-18/ “/*/7// After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

18 And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.//”

/James’ name is first and his preeminence is demonstrated by that and the fact that no other elders’ names are listed, or mentioned.

*We know little of James’ conversion,* except that he did in fact qualify as an apostle having heard his brother’s teachings, seen him crucified and met Jesus after His resurrection.

*Paul documents this fact in his first letter to the church at Corinth.*

*1 Corinthians 15:5-7 *5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep*/;  7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; /* 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

*We know that James was not always a believer because the gospel of John documents his unbelief,* along with the unbelief of all of Christ’s brothers in John 7:1-5.

As Jesus’ brothers taunt Him and seek to provoke Him, we read this comment in *John 7:5 * /“For not even His brothers were believing in Him.”/

 

*We know that this James became the leader in the church of Jerusalem and we know that he wrote this letter because of the testimony of the so-called church fathers,* which theologians call the external testimony of history and because of the internal testimony of the Scriptures bearing witness to this.

 

*We can only speculate on the humbling events in his life after having denied Jesus to be confronted by Him (however lovingly) after His resurrection.*

We see this humility demonstrated for us in the opening salutation which teaches us volume about our own station, purpose, and practice in life:

 

*James 1:1 * James, */a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ/*, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.

*Absent is any mention of his familial connection with Christ**.*

He describes himself as /“a *bond-servant* of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

/

 

*This is a telling insight into his character forged no doubt in the trials of life of which he will speak more of later.*

*James character was well known among* Jewish Christians and even those hostile to the faith because of his humility, personal piety and faithfulness to the Law of God.

 

*He became known to all, friend and foe alike, as “James the just.”*

He continued to worship in the Temple.

In fact, his life was ended at the Temple in Jerusalem.

*Angry Jews through him off of the pinnacle of the Temple in 62 A.D. *This fact is recorded by Josephus a well known 1st Century Jewish historian and collaborator with the Roman Government.

*The writings of Josephus and others regarding James’ martyrdom also provides us insight into the date of the letter.*

Prior to 62 A.D.; most likely around 40 to 45 A.D. given the subject matter of James’ discourse on the paradox of faith and works due to James’ contact with the Apostle Paul.

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*The Epistle of James is more than likely the first written Scripture of the New Testament (remember the NT books are not necessarily strictly listed in chronological order).*

He recorded his thoughts before the publication and circulation of the gospels, the last of which we know was written around 85 A.D. after the destruction of the Temple and after the death of James, who of course died before the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D.

 

*James’ epistle is written to encourage, instruct, and exhort believers to live as followers of Christ.*

He tells them how to live in such a way as, in a manner of speaking, to take their faith to the next level.

*James is writing to Jewish people who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ.*

We could say “Jewish Christians” or “Christian Jews;” however, the use of the term *Christian* had not come into play yet as the followers of Christ were first called Christians at Antioch, in Syria (Acts 11:26).

*At the time of James’ writing Christianity remained largely a Jewish religion.*

And so he is writing to Jewish follower outside Jerusalem, “to the twelve tribes in the diaspora”~/dispersion *(“**tai~/j** **dw,deka fulai~/j tai~/j evn th~/| diaspora~/|*”).

*This letter is a general letter addressed* to no particular church but to all Jewish followers of Christ.

*I speak of James’ reputation, or pedigree to say this: *

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*While he possessed a considerable reputation and “enjoyed” considerable prestige as one of the Lord’s brothers,* he writes to instruct and encourage as a */peer, or co-follower/*, rather than a leader.

*James 1:1* James, *a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad:* Greetings.

*James writes to Christian Jews about how to live as a Christian.

*He’s basically challenging and encouraging them to take their faith, in a manner of speaking, *to the next level.

*

 

*What he gives to them and us is a practical guide to the living the Christian life and spiritual growth.

*

 

*Tonight, we begin with verse one.*

The title of our series is “Living Like Christians.”

Tonight’s message is entitled:

 

*Knowing Your Place: *

(James 1:1)

Keith Crosby

 

*James keeps the main thing the main thing* by remembering who Christ is, or was, by remembering who he, James, was.

*James by his example in this greeting, this opening verse, shows us how to keep the main thing the main thing:* remembering our place as servants of God.

 

*And what is the main thing?*

I suppose we had better rephrase the question in this manner*, “who is the main thing?”*

 

*The answer of course is Jesus Christ.*

James gives us a first class lesson in humility and understanding God’s will for our lives in a single verse.

*James makes it clear by his example,* despite his key leadership role in the church at Jerusalem, *that he understands his place in God’s kingdom* and he understands God’s will for his life.

*He makes no claim to preeminence as the Lord’s brother*.

He knows his place and it shows, even to his enemies and even in his writings.

*We would do well to dwell on his example and hang on his words*.

James realizes that life and the world doesn’t revolve around him.

*His life, as our lives should, revolves around His relationship with God* and the Lord Jesus Christ.

*Regrettably, many Christians today are on a magical mystical search for “God’s will for my life.”*

They succumb to the culture’s pre-occupation with “self” by assuming that their lives feature prominently in God’s redemptive plan.

*Several months from now we will explore at length God’s will and Christian decision making.*

However, tonight let us understand we need not find God’s will for our life but how our life needs to harmonize with God’s will.

*There is a subtle difference between the two mindsets*.

One mindset has God at the center of its universe while the other mindset has self at the center of its universe.

*One mindset is bound to go right while the other is bound to go wrong having commenced its journey using the incorrect navigational tool*, or compass—*self.*

*James gives us a fine example of the proper mindset and how to avoid the other pitfall.*

Let’s look again.