A Rescue Mission
Text: James 5:19-20
Core Idea: We are prone to wander, prone to leave the God we love – which is why we must remain in the gospel daily. And with this gospel in our hearts, God is now sending us out to rescue others who may have wandered from the truth. Then let us go humbly, deliberately, and earnestly knowing that life is found in Christ alone.
INTRODUCTION
Well, we took a long break, but we are back in the Book of James – and after 18 sermons, we’ll finally bring this sermon series to a close. It’s been a huge blessing for me to study this book, and I pray that many of you were encouraged and challenged by it as well. Now, the main point that James wanted to communicate through this book was that true faith always leads to life transformation and that the gospel impacts every aspect of our lives – which is why we talked about how the gospel transforms the way we respond to trials, the way we use our tongue, the way we relate to one another, the way we handle conflicts, the way we perceive life, the way we deal with sins, the way we understand wealth, and so on. Then if you were James, how would you have ended this letter? Remember that James wrote this to the Christians who were unexpectedly scattered due to a great persecution that broke out against them. Then considering this, maybe you would’ve ended with a word of encouragement or a benediction or a clear reminder of the grace that they have received in Jesus Christ. But somewhat surprisingly, that’s not what James does – there’s no formal conclusion, no doxology, and no “see you later.” Instead, he ends with one more exhortation – one last call to action. And yet this perfectly reflects who James was because his pastoral heart is on full display in these words. Then with that in mind, please open your Bibles to James 5:19-20. Let me read this for us.
19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Let me share three things from this passage:
· THE RESPONSIBILITY
· THE RESULT
· THE REASON
1) THE RESPONSIBILITY
Verse 19, “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back.” I’ll be honest – when I first read this, I thought to myself, “What a strange way to end this letter.” But as I spent more time meditating on it, I realized that this is something that James has been talking about from the very beginning – this shocking and scary potential for Christians to wander away from the truth. He shared how we could wander into doubt in moments of trial, how we could wander into temptation – being dragged away by our own evil desires, how we could wander into self-centeredness, self-righteousness, and self-sufficiency, how we could wander into conflict with one another, how we could wander into ingratitude and grumbling, how we could wander into using words that are slanderous and unhelpful, and how we could wander into living a hypocritical life – separating what we say we believe from the way we actually live. James knew that as long as there was sin in our hearts, every one of us is prone to wander from the truth. In fact, James may have personally known those who have drifted off from the path – which is why he wrote these words. With this longing desire to see them in the faith again, he was calling the believers to bring them back.
Now, this verse hits us heavy because we can’t read this without being reminded of someone we know and love who has wandered from the truth – someone who at one time shared our passion for the gospel, shared our love for the church, sat next to us, sang with us, prayed with us, served with us, cried and laughed with us but has now chosen to abandon their faith. And even though he/she may not be in our lives anymore, that individual is still very much in our hearts – which is why this verse is forming a sad and sobering reminder of them today. If this is you, be encouraged because this verse displays the compassion of God as it demonstrates the fact that God hasn’t forgotten them, that He is pursuing after them, and that He wants to use us to do just that. It’s no coincidence that God has impressed them on your heart – He deliberately did it because this rescue plan involves you.
