1. Living Faith James 2:14-19
March 5, 2017

2. James 2:14-19
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?

3. James 2:14-19 cont.
17 In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe—and they shudder.

4. Main Point:
Christians are saved by __FAITH__, not by __DEEDS__.

5. Main Point:
Christians are not saved __BY DEEDS, but we are saved __FOR OUR DEEDS__.

6. Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For you are saved by __GRACE__ through __FAITH__, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from __WORKS__, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are His creation, __CREATED__ in Christ Jesus for __GOOD WORKS__, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should __WALK IN THEM__.

7. Two Questions: What good is it to have faith without works?
Can his faith save him?

8. Two Questions: What good is it to have faith without works?
Can his faith save him?
Short answer: __NO__!
There is no such thing as __DISOBEDIENT__ faith.

9. Saved by Faith, Sustained by Action:
The point we see James coming back to is this __True Religion__ to take care of the __Widows and Orphans__.
To love your neighbor as yourself.

10. What James is NOT saying:
Faith does not save.

11. What James IS saying:
The faith you have, a faith that is put to work, to help others, to be lived out…__SAVES__.

12. Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’

13. Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount:
Jesus is speaking about those who spent their life focusing on the __OUTWARD__ acts of worship, and not on the __HEART__.
Works can be __OUTWARD__, but the heart must be right, to desire to have the same __HEART__ that God seeks.

14. What was Jesus saying?
Not everyone who claimed Christ would be __SAVED__.
They were not __OBEDIENT__ to the Word/Taking care of widows and orphans.
Our hearing the Word must result in __DOING__ what it says.
Obedience to the Word is __EVIDENCE__ of true faith.

15. Story of the Good Samaritan:
Luke 10:25-37

16. Story of the Good Samaritan:
Luke 10:25-37
What is the point to the story?
Christians are to be __NEIGHBORS__, loving and caring for anyone who is in need.

17. Who is my neighbor? OR… How do I inherit eternal life?
This is the question that started it all. How we treat our family, our friends, our neighbors, or even our enemies, has more to do with inheriting eternal life.
Jesus lays the foundation of __SALVATION__: Love the unlovable, the sick, the hurting, the widow and orphan. Love even the __ENEMY__.

18. Faith, by itself, is dead…
Is the Church alive today? Are we seeing the faithful works done by those who claim Jesus? Is the world seeing the Church as the ones who are stepping up when no one else will? In Acts 4 the Church was known by their love and sharing everything they had so there “were no needy persons among them.”

19. Living Faith: Will Superior and surrounding areas say that about us?
Faith without deeds is __DEAD__. It really is a simple message, but also one that might cause us some discomfort. It may mean that we must do things that we might not want to do. It may infringe on our comfort zones. It may lead us to do things we have never done before.

20. Take Home:
This week, really look, be observant to your surroundings. How are you putting your faith into action? How are you helping others? When people see you, do they see Christ? Is the life that we live leading others to wanting to know Jesus more?