Download Audio: 5_24_2009_Sermon
The Gulf of Aden is a part of the important waterway known as the Suez Canal. Located in the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden separates Yemen on the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula and Somalia on the Horn of Africa. The Gulf of Aden is only about 20 miles wide, yet because it connects the Arabian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, it is one of the most important waterways in the world. It is a vital waterway for the transport of the all important Persian Gulf oil. An estimated 21,000 ships pass through this narrow waterway every year carrying millions of tons of valuable goods.
The Gulf of Aden is most known, however, for acts of piracy, making its waters some of the most dangerous in the world. Piracy has long been a problem in the Gulf, but recent accounts of piracy have gotten a bit more of the world’s attention. A weak, or nonexistent, government in the nation of Somalia contributes to the freedom of pirates to raid ships, take crews hostage, and use both human lives and valuable cargo for ransom. The willingness of both private companies and civil governments to pay out millions of dollars a year in ransom has only encouraged pirates in their trade.
The recent rescue of Captain Richard Phillips, a United States citizen, grabbed the headlines and brought the problem of piracy to our attention. This morning, I want to use the danger of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and Captain Phillips rescue story as an allegory of the spiritual dangers and responsibilities that we face as followers of Jesus Christ.
The Christian life is much like a voyage at sea. Everyone who follows Jesus Christ is on a long voyage to the shores of heaven. Along the way, each one of us will sail through extremely dangerous spiritual waters. Violent storms often make the sea waters roar, and we have real enemies who would be pirates of the soul. It is not unusual for Christians to wander into dangerous waters and to be taken captive. In those moments, as a church body, we have the responsibility to engage in a real life spiritual rescue operation at the risk of our own lives. The stakes are high for believers, for if one is lost to spiritual piracy, she will lose not her life but her soul.
The Apostle James warns of these dangers and calls us to these responsibilities in the final two verses of his important letter. Let’s read these two verses again. What a way to end this letter to beleaguered Christians in the first century. James had warned the early Christians of the very real dangers present on their spiritual voyage. James warned the believers of the dangers of being taken captive by various sins. Sins like hypocrisy, favoritism, gossip, complaining, worldliness, pride, and materialism to name a few.
James lays down many important doctrines in his brief letter, but above all he issues a call for action. James exhorts his readers to be doers of the word and not hearers only. James, characteristically, then ends his book with a summons to action. What are his friends to do when a believer wanders away from the church into one of these various sins? Talk about the person? Make prayer requests for the person? James, the Apostle of Do, says do not talk, do not merely pray, go get the straying brother or sister. Go, go now, and rescue the wandering soul. As believers, we are all sailing toward the shores of heaven and any one us could wander off into dangerous waters. If and when any one of us should so wander, as a church body, we all have the awesome responsibility to initiate a rescue mission in order to rescue the wandering soul.
This morning we want to explore this important message from the Apostle James by considering, first, the danger of spiritual wandering. Second, the urgency of spiritual rescue. And, third, the hope of spiritual recovery. Our goal, as Christians, should be to bring back every straying brother or sister, safely into the harbor of God’s grace in Jesus Christ.
I. The Danger of Spiritual Wandering (19a). Now, when we read these verses we often think of the verse, the Proverb, which encourages us “he who wins souls is wise” (Pro 11:30). We have usually understood the idea of winning souls in terms of bringing unbelievers to faith in Christ. To win souls, in this way, would mean that we share the glories of Christ with an unbeliever and the Spirit uses that witness to convict the person of sin and to convince them of the surpassing glories of Jesus Christ, so that they turn away from sin and by faith believe in Christ as Savior.
Now, certainly every Christian should be actively engaged in doing just that sort of evangelism. It is the duty of every believer to seek to ‘win souls for Christ’ in terms of witnessing to unbelievers. Let each one of us recommit ourselves today to witnessing to unbelievers. It is true that the idea of spiritual wandering typifies an unbeliever. An unbeliever does not acknowledge the truth of the gospel of Christ and so must be wandering off into some sort of spiritual danger. Did you share the gospel with an unbeliever this week? Did you invite someone to gather with us for worship? Did you act in kindness toward an unbeliever, in order to show the kindness of Christ? If not, repent of this lack of evangelistic effort and commit yourself today to witness for Christ this week, in your home, at work, or some social setting.
But, as important as this type of spiritual rescue is, this is not the kind of spiritual wandering that James has in mind. Notice the word “wanders” in verse 15. The word translated wanders [is] planao; from which the word planet, a heavenly wanderer, is taken. The word literally means ‘to go astray’ and you might think that he has unbelievers in mind because that accurately describes an unbeliever. One who does not believe in Christ is going astray from the truth in many ways. But notice that James uses the word “brothers” and says “if anyone among you wanders.” James is referring here to those who profess faith in Christ and belong to a local church, who subsequently wander away from the truth. James, in keeping with the overall tenure of the book, is confronting those in the assembly who profess faith in Christ falsely; those whose faith, though professed verbally, is a dead faith.