Then let me point out two important things that we need to keep in mind before we engage in this rescue mission. First, we must remember that wandering rarely happens overnight – instead, it usually starts with a small compromise that slowly leads people astray. It often starts with subtle and little wanderings. In fact, it’s often done in secret – in the dark and not in the light. And while they’re drifting, they often simultaneously attempt to keep up a good image in the church because they don’t want others to bother them or ask them difficult questions. So, this drifting continues (undetected by others) until one day, they’re nowhere to be found. But of course, by then, it becomes very difficult to turn them around because their heart has already grown cold and apathetic toward God. It’s so important to note that wandering rarely happens overnight because it reminds us that this rescue mission starts even before anyone actually wanders off – it means that we need to be concerned for each other’s souls regularly, consistently, and intentionally as we do life together, not just when they’re in trouble or when their hearts are already far from the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, we must learn to guard the hearts of one another by keeping them accountable, speaking the truth in love, encouraging them, and carrying their burdens. Just a word about speaking the truth in love. At times, even though we speak the truth in love, they don’t feel loved – in fact, they walk away feeling hurt or offended. You meant well, but it wasn’t received well. Then how can we speak in such a way so that it’s received well? The key actually is not in the words you speak or the tone you use (even though those things are important) – the key to this issue actually lies in the way you interact with them every day. One time I was disciplining Eli for something he did – and, as I always do, after explaining why he was getting in trouble, I hugged him and said, “I love you. I said all this because I love you so much. You know how much daddy loves you, right?” And he said, “I know – you always take care of me.” That’s when I realized that my “speaking-the-truth-in-love” was received with humility only because I’ve been consistent in the way I expressed my love to him. Eli didn’t see my “speaking-the-truth-in-love” as being judgmental or an expression of anger – he saw it as an act of love because I’ve been showing him how much I love him every single day. Then in the same way, if you feel like people always misunderstand you when you speak the truth in love, start loving them now. Regularly care for their soul. Let them feel your love in your daily interactions with them. Then when you have to speak the truth in love, it’s more likely that they’ll receive it with an open heart. All this to say, we need to care about each other’s souls because this is how we guard people from wandering away in their faith.
Second, this rescue mission is not given only to the pastors and leaders – this call is given to every single person in the church. James didn’t say, “If one of you wanders from the truth, call the pastors so that they can bring the person back.” No, he said, “My brothers and sisters, if someone in your community wanders from the truth, you should bring that person back.” Christians are prone to wander – they are prone to leave the God they love. That is true for you and that is true for me. I know that in me dwells no good thing. But the good news is that God will not let His own perish – which is why He will send the members of His flock to convince their fellow believers to come and repent. Then look around. You are the rescuer that God has placed in this church. The responsibility is yours. We’re not here simply to receive ministry (though that’s certainly part of it) – God has sent us here to minister to others. In other words, we’re not called to be passive consumers of this community but active rescuers of one another’s souls.
Now, some of you may be asking, “Why doesn’t God just do it Himself? Wouldn’t that be more effective than sending people like us? And the answer is it’s because He wants to share in the joy of bringing the lost back home. More and more, Eli has been asking if he can help me cook. And I reluctantly say yes because let’s be honest – without him, I can do things much faster. I don’t have to worry about him being too close to the oven, spilling food, putting too much salt in, burning the food, and so on. Without him, I can cook in peace. In fact, I think I can make it better. Then why do I invite him to cook with me? Because it makes him happy. He’s so happy that he made something that the whole family can enjoy. And when he’s happy, I’m happy. So, that’s why I invite him to cook with me even though it’s not always efficient. Then, in the same way, this is why God is sending us to rescue His people. Would it be more effective if He goes Himself? Absolutely. But in His grace, He invites us to join Him because He wants us to experience the joy of seeing a soul return to life.
Pastor John Piper said, “Eternal security is a community project. Therefore, we should take one another with ultimate seriousness.” You and I are part of His plan to rescue. We are His instrument in restoring the lost back to Christ. Do you remember the story of Cain and Abel? In Genesis 4, knowing that Cain had killed his brother, God asked him, “Where is your brother?” And this is how Cain responded, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9). But what God wanted him to know was that he was his brother’s keeper. Then in the same way, remember that you are your brother’s and sister’s keeper – which is why we shouldn’t live only for our own spiritual well-being but for the spiritual well-being of others that God has placed in our lives as well. That’s what it means to be part of the Body of Christ. Then let me ask you, “Are you making intentional decisions to be in the lives of people that God has sovereignly placed in your pathway? Do you press beyond the casual so that you know their struggles, so that you can pray for them purposefully, so that you can help them pursue godliness in their lives? In fact, if you know anyone who has wandered from the truth, do you pray for them, do you reach out to them, do you show love to them, and do you desperately, humbly, earnestly plead with them to come back?” If not, maybe this is God’s invitation for you to do so. And you can start today. Give them a call. Get together with them. Let them know that you love them. Let them know that you miss them. Let’s work together to bring the lost back because this is the responsibility that God has given to all believers.
