Have you seen the rabbit?

One day, a young disciple of Christ desiring to fully receive all that God had for him visited the home of an elderly Christian. He had heard that this old man had never lost his first love for Christ over all the years.The elderly man was sitting on the porch with his dog taking in a beautiful sunset. The young man posed this question:"Why is it sir that so many Christians zealously chase after God during the first year or two after their conversion, but then fall into a complacent ritual church once or twice a week and they end up not looking any different than their neighbors who aren't even Christians? I have heard you are not like that.

The old man smiled and replied, "Let me tell you a story: One day I was sitting here quietly in the sun with my dog. Suddenly a large white rabbit ran across the field in front of us. Well, my dog jumped up, and took off after that big white rabbit. He chased the rabbit over the hills with a passion. Soon, other dogs joined him, attracted by his barking. What a sight it was, as the pack of dogs ran barking across the creeks, up stony embankments and through thickets and thorns! Gradually, however, one by one, the other dogs dropped out of the pursuit, discouraged by the course and frustrated by the chase. Only my dog continued to hotly pursue .....the white rabbit. In that story, young man, lies the answer to your question."

The young man sat in confused silence. Finally, he said, “Sir, I don't understand. What is the connection between a rabbit chase and the quest for God?“

"You fail to understand," answered the well-seasoned old man, "because you failed to ask the obvious question. Why didn't the other dogs continue in the chase? And the answer to that question is they had not seen the rabbit. Unless you see the prize, the chase is just too difficult. You will lack the faith, the passion the determination to keep up the chase.”

Our text in James deals with this very thought--what God is telling us about true faith versus claiming to have faith.

Blondin was one of the greatest tightrope walkers of all time. One of the most often told stories of Blondin concerns his crossing over the Niagara Falls on a tightrope (which he reportedly did that several times). At some point he turned to his large audience, which included numerous reporters from various newspapers, and he asked them, "How many believe I can walk across this tightrope over the Falls pushing a wheelbarrow?“

People cheered loudly. They were sure the great Blondin could do it. Then he asked, "How many believe I can push a wheelbarrow across the tightrope with a man sitting in it?“ Again, there was a loud response. Blondin then pointed to one of the most enthusiastic men in the audience, and said, "Okay, you get into the wheelbarrow.“

Needless to say, the man made a quick exit. Blondin demonstrated that there is often a great difference between belief, the faith we SAY we have, and the action faith we really have. The measure of our faith is NOT our "talk” it is our "walk.” Faith must be demonstrated in the way we live.

Every one daily expresses faith in something. When you wake up and go into the bathroom in the morning, you flip a light switch and you have faith that it will work.

When you get into your car, you turn the key and have faith that it will start.

When you mail a letter you have faith the postal system will get it to the right address.

Every time you walk into a building you are expressing faith in the architect and the workmen.

In each instance ..... there was an action. You flipped a switch,..... you turned a key, ....you mailed a letter,...... you walked into a building.

Faith is Action

James 2:14-17

14-17 Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

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Charles Schultz got that idea from James 2:15-16. What good is it if you see someone in need and you say, "I feel for you!"He’s saying, “It’s more than just words. It’s more than just feelings.”

Faith is

"When Hudson Taylor first went to China, it was in a sailing vessel. Very close to the shore of the cannibal islands the ship was caught in a calm, and it was slowly drifting toward the shore and the savages were eagerly anticipating a feast.

The captain came to Mr. Taylor and sought him to pray for the help of God. 'I will,' said Taylor, ‘provided you set your sails to catch the breeze.'

The Captain declined to make himself a laughing stock by unfurling the sails in a dead calm.

Taylor said, 'I will not undertake to pray for the vessel unless you will prepare the sails.’ And it was done.

While engaged in prayer, there was a knock at the door of his stateroom. "Who is there?" The captains voice responded, 'Are you still praying for wind?'

'Yes.’

'Well,' said the Captain,'you better stop praying .....for we have more wind than we can manage.’”

James 2:18

18 I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, “Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I’ll handle the works department.”Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.

A guy was coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands. (The preacher’s job is to: shake them in, shake them up, and shake them out!) Well, he grabbed the guy by the hand and pulled him aside.

The preacher said to him, "Hey, brother, you need to join the Army of the Lord!" The man replied, "I’m already in the Army of the Lord, preacher." The preacher said, , "How come I don’t see you except at Christmas and Easter?" The man whispered back, "I’m in the secret service.”

There are many people who claim to be in the army of the Lord, or there are many who claim to believe in the Lord and follow the Lord. But where’s the evidence of their faith? Can you see it in their:

Church AttendanceGivingServiceWitness for Christ

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

We are suppose to be the light of the world, but what if our light isn’t shining in some form? Can people tell that you are a Christian?