James, perhaps, had the warning of Jesus in mind that “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven’ (Matt 7.21-23). Friends, we must recognize that, even in the church, spiritual wandering is a very real danger. James is concerned about the members of the local church. He loves these people and because of that love he warns them of the danger of wandering from the truth.
The idea of wandering refers to any deviation from the ‘way of righteousness’, whether willful or not. The dangers of present in the Gulf of Aden are certainly known to every Captain at sea. But often a Captain will willfully choose to risk passage through Aden in order to cut down travel time and cut cost in order to increase profits.
How many people once boldly professed faith in Christ, but ultimately wandered away from the truth? I’ve seen this many times and perhaps you have too. A man may wander from the truth thinking pornography will increase his pleasure profit margins. A college student may wander from the truth thinking relativism will increase her compassion profit margin. A woman may wander from the truth thinking personal independence will increase her freedom profit margins.
Wandering from the truth is a present danger for those of us who are closest to Christ in this assembly, not merely for those who are already far off. Judas was close to Jesus, yet he wandered. Demas was close to the Apostle Paul, yet he wandered. Be careful brother, be careful sister, lest through some subtle deception you wander away from the truth and so put your soul in grave danger. Sin is deceptive, and it will lure you into dangerous waters so quickly. You may never see the pirates of the soul lurking behind the fog of deception.
One of the measures the Somali Government has put forward as a way to prevent piracy is the establishment of a Coast Guard responsible for protecting the Gulf of Aden. The Somali’s have even sought international aid to establish this Coast Guard.
As a congregation, this is similar to the spiritual measures we should take in order to protect each other’s souls. Rather than simply expecting each of our members to take care of their own souls, we should seek to take preventative measures with each other’s souls. We should ask ourselves, “What are ways that can establish soul care for our members to prevent wandering from the truth?” Every sermon, every teaching time, every encounter should have as its aim the care of the souls under our care. We are all part of the Soul Guard God has established to watch over each other’s souls. When we pray, we are seeking God’s aid to assist us in the protection of souls.
Spiritual wandering is a danger for all of us. Even now, someone sitting near you may be drifting into dangerous spiritual waters; a marriage could be under attack, a young person could find the friendship of the world more inviting than the friendship of the church; we must pray that God would use us to help others avoid wandering into the trap of sin.
II. The Urgency of Spiritual Rescue (19b-20).
But what do we do when, despite our best efforts, a member of our church wanders into sin? What if the pirates of temptation seize a man’s soul? It would be more than easy to simply let the person go. Maybe give a few prayer requests and have some regret, but otherwise remain uninvolved. As a matter of fact, it is almost accepted as a biblical truth that what people do in their personal lives is no one else’s business. But notice what the Apostle James says to do. Bring them back.
James makes it clear that if one wanders from the truth the stakes are so high that every effort should be made to bring the person back to the truth. James commends getting involved in each others’ lives. By so doing, we can save a soul and cover a multitude of sins. James would never accept the idea that we should just leave people alone.
Richard Phillips, captain of a freighter ship called the Maersk Alabama, was taken captive by pirates and held in a lifeboat in the middle of Gulf of Aden. The pirates, demanding ransom in return for his life, had bound him with rope and were holding him at gun point after he tried unsuccessfully to escape on his own. Despite dangerous sea conditions, Navy Seals executed a successful rescue of Phillips. Snipers shot and killed the three pirates who were holding Phillips, releasing him and returning him to the nearby USS Boxer .
Not only is this story a fine example of the bravery and skill of the men who serve our country in the Navy, it is also a reminder of the courage and skill required to bring back our friends who wander from the truth. As Christians, we too must be willing to sail into dangerous waters in order to set a brother or sister free from the ropes and power of sin.
It is true that every person is ultimately responsible for his own soul. You will stand, like every one else, before the Lord, and take full responsibility for your own actions. However, like the watchmen on the wall, believers have the responsibility to blow the trumpet in order to warn others of the impending dangers of sin. If we do not warn others of spiritual dangers and help them to find help in Christ, then, though they will account for their own sins, the Lord will require their blood at our hands (Ezekiel 33.6).
As one author put, ‘We must therefore take heed lest souls perish through our sloth, whose salvation God puts in a manner in our hands. Not that we can bestow salvation on them; but that God by our ministry delivers and saves those who seem otherwise to be nigh destruction.’
Friends, the church is a covenant community. We have entered into a covenant with God and with each other. The covenant of grace requires that we love each other supremely. Love demands that, when one of our number begins to wander, we must initiate a rescue mission. We must do everything in our power to restore the wandering soul. It is urgent that we do so. It is urgent that we share the gospel and seek to rescue sinners who have never known Christ.
But James does not hesitate to call wandering believers “sinners.” The wanderer is a sinner, and we must recognize that it is sin that hijacks and hold hostage the soul. Satan is actively seeking to deceive even the most spiritually mature and zealous person in this room, in order that sin might take the soul captive.
