Fields United Methodist Church

Thoughts Along the Way

Pastor Tom Joyce

September 6, 2021

“But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers, who deceive themselves.”

James 1:22

Faith is a verb, an action word that describes how the Word of God comes alive in those who believe. With all due respect to Grammar 101 that would say faith is a noun, faith in the Christian sense is a non-event if not an action. We can sit and think about Jesus, we can call a group together and study the Scriptures, but then what do we do with what we have learned? The Bible is a living, breathing testimony of God’s action in our lives and the lives of others; those in the Bible never stopped moving, never stopped witnessing, never stopped “doing” for the Lord; in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King early Christians were “too God intoxicated to be astronomically intimidated.” In other words, they used the power of the universe offered to them to transform society. That same power is available and waiting for us to use today, especially today. You have the gift of the power of God to put into action and witness the joy, hope, peace, and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. At your baptism, you professed “Jesus Christ as your Savior, [you] put your whole trust in his grace and [promised] to serve him as your Lord, in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races.” In other words, you promised God to make your faith “action,” to be “doers of the word.” Faith is not only action; it is a choice. It is a choice to turn back to God and start over again, to live by the Word and celebrate all that you have received and to share the same with the world around you. Joshua (Joshua 24:15) gathered all the tribes of Israel, explained all that God had done for them, then went on to say “if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve…. but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Faith is a choice also an incredible blessing and the most precious gift you could ever give to another. To be “doers of the word” is to serve God through loving God, neighbor, family, and friends and offer them the power of God through Jesus Christ. You have been blessed today because you are loved and equipped by God with the privilege of serving others. You are a blessing as you have been blessed if you not only hear the Word of God but to act on them, to the glory of God.