Lets Start Over Again

 

As we begin this new year of 2026, and as we begin our time together as pastor and church, it is a good moment to look at our faith with refreshed eyes. Starting off the year with a letter or book as James has written is a way to cover all the tenants of our Christian faith in a condensed version. James has all the major points that we need to focus on. He has some of the more memorable verses and reminders through out his letter. Maybe that is because he was so close to the Source. As the earthly, little brother of our Lord and Savior, he has a front row seat for much of the discourse we read in our Gospels. There is a bit of anonymity there as James is not the same James we read about in the 12 who followed and walked with Jesus. He probably didn't see Jesus as often as those other men would have. James hasn't seen or experienced all the feels and moments in which other people who interacted with Jesus got to have a front row seat. There is record that Mary and the family, along with his brothers (John chap 7) would have caught up with him and maybe even gone to some of the religious festivals together. It shows us that James was there in the beginning. As a young boy, growing up behind a line of other brothers, he gets to see Jesus as an older sibling. Maybe you had an older brother or sister that you looked up to or admired. Obviously, from John 7, the scriptures showed that his brothers did not believe in Him. Whether James was one of those at that moment is not clear. Does his faith kick in after Jesus goes to the cross? He seems to be the one sibling who looks up to his older brother and hears what he has to say. Really hears what Jesus is saying.

There are good resources all over the internet that will show that James' letter seems to follow a similar path to what Jesus had to say during the Sermon on the Mount. Interesting that James might have been present but not a stretch to think that Mary would have been following her son around and hearing his messages. So, the boys would have been present also. It might not be far off to think of James' letter as a way of saying "Here's what I recall Jesus saying that one time I heard him speak." The Sermon the Mount is 3 chapters long. James' letter is 5 chapters. So, maybe a bit of commentary added from other influences he has heard over the years since taking in that incredible message from his Brother. It is interesting to think about all that a person like James would have seen and taken in over the years. Interesting also just how God uses a person to formulate these words and sentences where which our church fathers looked back upon them and suggest, "These words are divinely inspired." Maybe its easy to say that about letters from people like Paul, who had his sight taken momentarily on the road to Damascus, blinded by the light from heaven as Jesus spoke to the Pharisee. Or, Peter, especially - one of the closest and most trusted of the Lord's disciples. The fisherman who denied him and was restored with three questions sitting by the lake after a haul of fish so big it sank the boats. Or, John, "the disciple whom Jesus loved" as he is referred to throughout his Gospel record. The one who took Jesus' own mother in after his death on the cross. Yes, its easy to suggest why any of these men would get a moment in our canon of biblical records to say a few words. Then comes James. We don't know terrible much about Jesus' family. Lots of people picking up their bibles in our modern era might not even know that one of His own brothers wound up being a believer in this Messiah. I'm suggesting that James doesn't have this "famous" sense about him that people would look at his letter and immediately think, "Yep, put that one in the biblical lineup." He doesn't even start off his letter in such a way as to let everyone know, "Hey, I'm Jesus' little brother." Nope. He is a servant, just as if that is the mindset all of us should have about this life. He treats himself as if he is no one special. 

His simple perspective toward his own description and also his direct nature toward the subject matter help us see how he took to heart what Jesus started off with that day on the Mount. Those beatitudes really lay the table out  for everything else Jesus would say throughout his sermon. James gives it his own spin while reminding us midway through this first section what exactly was on his mind. 

The Bible is written to those who believe. It is also open to those who are searching. At the time James is writing his letter, persecution is on the up rise. It truly is a time when people from every corner are looking for truth. If we are following the account of Luke as he records Acts and follows the work and life of Paul on his missionary journeys, we see those in the early days of the new body known as "the church" or referred to as "Christians" constantly in the crosshairs of those who would oppose them. Purely on the basis of not agreeing about their rules, their conduct and especially their Messiah. Some villages Paul would go into he would meet a group who would hear him out and weigh what he had to say against the scriptures. They would give Paul a chance and an ear. Other places, he would find opposition almost immediately. Sometimes it followed him to another village or city. By the time we got to Acts 15, there are riots breaking out. People wanting Paul's head or worse. We can see why James might open his letter the way that he does jumping directly into the hardships they are all facing. The opening blessing Jesus hands down to his audience at the Mount can be seen in the background of what James is trying to communicate. The Savior's closing thoughts in the Beatitudes seems to be James' central thought in this first section. Persecutions. Hardships. Trials of various kinds. Jesus' words are not meant to come across as "do things right and you will be blessed." Instead our focus should be on having faith and trusting God regardless of the circumstances that come into our path. James opens with words that should sound just as puzzling as it feels to read them out loud. "Brothers, count it all joy with you face trials and temptations of various kinds." What? Yep. You read that correctly. James is not giving out free advice on how to avoid conflict and trouble. He is saying stand up and be glad. Rejoice. Learn how to hang on to your faith in spite of what the world throws at us.