Like the Special Forces, we must train to do rescue of souls. We must study the word of God seriously in order to be equipped to help others when Satan attacks. But above all, we must care enough to put our own lives on the line. At the end of the day, we must get involved. We simply must not have a laissez-faire attitude about those who wander away from the truth, away from the church, away from Christ.
We celebrate the rescue of an American citizen. We admire the brave men who were involved in his rescue. But did you know that more than 200 mariners remain in hostage situations? Most of these are from other nations, but at this very moment, about 230 persons are being held hostage by pirates, in or near the Gulf of Aden.
If rescue is not made for those men, then they could very well lose their lives. But how people living within 20 miles of this building are held hostage by sin this very morning? Some of them have never darkened our door. Some of them were once very well known here. Either way, if rescue is not made, then they could very well lose their souls. Notice the phrase ‘save his soul from death.’
As a church, we are involved in the single most important effort the world has or will ever know. Rescuing souls is more important than finding a cure for cancer, or developing clean energy, or saving the environment. Whether it’s sharing the gospel in Hanover or Haiti, nothing is more important. Without the gospel, souls will perish forever. Who will you share the gospel with this week? Who will you invite to attend worship with you next Sunday? What offering will you make to send missionaries abroad?
III. The Hope of Spiritual Recovery (20b).
James ends his entire letter with this serious call to love the captive soul and to bring back all we can. He concludes both a reminder of the seriousness of the matter and a great encouragement to spur every believer toward involvement. Notice the phrase ‘cover a multitude of sins.’ This phrase reminds us of the idea of atonement.
When Jesus Christ shed His blood and gave His life on the cross 2,000 years ago, He did so in order to cover over sins. Our sin is deeply displeasing to Holy God, and He can not overlook it. Even if we wander into sin unintentionally, it is sin nonetheless, and God hates sin and must punish it. But the blood of Christ and the death of Christ cover over the sins of all who believe in Him. So, by trusting in Christ, your sins will be covered over by the blood of Christ.
This means that Christ took the penalty your sins deserved and died the death you should have died, so that by trusting in His death you will be brought back to God and united with Him forever. Our ministry, as believers, is the ministry reconciliation. By bringing back the spiritual wanderer, we become the agents who reunite sinners with God. Christ is the One who actually unites sinners with the Father, but we become the means by which He does so when we bring them back.
When Captain Phillips was rescued, He was found to be in good health. Reporting to the news media the navy announced; “The captain is in good health. He’s showered up and in a clean set of clothes.” He was smiling and exercising and in good humor when he spoke with his wife by phone. What a marvelous picture of God’s grace for sinners! Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God cleans up our souls, dresses us in the righteousness of Christ, and places us in happy relationship with Himself and all of His people. This is the blessed gospel we hold out to the world. This is the key all true happiness.
“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Ps 32.1). When James uses the phrase “wanders from the truth”, the truth of which he speaks is the gospel itself. Now, it is true that God means for believers to have “full assurance” of faith. Jesus said “the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt 10.22).
It is no good, therefore, to simply profess to believe the gospel, but live a life totally devoid of love to God or good works. James would say a faith like that is dead. Full assurance is given to those with a living faith, a genuine faith. Is your faith a living faith? Is your faith in the death and resurrection of Christ for salvation? If not, then, flee the bondage of sin this morning and come to the cross, which will cover your sin, and bring you back to God.
This morning we come to the conclusion of this text and of the book of James. James is an Apostle Action. His final words call upon Christians to get going in ministry. He consistently emphasizes the practice of Christianity. For James, to be a Christian is to control the tongue, to do the word, to curb our spending of money, to avoid worldliness, to avoid quarreling, and so much more. To be a Christian is to live out a radical faith in Christ. It is to navigate the dangerous waters of this world and to avoid the piracy of the one who comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy.
James teaches us that to be a Christian is to stay close to the Savior Himself and to live close to people of God. It is as if we are navigating waters that are more dangerous than the Gulf of Aden; to sail alone is to be very vulnerable to spiritual attack. Yet, if we sail close to the Savior, like a tiny vessel in the shadow of a large Naval Aircraft Carrier, and we sail close to other believers, like a convoy of ships together, we can navigate the dangerous waters of this world all the way to the safe harbor of heaven.
I’m reminded that there was a time when I was sailing straight toward disaster. Wandering is a good word to describe how I was living. I had no direction, no wisdom, and no strength. My soul was adrift on the high seas of sin and I had no hope. I was hostage to my own sin and the demonic pirates of the soul. But I am so glad the Lord did not leave me in the shackles of sin. I’m glad the Spirit of God pursued me relentlessly even as I wandered further and further away from Him.
I’m glad the Lord Jesus Christ gave every ounce of blood to rescue me, even though I spent many days scoffing at Him. Jesus is a fearless and relentless rescuer, and I am only one wanderer that He has graciously saved. Have you been wandering in life? Have you been taken captive by sins? The Savior is here. Call upon Him today, and He will bring you back.
