LESSONS FROl{ THE LIV!!S OF THE AFOS 'l'LZS , E.F ct CLlJXtllTkO TEXT Luke 6:13-16 :t,11 I --EXPOSITO~Y --BIOGRAPHICAL TITLE LESSONS Fli.Oh THE LIFE OF JAMES , THE SON CF AI.PHI\ ;;;us ---TEXTUAL - - TOPICAL SCRIPTURE READING----------------- - --DEVOTIONAL DELIVERIES: Hour Place Results and Comments: Southside 8/28/60 Palestine, Texas XXX First Baptist 8/4/63 Chickasha XXX+++l special service First Baptist 8/21/66 Ponca City, Oklahoma XXX+++ First1Baptist 3-12-72 a.m. San Angelo , Texas XXX++, 1 baptism First Baptist 2-13-7 7 p,m, San Angelo, Texas ( ARNING FROM OTHERS, •• ) ;, ' t l11, /" '7{-;;t~-0/ ~ J. - N--0? 5fR W5 k_ I I - I>'"ti? ~ BI BLIOGRAPHY _ ___________ .LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF JAME S , THE SON OF ALPHAEUS Scripture: Luke · · • 3 t.M~ .L.µ. ~ ~ -., ~ ~r~ 7 v . '; Intro: THE APOSTLE BEFORE US TODAY BEARS WITNESS TO THE TRUTH THA ~ ~O LIFE , REGARDIESS OF HOW INCONSPIC­ UOUS, CAN PASS ACROSS THE STAGE OF ' HUMAN HISTORY WITHOUT lEAV ING BEHIND CERTAIN GREAT LESSONS FOR POSTERITY . E N THOUGH JAMES THE SON OF ALP~.EUS HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE ONE AP OSTLE ABOUT WHOM _ WE KNOW IEAST, THERE YET AR I SE THRE E WORTHY LESSONS FROM HIS LIFE. T hc£i we /1+ve NvT f.p~'/(1'~ -/,,,e tfr'i , A ?'\ y a J. -He o I-JI> ,f A. ~sfI ,..J I . Tb~ Lesson on tfie alue f Yuh GQd 1 s Cause --Ma-rk 15:40 J ames the less" "younger") ~~- ~= · y t he side of the olde r & more mature apos les the re was James the younger, faithful i n witnessing , healing, & enduring hardships . Younge r but not any l e ss effect ive or f a ithful. 1. Youth is more res ons1ve to God's Word --I - S-: .Never r ead w e re James t e ess refused· to do Chris t's bidding. --I Sam. 3: 10 "And the Lord ca me, & stood, & ca lled as at other t i me s , Samuel, Sam uel. Then Sam uel answered, Speak: -for- t~ servant he a re th." u~~ her youll\ CA64TF~ , • ' ~~ - (1) Because sin has not yet hardene d youth/\ --It;klla,: The importance 01' winning children 15ef"ore leave Junior depa rtment. ff,otvAAY''/·~l {2 ) Be cause of a zeal, to do od 's will. L:fV~"' ~aJwiF~)" --U~~'W£ :Samuel I s response contrasted with i~ ~ 80 year old Moses' response: ~. ·" ~ - - Ex. 3 :10-1 "Come now therefore , & I wil l . ~ send thee unto Pha raoh, tha t thou mayest bring forth my people t he children of Is­ ra el ,out of Egypt. And Moses said unto God, 'Who am I , tha t I should go unto Pha­ raoh, and that I should br i ng ~orth the - children of Egypt?" (3) Be cause of a genuine belief in God's Word - - IalU.J§ : Time often ca llouses this "heart- - be lief" into "head-belief." ~ 2. Youth injects an optimist1c spirit- -- : Per aps was e op mfsm of t his young apostle tha t kept the apos tles f a ithful ~hen a ll seemed lost . (1) 1 d1s~ouraged by overwhelming odds OU'hG- -- · .~David was willing to do battle wit Goliath when all the older & "wiser" men were cowering in their tents. (2) 1 c bel e ee t be.t victor c be won tod --Num. 13 :30 "And Caleb stilled -the people before Moses, & s a id, Let us go up at once, & possess it; for we a re well able toovercome it. 11 ("at once") \/.. r6)' 1c Ged 1s f aith~ l to reward . {'/ · - · --W,JJ§.: "Old heads" voted down Cal:e-b, but ~me God rewa rded him. 3. Youth' afforde an exem l ar · faith --~: James faith, like t e faith of a 1'.i'TT're child, is not conspicuous, but never­ tneless it is an exemplary f a ith. --Matt. 18:3 "Verily I say unt~o you, Except ye -;:y~L ~~ converted, & become~ little children, 7ie - sha ll not enter into the kingdom of heaven.' !ftftt - ~ (l) Which believes in the unlimited power of G (2) Which is willing to run a risk f or Christ (3) Wh ich issues forth . in a total . surrender :_i~1 ·ti_·~~~~ : Youth who gave his fishes & loaves II. Blea• an Holl8 --ijark 15: --i US'.! Mary, his Jee~s from Ga ID nesaed the c c ifixion 1 :40 Watched the bur~al (Mark 1 :4 Jlf;..J> Visited the s u c er on Res. Mprning . (Mk. 16:l <r~i --ILLUS : Alphaeus, his father is the ~ame man as JJ.