2) THE RESULT
What’s the result of bringing a wandering Christian back? Verse 20, “Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” What’s at stake here? Nothing less than life and death. The reason why people sin, the reason why people allow themselves to wander off is because they tell themselves that it’s something less than life and death. They say that it’s not that big of a deal, that it won’t hurt them, that they can handle it, that it’s just this once, and that it’s a temporary deviation. But James tells us that when someone wanders from the truth, they’re actually drifting towards something that’s extremely dangerous and destructive. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death.” Isn’t that scary? Wandering off may seem harmless, seem understandable at that moment, seem like they’re running toward happiness and life – but it’s actually leading them to death. Isn’t that what happened to Adam and Eve? When the serpent pointed to death and named it life, Adam and Eve believed and turned their backs on the Lord – and as a result, death entered the world. Brothers and sisters, we must remember that the stakes are high – their soul is on the line. Then what further incentive do we need to diligently pursue and do all we can to rescue a wanderer?
Now, let me address two questions that you may have after reading this verse. The first question – does this mean that Christians can lose their salvation? A simple answer is no. We believe in the doctrine of perseverance of the saints which basically says, “Once saved, always saved.” In other words, when we place our faith in Jesus Christ, our salvation is secure in Him. It’s impossible for us to lose our salvation not because of our own doing but because of God’s desire and power to preserve the believer to the end. Let me share a few passages on this. Romans 8:30, “And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.” In other words, every person who is born again, every person who is saved will be glorified – nobody drops out between justification and glorification. Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” And 1 Corinthians 1:8-9, “He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Both passages show us that God is the One who started the work and He’s going to be the One to finish the work. And if that wasn’t enough, Jesus said in John 10:27-29, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” So, as Christians, we know that our salvation is secure not because our grip on Christ is strong but because His grip on us is unbreakable. We can be confident of our salvation because He is holding onto us – and He will never let us go. Listen to the words from the hymn, He Will Hold Me Fast, “When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast. When the tempter would prevail, He will hold me fast. I could never keep my hold through life’s fearful path. For my love is often cold, He must hold me fast. He’ll not let my soul be lost, His Promises shall last. Bought by Him at such a cost, He will hold me fast. For my Savior loves me so, He will hold me fast.” Brothers and sisters, left to us, it’s impossible for us to persevere to the end. We press on only because He’s holding onto us. And He’s holding onto us because of His love for us. Remember that you are His delight.
Now, some of you may be wondering, “But what about those who were faithful but are nowhere to be found now? Doesn’t that mean that they’ve lost their salvation?” Not necessarily. First of all, we don’t know if they’re lost forever. It could be that God may bring them back later in their life – which is why we need to continue to go to the lost. But if they never come back, it just proves that they never had genuine faith to begin with. In talking about those who had walked away from God, 1 John 2:19 says, “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” In other words, the final proof of our salvation is not the profession of faith but the perseverance in faith. Remaining in Christ will show that we belong to Him.
The second question – how can we save people from death and cover over a multitude of sins? Isn’t the authority to save and forgive reserved only for God? Then how do we accomplish those things? Well, let me start by saying that being involved with God’s rescue mission doesn’t all of a sudden give us the power to save and forgive. We don’t have this kind of power and authority – but God does. When we bring someone back, we’re bringing them to the One who has the power and authority to rescue, restore, save, forgive, and heal. James is basically saying, “Of course, only God can do this – which is why He’s calling you to bring them back to Him. He’s sending His people with the gospel to pursue those who have wandered from the gospel so that they embrace the gospel again.” Yes, it’s not our job to save them from death and cover their sins – our job is simply to bring them back to the One who can. We’re just the extension of His grace and mercy. Then let’s go do just that. Let’s help people look to Christ again knowing that we will save them from death and cover a multitude of sins.