Jesus would say, "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and say all kinds of things falsely against you because of me." There is the catch and there is what we want to focus on as we turn this corner into the New Year. Is our directive inside our minds and heart set on following Jesus? Do we want to mimic his behavior and walk with the Father as He did? Or, is our mindset trapped in a "I'm looking out for me" sort of  reasoning? In our western, American way of life, most of us have no idea what it means to be persecuted. Just because someone disagrees with us over a Facebook post does not suggest we are being persecuted. Just because we don't get our way over a certain matter in front of us does not mean we being downtrodden. Those are hard moments. We want people to like us. We want people to get along with us. Most of us are not out looking for a fight. However, until we have had a gun to our head and truly felt the threat of our lives being taken, we really have no idea what persecution is in real time. And, don't forget the real center of it. Jesus says, "...because of me." We have to be picky and choose the news outlet that will really share the truth with us. Until you have seen a long time of believers kneeling in the sand with terrorist standing behind them with rifles and machine guns waiting to mow them down, you have no idea what persecution is all about. When was the last time you really felt like someone didn't like you because of your faith and belief in Jesus Christ? Probably no one in the room can say that this morning. In the West, we have created a society that truly intends to accept all people wherever they are in life. Regardless of who thy say they believe in or whatever they intends to worship or look to for direction in their lives, all people are welcome here in the good ol USA. If that holds, if that is to be the direction for our country, where does the matter of persecution fit in? Jesus and James will give us instruction going forward that says that how we handle ourselves thru those moments are exactly the kind of witness we need to give about our faith so that others will come to know who Jesus is. What if there is no persecution? What if we all just intend to "get along"? You've seen the bumper stickers with the religious symbols suggesting that we all COEXIST. Do you really get what this means?

How can we allow other religions to strip us of the one ideal that sets us apart? Jesus was clear in John 14. "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except by me." We are not here to simply get along with everyone else. Promoting Jesus puts us front and center on a stage that will surely bring opposition. 

This is what we need to grasp if we are going to gather as a group and call ourselves The Church. This is not a country club. This is not a social group. I am not "The President" of the social group and our objective is not to fill this place with "members". I knew it was time to move on from the last place I was preaching when one of the people in the our charge conference meeting suggested we put a sign out by the road and tell passers by that we are having a "Membership Drive". That is exactly what we we are NOT here to do. We could do a lot of programs that will hopefully get us in a good place with our neighbors and the city. "Oh aren't they a nice church?" "We just love their pastor." "Have you met that old guy in the back? He cracks the silliest jokes!" Is this what we're hear for? To just be nice people and hopefully people will comes sit with us on Sunday morning? What are we sitting here for? What is it James' and Jesus' and Paul's audiences (and these men themselves) are being persecuted for? Because they have the audacity to walk out there into a world that wants to do and say and believe whatever they want to do and say and believe to tell them that Jesus is the only way and they need to believe and trust in Him. When was the last time anybody here did something so audacious as that in Lancaster? I'm going to mention the name of Charlie Kirk here. Say what you want about Charlie's political views or social feelings. I saw and witnessed a man who, in midst of conversations about those notable subjects, unshakingly shared his faith in Jesus Christ. He also seemed to find a new way to approach people and get to the heart of the conversation with a generation just longing to have what so many want. A conversation. Imagine taking a chair and table and just going out to a local college campus and sitting down to talk with anybody who would like to do so. Seems to simple doesn't it? So many of us grew up in a Billy Graham era. We saw and heard the choirs, the grandiose singers, some testimonies and then Billy preached a sermon and so many came down to accept Jesus into their lives. It worked. It was more elaborate church service done in public with an extensive altar call. It served it's place for a generation. Maybe something new is needed. Maybe a new format, something more like what we have seen Charlie and others doing around the country. 

In the old Jewish community, it was commonplace to go to the Synagogue. A public place. Maybe there was some market selling going on. Maybe group activities. But, certainly, everyday... a person came to what was called "The Moses Seat" and read scripture. There was commentary. People could ask questions. There was a community aspect to this daily meeting of people who just wanted to hear

and understand what God had to say. I see this happening now. It is time we find ways to personally interact with our community and not just do "programs" with a hope that they might come to church on Sunday. "The program" needs to have at the center of it a desire to share Jesus Christ with the people and the salvation that is offered in His name. Not just simply doing a nice thing so people will think we have a nice church and hopefully this place will be full of nice families. That is just a social club. The Church is made up of Christians. People who have given their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ. People who have asked Jesus to come into their lives and walk with them, lead them, guide them. People who gather on a Sunday morning to sing and worship and lift up the name of Jesus. And, if people who are with us that are not familiar with what this life with Jesus is like, we hope they might leave with the notion that Paul said to the Corinthians. "God is really among you" (1 Cor 14.25)

The trial before us? It's not easy to share Jesus in a world that doesn't want to listen. But, I believe there are people out there who want to listen. I believe there are people out there who are hungry to hear. Maybe we need to find our way into those areas where people are looking and searching. I have fellow pastor friend who post news items every day. "8,000 students accept Jesus at 'this college campus' last night" Lets ask God to put us in the midst of those who need to hear and want to hear. 

The temptation? The tempting idea is just do nice things and be an "accepting" group of folks who just want to run a country club. We could do that. And, we could avoid subjects like sin and repentance and holiness and giving our hearts and lives to Jesus so that He can be the head of our church. What are we going to do? 

2026 can be a moment where we can really turn that corner and become the church God wants us to be 
-or- we can just sit here and worry about funds and finances and our social status. What else was it that Jesus said in that Sermon on that Mount that day?

"Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto to you." Matthew 6.33

Blessings folks

Jeremy