-).6 ·a'Ieophas. A godly man who rais ed 2 sons in sucll ,ti a manner tha t Chris t chose them to- be apo~tles. --Mark 2:14 "And as he . passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custon 1. reduces childr en whom Christ can use --I : Mary & Al · haeus parent§ of Matt. & Jam the less. Grea~ · comp~iment paid by God -foa any parent. (1) Beoause it imparts a faith tha will carrJ them thru life ••TRl.i~ tit> AC. di"•~ --I : Children observe this faith lw;har (2) Because 1t implants conviction of rt. & ~ (3) Becaus e it develops rev~rence for pra yer d the Bible ·:Mond.ca p r aying for Aug ustine ~=-..Jl~-~0-,:1?-~ t =o· t~ha,;e~ """'a-r '"""en=·t~·s--=- • C H-Ar<-- B~ l.. grea test joy tha t Mary & Al phaeus had during the sunset of t h~ ir 11v~s wa s the -- knowledge _...that 2 -of their boys were s e rving J (1) Because of the X'n ·atmosphere wniah preva \// {2) Because of the gratitude of the children Y --Prov. 31 :28a "Her children arise up, ~nd call her blessed." --- ( 3) Because of the satisfaction of seeing a job we 11 done . 3. Provides a memor that prods us Young John Mar eoame _ s eoura ge d on ~-~the 1stJ.miss. journey and quit. Perha ps the memory of his X'n home compelled him tG becom faithful again. · - (1) Because we cannot escape the teach ings (2) Because we remember our arents' high ideals for us "'MY P·""""~~ • ,. (3) Because the lives of our parents inspire u CII. ~be Power of Christian Reconc111a,1cm ~l!IIW~: James name a ways appears with Simon the Zealot, Thaddaeus, & Judas who were all Zealots. Thus ex re el .J' bable tha t J~mes also was a Ze a lot. Matt. his brot her was a tax-colle tor for the Roman govt. Here were 2 brothers who ha drifted further & fur er rom ~ac otner. Matt e th..~ serv1ce_ of Herod Antipas & J a mee jo ed the Zealots who had a flaming par«iotism & an embittered hatred for Rome & all who worked for her. a es e arded Matt. as a ,.. a e & Matt. regarded James as a anat • !HEN JESUS..,C;;.AME.-.&.Jia:c.e we see a r at · .reconc!Uat ron 1. Reconci es a =M-~ =Before Matt. & James the less were re­ . conc1led with each other t hey were 1st recon­ ciled with God. · --II Cor; 5 :20b " We praft you in X's stead , oe ye reconciled to God.' . , (1) Since e1n 1e primarily against God ~ -- -· : These brothers' s1ns aga inst each other were 1st a ga ins t God (2) Since thru 1t man acknowledges his wrong ~ · y -- .: rd from root wh ich me ans to brin f<earnc.1J#x l4'N peace be ween a rebe llious people & king. < - 1;:,7 Since the only other a lterna tive is God's I, wrath. • · Man en Matt . & J amee t he less got right with God they got right with one another. (1) Since divine reconc ili ation is conditionea upon i t --Matt • 5 :24 11 teave the re thy gi f t before the alta r, &fo thy way; first be recon­ ciled to thy brothe r, and then come & Offer thy gift • 11 ti (2) Since Christians be come'~piritual ~others (3) Since the progress of. God's kingdom de pend on it -~l';liW:S: Reviva l & persona l reconciliation an eternal re concili ation : No t one dispute & not one indication ·•o•f~i~ll -will between Ma tt . & J ame s the les s is to be found in any of the Gos pel a ccounts . heir reconciliation lasted ! (1) Between man and man - - : Should oe no need for repeated reconciliations (2) Between man and God --John 10 :28- -- _ "And I give unto them eter­ na l life; and they shall never perish, ne ither sha ll any pluck them out of my - nan-a. 11 ,.-.,. -, ..,, ~ ~ ~~ "'•'.~ ,..:, . ~- -~ '¥ ' ~ Saying he hopes they won't appear as Christian ser-vanthood of bearing one an­ the "celebrity 'odd couple' of the .times," other's burdens and taking up the cross. eenverted "ex-Nixon hatchet man" Oaerles Colson has announced that he and "IT'S NO COP-OUT, as a lot of people feUow-convert, Eldcjdge Cleaver, a for­ suggest," he continued. '_'It's a touchy way mer minister of information for the Black to go. But if Eldridge and I can symbolize Panther Party, will be appearing pu~licly God's reconciling power-and you cou 't together this year. get much farther apart than the two al Their future joint appearances will be us-if we can offer encouragement to pe.