“Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11.6a) But what is faith? “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” (Hebrews 11.1) So explain this passage in light of those two; James 2.14-17.

What does it say? Read it for yourself. Just stop and pick up your Bible and read it. I’ll wait.

Now that you’ve read it let’s talk. If you are reading ahead then stop because this won’t make sense to you. How many meetings does it take before we start acting on our “faith”. Remember Hebrews 11.6a, well there is a b to that a and it says, “because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” So, what does that have to do with deeds and how do we “earnestly seek”?

“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…” Remember Matthew 25; the sheep and the goats. The sheep were being sheep and so they acted on their instincts. They couldn’t help it. They didn’t know that they were helping Jesus, they just knew that people had needs that they could meet and they met them. They were being sheep. They were acting on their faith. Their faith dictated that they act. “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?.” (James 2.14)

So how we doin with that? Are we acting out our faith or are we just “acting”. Pretending to be something that we are not. Goats in sheeps clothing. I mean, really guys, how many worship times or sermons or conferences do we have to attend before we realize that if we are doing anything in response to the needs around us then we don’t have any faith. God rewards those who diligently seek him. How can we be seeking him and ignoring the needs of others. We are ignoring him.

Here’s the thing, if you are struggling at helping others and you just don’t see the point then you need to go back and read Matthew 25 again and realize that you have probably never accepted the Lordship of the One and Only Son of God. You need to repent and ask him to be the ruler of your life, not just your soul. The reason you are struggling with this concept may well be because you are not a sheep. “My sheep know my voice and they follow me.” If that’s true then I guarantee you that the voice of God will lead you to help others and if you don’t hear it calling you in that direction it’s because you are not a sheep and you don’t know his voice.

The second possibility is this; you hear the voice but are ignoring the instruction. Watch out, God is about to get your attention. “Every son he chastens and scourges everyone.” Dad is gonna come down hard on you if you don’t get busy. My little brother and I still don’t like looking in my dad’s closet because that’s where he hangs his belts and I am familiar with a couple of them, personally. God corrects wayward children and if you are not helping others then you are wayward. What is the greatest commandment?

Let’s stop talking about being sheep and start realizing that we are sheep and begin to act according to our nature. Let’s find some folks who need help and help them. Let’s do it so often that it becomes second nature. NO, let’s allow it to be our only nature. A little less talk and a lot more action.

Having said that, here’s the assignment. Jim Barnes has sustained an eye injury. It’s potentially dangerous. He could lose his sight. He might even lose the eye. He and Sarah live in Hamburg. Sarah is pregnant. They need your prayers. They need cards and letters and visits. The Vera Lloyd kids are still there. We aren’t going to be working on campus for a few weeks but that doesn’t mean that we can’t send Christmas cards to the houses or go by and visit on our off days. There are people in the hospital from your home churches. There are nurseing homes near where you work and live. You have neighbors. You get the idea. Be sheep. Demonstrate your faith. Make it come alive because you know that faith, “if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”