“HOPE”

September 24, 2006

By 
Melanie Ching

 
 Some of you may be wondering…..Hope? What does Hope have to do with the scripture passages from today’s lectionary? Well, I will throw in a few other Bible verses that pertain to the topic in the course of this message…..but you’ll just have to listen very carefully to see how it all ties together!

 James has always been one of my most favorite books of the Bible…..maybe because he gives such wise and practical advice on how to live our lives. I like James so much that my son’s middle name is “James”. But you rarely hear it unless of course it is used together with his full given name, as in: “Brycen James Ching-Brouwers”, usually followed by “get over here right now!”.

 Anyway, I like the book of James and that it why I chose this scripture from the lectionary for today.

 Since I am a Fuller Seminary graduate, I will be using some resources from Fuller professors: Dr. Ralph Martin and Dr. David Alan Hubbard, in today’s message.

In New Testament Foundations, Vol.2, by Dr. Ralph Martin, the issue of James being the brother of Jesus and an apostle is discussed with varying opinions on the matter. Regardless of verification of James’ identity, the conclusion is that “James preaches Jesus Christ, His Cross, and resurrection, the power of forgiveness and the obedience of faith…” (a quote from E. Thurneysen by Dr. Martin).
                                                                                                                                                      

In the passage James 3:13-18, James talks about wisdom that comes from God. In a study on The Book of James: Wisdom that Works, Dr. David Hubbard talks about this passage in James in terms of “wisdom to get along with each other”. Dr. Hubbard notes that James especially directs his message to those who want to be teachers of the Christian faith. James cautions that they should not be filled with the wrong motives of jealousy and ambition while teaching. It is also noted that James draws sharp contrasts between the wrong and right kinds of wisdom.

Dr. Hubbard goes on to talk about earthly wisdom as a cleverness that divides instead of Godly wisdom that helps people get along with each other. In verses 14-16, James describes jealousy and selfishness as a lie, motivated by the Devil, and leading to disorder and evil.

 However, in verse 17, James paints a picture of wisdom from God that is pure, peace-loving, gentle, and willing to yield to others. Wisdom from God is full of mercy, good deeds, and is always sincere. James encourages us, in verse 18, to be peacemakers, who will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.

 In James 4:1-3, James again advises us to draw close to God and to forget about quarrels and jealousy of what others have. James states that if we ask with the wrong motives, then we won’t get what we ask for from God. His proclamation to us is to ask God for wisdom to live our lives in peace with each other.

So let’s see…on one hand, we have Godly wisdom that results in peace and good deeds; and on the other hand, we have earthly wisdom, fueled by jealousy and ambition that leads to disorder and evil….hmmm, we’ll always chose wisdom from God and live perfectly upright and moral lives, right? Well…it’s not so easy to live by Godly wisdom all the time. As we will see, even the disciples struggled with this.

 In Mark 9:30-32, Jesus predicts His death for the second time. However, (v. 32) the disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying and were afraid to ask Jesus what He meant. In verses 33-35, we see another example of jealousy and ambition: the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest among them. Jesus was trying to teach the disciples so that they could carry on His ministry after His death. However, the disciples were preoccupied with what they thought would be Christ’s Kingdom on earth and their position. Jesus admonishes them, saying that if anyone wanted to be first, they must be last and be a servant to others.

 Do I…Do you…Do we always choose to serve others and be peacemakers? What are we doing to promote peace?

 God wants us to live in peace with Him, ourselves, and each other.

 In Mark 9:36-37, Jesus tells the disciples to welcome children. Notes from the Life Application Bible on these verses indicate that in society, at that time, children were usually treated as second-class citizens. Jesus counsels the disciples to treat children well and teach them about having faith in Jesus.

 In another Bible Study series on the Book of James: Developing a Faith That Works, Pastor Rick Warren also talks about how to relate wisely to others in the same passage in James 3:13-18. Pastor Warren’s approach to this scripture is based on wisdom being a lifestyle or the practical use of knowledge. He emphasizes that wisdom has more to do with character and relationships than intelligence and a lack of wisdom causes problems. Pastor Warren discusses six characteristics in relating wisely to others: 1) not compromising one’s integrity, 2) not antagonizing another’s anger, 3) not minimizing another’s feelings, 4) not criticizing another’s suggestions, 5) not emphasizing another’s mistakes, and 6) not disguising one’s feelings. Pastor Warren calls us to live out our faith when relating to others.

 Am I ….Are you…Are we putting our faith in God? Are we developing a real faith that works?

