Introduction

James 4:17 ESV  So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

• In our men’s group at CLC, we call it Men’s Fraternity, we have a definition of manhood.
  • It’s the Acronym RALI, it men’s that a man is not just someone with XY and Y chromosomes, there are many boys with that.
    • A man is not just a human male who is over 18 years old…
      • There are plenty of 30, 40, and 50 year old boys running around.
  • A man is more than that, Biblically…
    • A Biblical, Christ Like Man, is someone who Rejects Passivity, Accepts Responsibility, Leads Courageously, and Invests Eternally.
      • RALI, R-A-L-I…
        • Reject Passivity, Accept Responsibility, Lead Courageously, and Invest Eternally.
• And today I want to talk about the R in our definition of Manhood… Reject Passivity.
  • Now, let me be abundantly clear… just because this is part of the definition of manhood does not mean that it does not apply to women… women must ALSO reject passivity… because Christians must reject passivity…
    • This, in short, is what our key verse is telling us today…

James 4:17 ESV  So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

• Reject passivity… because when you are passive… when you are not doing anything… when you are failing to have works that prove your faith… then you are sinning…
  • Not doing things that you know you should be doing, it is sin… and it has dire consequences…

• Reject passivity…
  • And I used our T-Shirt Design for our first men’s group shirt to make the point… also, don’t forget to order your new men’s group shirts, men! Get on the church app and get them ordered…
• But anyhow, the example of the crushed snake comes from Christ’s encouragement that we will tread on serpents… but also Adam’s failure in the garden… and that failure was because of his passivity.
  • In the garden of Eden everything was perfect… and there was only one rule, don’t eat of the forbidden fruit!
    • But, we all know the story, Satan came in as a snake and started spreading lies to Eve and convinced Eve to eat the fruit, and then Eve gave the fruit to her husband.
      • Now what is peculiar about this story is that the Bible tells us that Adam was NOT deceived. That is what 1 Timothy 2:14 says…

1 Timothy 2:14 ESV  and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.

• But then we also know that Adam still was considered the original sinner, not Eve… but Adam brought sin into the world… That is what Roman’s 5:12-21 tells us… that sin came into the world through Adam, not through Eve, but through Adam.Now how is it that Adam was not deceived…Yet he was considered the first sinner…How is it that Adam ate the fruit second… yet was considered the first sinner?The answer boils down to PASSIVITY.He who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.You see Genesis 3:6 gives us the answer to who sinned first in the garden of Eden…

Genesis 3:6 ESV  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

• There is one very important and often overlooked detail in this verse… When Eve was being tempted by the serpent… ADAM WAS WITH HER.
  • Now you read this story in a children’s book, Adam will be far off somewhere else and Eve will have to go find him to give him the fruit…
    • But right here we see that Adam was WITH HER.
    • Which means… all this time, while the snake was lying, and tempting, and scheming with the woman… Adam was right there.
      • Adam should have rejected passivity and crushed that snake under his feet!
        • And thank God, Jesus came and did what Adam did not, Jesus came and crushed the snake for us…
    • But Adam could have done it… instead, he was passive… he sat back and watched his wife be tempted and fall…
      • Adam knew what was right to do, and failed to do it.
        • He was passive.
        • And his passivity brought sin into the world.
• This is why as Christians we MUST reject Passivity.
  • That is why this sermon and this verse from James is so important.
    • Because Passivity… not doing the right thing… it is sin. It is evil. It has consequences. It must be rejected.
    • Reject Passivity… Let’s pray!

• Point one this morning is simple… Reject Passivity in Your Life.

Point One – Reject Passivity in Your Life

James 4:17 ESV  So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

• If you know what you are supposed to do, and you fail to do it, for you it is sin.
  • This means there are going to be times in your life where you will have opportunities to do good…
    • Opportunities to show love.
    • Opportunities to stand up for the faith…
    • Opportunities to do right…
    • Opportunities to do the will of God…
      • There will be moments, times, events in your life where you have a choice to make… do what you know is right… or do nothing, be passive, let the opportunity pass by.
        • And if you chose the rout of passivity, then you have sinned… that is what James says.
        • WE MUST REJECT PASSIVITY IN OUR LIFE!
• A perfect example of this is the parable of the Samaritan Neighbor.