When a distinguished foreigner paid his only visit to America in 1950, a committee of prominent Chicagoans lined up at the railway station to offer official greetings. But the committee noticed that his eyes were not wholly fixed on them. Those penetrating eyes were wandering beyond the encircling committee. Something on the station platform caught his eye amid the crowd of travelers.

With politeness but firmness the great man said to the committee, Excusez-moi,” (escoosay-mwah or excuse me) and literally dashed past the receptionists. Diving into the crowd, he stopped beside an elderly woman who was staggering under her load of heavy suitcases and extra bundles.

With his big, sensitive hands he grabbed the old woman’s suitcases and bundles and, beckoning her to follow him, he threaded a way through the throngs. He led the woman to the coach she wanted to take, lifted up her suitcases into the overhead rack, and bowing in a courtly manner, wished her, “Bon voyage.”

Then he rushed back to the astounded committee with apologies for keeping them waiting. And that’s the way Dr. Albert L. Schweitzer arrived in America!

What good is it if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Deeds are the proof of the pudding of the Christian faith.

Albert Schweitzer once said, “I don’t know what your destiny will be but one thing I know; the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.

Galatians 6:9-10 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Faith believes in God

James 2:19

19 Do you think that just believing there’s one God is going to get you anywhere? The demons believe that, too, and it terrifies them!

The story is told of the atheist who accosted a preacher. "Do you believe in eternal life?" The preacher had no time to reply. "Well its a load of rubbish!" shouted the atheist. "I believe in science, evolution, survival of the fittest, and when we die, that’s it! No eternal life, no great judgment, and no God!"

The atheist continued his assault against the preacher. "Eternal life! Eternal life! Ha! It’s all pie in the sky when you die. When I die that’s it, the end, no eternal life, no nothing.” He continued, "I will be buried six feet under when I die and that’s it! Nothing! Caput! When I die I am utterly convinced that that will be the end of me!" The preacher replied, "Well, thank God for that!”

The end of those who do not believe in the one true living God will not be the end. But, we’re in sales, not management so we have nothing to do with this matter.

We must work at pointing people to the one true living God and Jesus as the Savior of the world!

I Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

Faith Produces

Righteousness

James 2:20-26

20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

Having a genuine relationship to Christ WILL make a difference in our lives! We may not always do right but we will want to do right and live right!

Dr. Charles Weigle composed the favorite song,“No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus.” One day he visited Pasadena, California. Early that morning he had an opportunity to walk through some of the famous rose gardens when the full fragrance of the flowers filled the air.

Later in the day he arrived at the hotel where a Bible conference was being held. As he took his seat, a man turned to him and said, “Dr. Weigle, I know where you’ve been. You toured one of our lovely gardens, for I can smell the pleasing aroma on your clothing.”

Weigle then said, “My prayer is that I may walk so closely with the Lord that the fragrance of His grace will pervade my being. I want them to know by my words, actions, and songs that I have been with Jesus.”

David Livingstone was a pioneer. missionary to AfricaWhen H. M. Stanley went to Africa in 1871 to find and report on him, he spent several months in the missionary’s company, carefully observing the man and his work. Livingstone never spoke to Stanley about spiritual matters, but Livingstone’s loving and patient compassion for the African people was beyond Stanley’s comprehension.

He could not understand how the missionary could have such love for and patience with the backward, pagan people among whom he had so long ministered. Livingstone literally spent himself in untiring service for those whom he had no reason to love except for Christ’s sake.

Stanley wrote in his journal, "When I saw that unwearied patience, that unflagging zeal, and those enlightened sons of Africa, I became a Christian at his side, though he never spoke to me one word." If any of us were unable to speak a word, how many people would know that we were Christians?

I knelt to pray when day was done, And prayed, "Lord, bless everyone; Lift from each heart the pain, And let the sick be well again." And then I woke again one day, And carelessly went on my way; The whole day long I did not try To wipe a tear from any eye. I did not try to share the load Of any brother on the road; I did not even go to see The sick man just next door to me. Yet once again when every day was done, I prayed, "Lord, bless everyone." But as I prayed to my ear Came a voice that whispered dear, ’Pause, hypocrite, before you pray; Whom have you tried to bless today? God’s sweetest blessings always go, By hands that serve Him here below.’" And then I hid my face and cried, "Forgive me Lord, for I have lied; Let me but live another day, And I will live the way I pray."

- Anonymous 

Claiming To Have Faith--Steve ShepherdFaith Perfected in Works--Eric MuldoonFaithing--J Jeffrey Smead