 I must confess, I have not been a peacemaker, nor been a positive role model in demonstrating my faith…..a couple of weeks ago while driving home on Philip St. turning onto Punahou St., I stopped to let someone turn left. The lady in the car behind me leaned on her horn and tooted me! Well, we happened to be stopped at the light at Punahou and King St., so I got out of my car to go and “talk” to her. I was boiling mad…..how dare she blow her horn at me for showing “Aloha” to the car turning left! We exchanged some words, she insisting she was right and me yelling at her for not showing “Aloha” and then we continued driving home, following each other into Manoa.

 Now, she may have been rude to ‘toot’ me, but I was also wrong to get so mad about it and display anger towards her…..I’m human, I make mistakes…..I’ve asked for God’s forgiveness, and I’ve thought of knocking on her door to apologize to her…..because I want to be a peacemaker and I want to develop a faith that works…..in the real world.

 God wants us to have faith in Him, ourselves, and each other.

 I James 4:7-8a, it says to “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you. Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.” We need to submit ourselves to God’s love and draw close to Him.            

The scriptures call us to live in peace with each other, to have faith in God and believe in Jesus Christ: God’s son sent to die on the cross for our sins. In John 3:16, we see how “God loved us so much that he sent his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but will have everlasting life”.

Do I…Do you…Do we love God with all of our hearts, soul, and minds? What are we doing to share God’s love with others?

God wants us to love Him, ourselves, and each other.

For the past few years, I have been dealing with some pretty big issues and some of you know about these things that I’ve shared in Bible Study on Wednesday nights at the Archuleta’s. I’m struggling with: being divorced and a single parent one week and single every other week; raising a teenage daughter and a young son as an “older” mom; changing occupations mid-life; helping aging parents; and trying to help a younger brother, who has been an ICE addict for over ten years…to name just a few of the challenges. Each of you have your own list of trials and tribulations, concerns and challenges that you are dealing with in your lives.

To be truthful, I have not always felt at peace, my faith has wavered, and I do not always feel loving towards others or loved myself. In fact, a lot of time I walk around looking exhausted because I am exhausted (including now since I’ve been sick for about two weeks with bronchitis, a low grade fever,  headaches, coughing, and a lot of congestion). But through it all, I do still have hope and I know that the bottom line in all of this is that I need to put my hope and trust in God.

 One of my favorite verses that I claim all the time, and especially when my life seems dark and full of worries, is Jeremiah 29:11:  “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you, not harm you; plans for a hope and a future.” God does have plans for each one of us, plans of hope for a future. We need to put our hope and trust in God.

 What am I…What are you…What are we doing to perpetuate hope?

 God wants us to have hope in Him, ourselves, and each other.

Recently, I received an e-mail from some friends, David and Deanna, who used to come to my house for a Bible Study on Friday nights. This illustration was actually the inspiration for my message today, tying everything together in Hope.

Four Candles

Four candles slowly burned, the ambiance was so soft, one could almost hear them talking….

The first candle said, “I am Peace. The world is full of anger and fighting (jealousy and ambition). Nobody can keep me lit.” The flame of Peace went out completely.

Then the second candle said, “I am Faith. I am no longer indispensable. It doesn’t make sense that I stay lit any longer.” Just then a soft breeze blew out Faith’s flame.

Sadly, the third candle began to speak, “I am Love. People don’t understand my importance so they simply put me aside. They even forget to love those who are nearest to them. I haven’t the strength to stay lit.” And waiting no longer, Love’s flame went out.

Suddenly a child entered and saw the three unlit candles. “Why aren’t you burning? You’re supposed to stay lit till the end.” Saying this, the child began to cry.

Then the fourth candle answered, “Don’t be afraid. While I am still lit, we can re-light the other candles.”

With shining eyes, the child took the candle of Hope and lit the other three candles.

The Flame of Hope should never go out from your life….and with Hope, each of us can live a life with Peace, Faith, and Love.

Again, our greatest hope is from God…..

……so whenever I am asked to give the message at church or any event, I cannot close without giving an invitation to anyone who wants to receive God’s gift of hope and salvation. God sent his Son, Jesus Christ to be that 4^th Candle of Hope in our lives. Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that we can live in peace, faith, and love. If you would like to receive Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior or recommit your life to Jesus, please repeat after me as I say this prayer:

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I confess that I have been a sinner. Please forgive me of my sins. I accept you as my Lord and Savior. Help me to live life with hope, peace, faith, and love.

In Jesus’ Name, I pray…. Amen.

If you have made a decision to commit your life to Christ for the first time today, please share that good news with someone…..Kahu Kaina, or anyone in the church, including me, if you feel comfortable doing so….and get connected to a small group Bible Study or a Sunday School class to begin to learn more and grow in your faith.

God Bless You All.