Luke 10:30-35 ESV  Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.  (31)  Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.  (32)  So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  (33)  But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.  (34)  He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.  (35)  And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’

• So there is a man who was robbed and beaten half to death, left naked by the side of the road.
  • And there were three men who came upon him.
    • A Levite… that’s a worship leader who is incredibly well versed in the word of God.
    • A priest… which is like a pastor… a man who lives his life ministering to God and others…
    • And Samaritan.
      • And of these three men, two sinned, and one did not.
      • Well what do you mean “two sinned”?
        • The priest did not rob the man.
        • The Levite did not beat the man.
          • They just went about their days…
        • Yes, BUT THEY KNEW WHAT WAS RIGHT, of course they did… it was in their job description…
        • They knew what was right, and failed to do it.
        • They knew what was right, and chose passivity instead…
          • THEY SINNED.
      • The only one who did right in this story, according to Jesus, is the Samaritan…
        • The Samaritan who inconvenienced himself.
          • He stopped what he was doing to take care of this man.
          • Set him on his own animal.
          • Used his own oil and wine to clean his wounds…
          • He took him to the inn and spent his OWN money to pay the bill.
            • The Samaritan spent time, energy, resources, and money to do what he knew was right.
            • And for him, the only one of the three, he did not sin.
            • The Samaritan rejected passivity.

James 4:17 ESV  So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

• Now the question must be presented: Are you rejecting Passivity in your own life?
  • Because I promise you that there are many opportunities in your life to chose to do what is right… or to be passive.
    • And I know that many of us, myself included sometimes, we chose passivity.
  • We have all been there… we tell a friend we will help them move… or say we will help watch their kids… or we say we will do this or that for them…
    • And the day comes to help like you said you would…
    • But your week has been a whole lot harder than you expected.
      • You are more tired than you normally are.
      • You have a bit of a headache…
      • And you just want to stay home…
        • Now you have a decision to make…
        • You can text your friend and say “I am so sorry I can’t make it, I have a headache” And that is true, you tell yourself… your not lying, your not sinning you really do have a headache…
          • But deep down you know your headache is not THAT bad… you are just using it as an excuse… I am speaking from experience here…
        • So you can make the decision to be passive…
        • Or you can suck it up buttercup and do what you said you were going to do, you can be faithful to your word.
      • What James says is that one of those two decisions is sin.
    • And I get that sometimes we really do fall ill, or our headache is really crippling bad… I am not talking about that…
      • We all know, at least I think we do, that we can use mild pains or inconvinences to try to get out of doing what is right… because we just want to be passive.
• BUT WE MUST REJECT PASSIVITY, because to reject passivity is to reject sin.
  • Maybe the Levite had a headache… I don’t know.
  • Maybe the priest had a really stressful week at work… I don’t know.
  • But the Samaritan could have just as easily had a bad week or had a headache or back pain or fatigue or whatever… I don’t know.
    • All I know is that ONE of them rejected passivity… and it was that one, the Samaritan, who did not sin.
• I know sometimes you wake up Sunday morning and don’t want to come to church, especially if you are serving…
  • REJECT PASSIVITY.
• I know you want to let your kids sleep in and Sunday might be the only day…
  • REJECT PASSIVITY. Be a good example for your kids!
• I know you want to sleep in instead of reading your Bible.
  • Reject Passivity.
• I know you want to skip praying tonight because you are SO tired.
  • Reject Passivity.
• When God tells you to invite someone to church.
  • Reject Passivity.
• When God leads you to help a homeless man.
  • Reject Passivity.
• When God tells you to help plant a church in Japan.
  • Reject Passivity.
    • Will it be inconvenient?
      • Yes!
    • Will it cost you time, resources, effort, and money?
      • Yes!
    • Will it mean putting others before yourself?
      • Yes!
    • But: Will it mean that you have sinned?
      • NO!
• The only way to avoid sin when God tells you to do something is to reject passivity and do what God has told you to do!
  • In that moment, in that instant, say YES and do it!
    • Small acts of obedience.
    • Large acts of obedience.
    • Small acts of love.
    • Large acts of love.
    • Small acts of faithfulness.
    • Large acts of faithfulness.
      • REJECT PASSIVITITY IN YOUR LIFE.
      • And in so doing you will be rejecting sin in your life.
• Now that brings me to point two: Reject a life of passivity.