3) THE REASON
Why should we do this? Why should we engage in this mission? Of course, it’s because we love our brothers and sisters – and we want to see them in heaven with us. But more importantly, it’s because we’re the recipients of this rescue mission. The Bible tells us that God saved us from death by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place so that our sins would be covered by His blood. Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior, our true older Brother came to rescue us so that we can be brought back to God the Father. He died so that we can have life. He became sin so that we may be made righteous. He bore the punishment that we deserve so that we can go free. And now, He’s calling us to join Him in bringing others to experience the same joy that we have in Him. Then how can we not go since we have received so much? I’m not saying that we should do this out of guilt (almost as a way to pay Him back) but we do this out of gratitude, out of our love for the Savior. Brothers and sisters, we must remember that if we want to faithfully engage in this rescue mission, we must first immerse ourselves in the gospel because it will fuel us to go. Let’s be honest – going to the wanderer is not easy. It takes time, courage, and perseverance – which is why we need the gospel to be the power and motivation that propels us to go. Then with the gospel planted in our hearts, let’s go and bring our wandering friends back for His glory, for their salvation, and for our joy.
Then before we finish, let me address three groups that may be represented here today. First, let me speak to those who have wandered from the truth – or at least feeling the strong temptation to do so. Friends, let me remind you that a wandering heart will always remain an unsatisfied heart. Sin will not deliver as advertised. Yes, sin may initially appear to be attractive – and in fact, it might even offer you some degree of pleasure, but you must realize that it’s only a temporary pleasure, a superficial pleasure, a fleeting pleasure. It will always leave you empty, broken, and discontent. So, if you’ve wandered away from God, if you’ve drifted off from the gospel, come home through the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus loves you – and His blood will wash away a multitude of sins. So, come home. There’s always a way back home because of what Christ accomplished on the cross. Know that God has been waiting for you – wanting you to come back. How do I know this? Because you’re here – listening to this message.
Second, let me speak to the non-believers. Friends, God desires to rescue you from eternal judgment as well. He wants you to experience life, not death. Then I pray that you would recognize your need to be rescued – and that you would receive the gracious provision of God for your sins. The gospel tells us that Jesus Christ came and died in the place of sinners like us – satisfying the wrath of God against our sins so that our multitude of sins would be all covered and completely forgiven. Then my prayer for you is that you would cease your wandering and receive the grace of God in the Son of God who came into the world to seek and save the lost.
Lastly, let me speak to the Christians. Brothers and sisters, invite others to keep you accountable. You don’t have to wait until someone comes to you – participate in the life of the Body and let people into your life so that they may help you pursue godliness. My prayer for you is that you’ll find a loving and redemptive community to be part of.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, we are prone to wander, prone to leave the God we love – which is why we must remain in the gospel daily to remind ourselves that apart from Him there’s no good thing. And with this gospel in our hearts, we must go to rescue others who may have wandered from the truth because this is the responsibility that He has given to all believers. Then let us go humbly, deliberately, and earnestly to bring the lost back to Christ knowing that life is found in Him and Him alone.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) How are you doing in your relationship with God? Do you sense that you’re in any way drifting off? If so, how can your CG help you remain faithful to the Lord?
2) Why does God send us to bring the lost back? Why doesn’t He go Himself? Wouldn’t that be more effective?
3) Do you know someone who has wandered from the gospel truth? Is there someone in your life who is slipping away from their walk with God? What is something you can do to encourage them and bring them back to the Lord?
4) What is one thing that you’re taking away from the Book of James?