Rev. David Holwick U Book of James #1
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
June 24, 2007
James 1:1
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I. All in the Family.
A. Families have a big impact on us.
1) Birth order theory, according to Kevin Leman:
Children look up to, and develop in relation to the person
on the next rung up the family ladder.
First-born and only children have only their parents to watch.
They turn into little adults: responsible, hard-working,
but commonly perfectionistic and discouraged.
Recent research shows that the firstborn tends to have a
higher IQ.
If the firstborn dies, the second-born ends up with a higher
IQ.
It must be all the love they get.
Other children try to copy their older siblings (and usually
fail to do as well).
On the other hand, they may choose a different or even
opposite course.
By the time the last child arrives, the parents are worn out.
He gets away with murder, with charm, humor and spontaneity.
The baby of the family may have a hard time learning
self-discipline and can be headed for disaster.
#2629
2) Our families influence us, sometimes for the worse.
a) Common to blame all our problems on our folks.
b) Sibling rivalry can last a lifetime.
B. Special dynamics of James' family.
1) The writer of the Book of James is the brother of Jesus,
not the apostle by that name.
2) Therefore his oldest brother was the Son of God.
a) What interesting dynamics that family would have had!
3) Excitement of James ossuary box.
a) Found outside Jerusalem.
b) "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus"
c) Most likely a forgery, one of many recent ones.
d) But for some people it did bring out the humanness of
Jesus' origins.
II. Jesus' human family.
A. Catholic view.
1) Mary had only one child, Jesus.
a) She stayed a virgin after that.
2) The other children were not hers.
a) They were adopted from other family members.
b) Or they were from a previous marriage by Joseph.
B. Baptist view.
1) Joseph and Mary had other children the normal way.
a) Implied by Matthew 1:25 --
"But he [Joseph] had no union with her UNTIL she gave
birth to a son." (my emphasis)
b) Unnamed daughters, and four other sons.
2) James is one of them. (his birth order is not known)
III. Growing up with Jesus.
A. Family was large, poor and in the boonies.
1) In a socially backward area.
a) Galileans were seen as hicks. Acts 4:13
b) Doves at dedication of Jesus points to poverty. Lk 2:24
2) They had a cloud over them.
a) Legitimacy of Jesus was questioned by outsiders. Jn 8:41
B. Devout in faith in God.
1) Pilgrimage to Jerusalem every year for feasts. Luke 2:42
2) Regular synagogue attendance. Luke 4:16
3) Knowledge of the Bible.
a) Jesus quoted the Bible from memory.
1> This doesn't have to be miraculous - he was
taught it from the time he was little.
b) James had the same upbringing, and he often alludes
to the Old Testament in his letter.
4) Even among Jews, James had a good reputation.
a) Called "The Just" by Jewish historian Josephus.
b) He remained an observant Jew throughout his life.
IV. Family dynamics.
A. Jesus would be a hard act to follow.
1) What would it be like to have a perfect older brother?
a) (Some of you can identify with that!)
2) Jesus noted: "Prophet not accepted in own home." Matt 13:57
B. His brothers rejected him.
1) They thought he was nuts, tried to "rescue" him. Mark 3:21
2) They mocked him. (John, feasts) John 7:3-7
3) They did not believe in him or follow him.
4) At the cross, only his mother remained. John 19:25
V. Easter made all the difference.
A. Jesus appeared specially to James. 1 Cor 15:7
1) Apparently at this moment he believed.
a) In his letter, he calls himself the "servant" of Jesus,
not his brother.
2) At Pentecost, he was in upper room with rest of his family.
Acts 1:14
B. James becomes leader of Jerusalem church. Acts 12:17
1) Apparently he took over from Peter.
a) By Acts 15, James is leading the church council. 15:13
b) He's concerned about incorporating Gentiles into church.
2) Some tension with Paul attributed to his followers.
a) Was James too Jewish? Legalistic? Gal 2:12
b) Yet he is second one to extend welcome to Paul after
his conversion. Gal 1:19
C. James is martyred around A.D. 62.
1) (Not same as James who is killed in Acts.) (Acts 12:2)
VI. James: Faith that works.
A. His greatest impact comes from his short book in the NT.
B. Prophetic emphasis.
1) He identifies with the underdog.
2) More than fifty imperatives. "Do this!" "Don't do that!"
3) Vivid expectation of prophecy and judgment.
C. Practical theology.
1) Faith has to make difference, or it is phony.
2) Living right.
a) Many parallels with Jesus' Sermon on Mount.
b) The Law of Love is supreme.
VII. Don't let your family get in the way of faith.
A. Faith may be too predictable in your upbringing.
1) Believing in God, going to church are a fact of life.
a) You may have had no choice in it.
b) Perhaps you've never given much thought to it.
c) Old expression: familiarity breeds contempt.
2) Is Christian faith something you really "own"?
a) God doesn't have any grandchildren.
b) We can only come to him by your own commitment.
1> Parents or siblings can't make the decision for you.
B. Faith can rise above your family.
1) Your family situation is important, but not decisive.
a) Don't blame circumstances, but rise above them.
b) (Tree on sparse ledge.)
2) God made the difference in James' life.
a) James had every reason to turn out differently.
b) He could have blamed small town, dead father, unique
brother.
c) Instead, he let his brother Jesus mold him into a
new man.
3) God can make a difference in your life.
a) Is Christ in your family?
b) Is Christ in your own heart?
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SOURCE FOR ILLUSTRATION USED IN THIS SERMON:
#2629 "Little Brother Is Watching You," by Kevin Leman, Christianity
Today magazine, October 18, 1985, p. 49.
This and 30,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
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