Point Two – Reject A Life of Passivity

James 4:17 ESV  So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

• Reject a life of passivity…
• Now point one was “Reject Passivity in Your Life”
  • And point two is “Reject a Life of Passivity”
    • Those two points sound very similar, don’t they, but they are very different.
      • Reject Passivity in your life.
      • Reject a life of passivity…
        • Two very different points…
    • For example: I can have fast food in my life… eating it every now and then… and I will look like I look now, overweight, but I can still manage to look OK in a suit.
      • Or I can live a life of fast food… eating out every meal… and I won’t look like I do now, I will look much much worse… I will be waddling around like the Micheline Tire Man… and aint nobody want to follow a fat pastor.
        • Right that is the difference between having fast food in my life and living a life of fast food.
          • One is bad, one is much much worse.
            • Having passivity in your life is bad…
            • Living a life of passivity is much worse.
      • You see I can have crime in my life… Every now and then I break the speed limit… sometimes I drive down closed roads because I am like “How closed is this road really”… I have crime in my life, and that is bad…
        • But it is NOT the same thing as living a life of Crime…
          • Where everything I do is criminal…
      • One leads to speeding tickets, another leads to prison time.
        • Reject crime in your life, yes, but also reject a life of Crime!
        • Reject Passivity in your life, yes, but also reject a life of passivity!
• So when we talked about Rejecting Passivity in our life we looked at the parable of the Samaritan Neighbor… in the same way lets look at rejecting a life of passivity through the eyes of the parable of the Talents.
  • By the way, the word Talent here is an Ancient Jewish currency. A talent is a years wages. So, probably about 60,000 dollars or so in todays money, maybe more…
  • Ok, with that, here is the Parable of the Talents:

Matthew 25:14-27 ESV  “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.  (15)  To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.  (16)  He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.  (17)  So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.  (18)  But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.  (19)  Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  (20)  And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’  (21)  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’  (22)  And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’  (23)  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’  (24)  He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,  (25)  so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’  (26)  But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?  (27)  Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.

• You see there are three Christians in this story.
  • Three people who God called His servants.
    • Three people who God gave things to.
      • But only two were told “Well done my good and faithful servant”.
      • Only two were told “Enter into the Joy of your master”
        • In other words… only two of the Christians made heaven… and one… well… one was living a life of passivity.
• Two lived active lives…
  • They take what God has given them and they use it, they multiply it… they use if it to grow the Kingdom of God.
    • They are active… they live an active life.
      • The parable said the master was gone for a long time…
      • Jesus is talking about Him leaving and coming back.
      • This means He is talking about the entirety of our lives, if He doesn’t come back before He calls us home…
    • And two of these servants… the one given five talents and the one given two talents… they spent their lives actively growing God’s Kingdom.
  • Then there was the other servant… the passive servant.
    • He took what the Master had given him, and he hid it away.
      • He was given salvation.
      • He was given a measure of faith.
      • He was given grace upon grace.
        • What did he do with it?
          • “Hide it under a bushel? Why yes! I’m not gonna let it shine”.
• Then the master comes back… and he lies to the master:

Matthew 25:24-25 ESV  He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,  (25)  so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’

• How do I know it was a lie? Because the master calls him out on his lie…

Matthew 25:26-27 ESV  But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?  (27)  Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.

• The master says “If you believed what you just told me, that I reap where I have not sown… then you would have let your fear drive you to make more money… you don’t really believe that, because your works, or your lack of works… PROVE that you don’t believe that.
• You see the master in verse 26 there says exactly why this servant hid away his talent…

Matthew 25:26a ESV  But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant!…

• You didn’t hide your talent because of who I am, the master says, you hid the money because of who you are…
  • You are wicked and slothful!
    • SLOTHFUL. LAZY. PASSIVE.
      • This person, the person who carry’s the name of as servant of God… he lived a slothful life.
      • He lived a life of passivity.
• Church, don’t be like the slothful and wicked servant. Reject a life of passivity.
  • What Has God given you?
    • Are you using it for his glory?
      • Or have you put it on a shelf?
  • What has God called you too?
    • Are you pursuing that calling?
      • Or have you buried it in the ground waiting for Christ to come back?
  • What Has God empowered you to do?
    • Are you doing it all as unto Christ?
      • Or are you hiding it under a bushel?
• I know too many older and well aged Christians who say “Well God called me to this but I never got around to it”.
  • WHAT?! How are you going to explain that on Judgment day?
• Well God called me to missions when I was young… but…
  • But what?! Are you going to Argue with Jesus when He comes back and tell him your “buts”?
• I know God want’s to use me but I have just been so hurt…
  • You think Jesus wasn’t hurt… they put him on a Cross…
• I know I am called to go and make disciples… but I just don’t like people.
  • You know sometimes I don’t like people and I still show up to church on Sunday and love you with all that I have.
• I know that I am supposed to go on missions but I need to have my family first.
  • You can have babies on the missions field, y’all… they turn out to become pastors, and worship leaders, and solar physicists… ask me how I know…
• Well I know God want’s to use me but I feel so unworthy.
  • GET OVER IT. GET TO THE ALTAR. DEAL WITH IT. Because that is not going to hold up on Judgment day.
    • Are you going to tell God you are unworthy… because He thinks you are worthy enough to die for… do you think God made a mistake dying for you?
    • You are forgiven, you are free, you are impowered!
    • Reject passivity and serve like you are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus.
• If you don’t know what you are supposed to be doing with your life, let me tell you: Get in a discipleship relationship.
  • Be discipled and make a disciple. Pastor Mike and Tina are here to help you with that.
    • Then, if you still feel lost, ask your Discipler to help guide you, we are in this as a team, we can help one another.
    • And if your discipler doesn’t know, they can ask Pastor Mike and Tina, and if they don’t know they can ask me, and if I don’t know I can ask Pastor Matt… and we won’t stop till we find you purpose and meaning and work to do with your life.
      • So that you can not only reject passivity in your life… but that you can reject a life of passivity.
        • Let’s close with this… let’s bring it full circle… Let’s close with James 4:17 in context…

Conclusion

Turn On Children’s Class Lamps

James 4:13-17 ESV  Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—  (14)  yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.  (15)  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”  (16)  As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.  (17)  So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

• The context of James 4:17 is that there are people who are living their lives so void of God that they don’t even consider him in their plans.
  • How many American Christians are like this…
    • Sure they live an active life… but not an active life for God.
    • They chase after relationships.
    • They chase after power.
    • They chase after money.
      • They focus on getting the best Job, the most money, the most influence…
        • And if there is time they come to church.
        • If there is time they pray.
        • If there is time they worship.
        • If there is time they read there Bible.
        • But honestly, there is rarely time.
          • This Job is important and demanding.
          • This lifestyle wont pay for itself.
          • Sorry Jesus… I am so busy being active elsewhere I don’t have time to do the right things I know I should do…

James 4:17 ESV  So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

• To reject Christian Passivity you may also have to reject Worldly activity.
  • Because church it is better to die poor and faithful, than to die reach and evil.
• We are saved by grace, through faith… and that faith, as James teaches us, is proven by our works.
  • Reject Passivity, in day to day moments… Reject Passivity in your life.
  • Reject Passivity, in your calling, in your ministry, in your everything… reject a life of passivity.

Gospel Call

Aaronic Blessing