#9 (The 12 Disciples
Series)
“JAMES THE LESS (YOUNGER) – AN ORDINARY GUY!”
TEXT: Mark
l5:4O-16:3; Matt. 20:20-28;
25:31-40
INTRO: Oh how we all want to be
special, popular, or famous! It was
no different with most of Jesus' disciples! James and John wanted to have the right
and left seats next to Jesus when He ruled the world ... Peter was always up
front grabbing attention about how strong his commitment was, Simon the Zealot
wanted to conquer Rome and free the nation – to be a hero. Matthew while he was a tax collector
wanted riches and fame from Rome.
One guy however was content to just be the "ORDINARY" guy in the group,
his name was JAMES THE LESS or JAMES THE YOUNGER. He was called the younger or “less”
because he was Matthew's younger brother.
Tradition says he too was a tax collector before becoming a disciple, but
evidently not as famous or cutthroat as his older brother
Matthew.
Most of us dream of being
something greater than just ordinary, and there will probably be a few times in
your life when you will attract greater attention, but most of life will likely
be filled with boring ordinary days.
While we may have a
tendency to look down upon this ordinary life of ours, it is here that much of
the good of our lives actually develops.
These “ordinary” times are just as valuable as the greater moments even
if others don't think so!
ILLUS: The great
composer Irving Berlin wrote some of the greatest songs known to man, i.e. "God Bless
PROP.
SENT: God's Word teaches
us that He takes great delight in the “ordinary” disciple; it is not fame God
looks for in us as much as it is faithfulness! Some of the most reliable and stable
followers are quite ordinary!
I. THE UNSUNG SERVANT! Mark
15:40-16:3
A. Invisible!
15:40
1. “James
the younger,” what does the Bible tell us about this guy? –
NOTHING!
a. There are no stories about
him!
b. Nothing bad is recorded about him
anywhere!
c. He seems to be ignored in the Bible
except to remind us from time to time that he was with Jesus and that he served
faithfully by virtue of being one of the apostles. He was in the upper room and filled with
the Spirit, he saw Jesus after the resurrection,
etc.
2. Matthew his older brother seems to
have overshadowed him, that's why he is called the
“younger.”
3. He was practically invisible in
history, but he was always faithful to serve or the Bible would have recorded
his fall as it did the others when they fell.
a. So many of God’s consistent
servants are like this, quietly living out their lives in obedience to God’s
Word, never grabbing the attention or headlining, just being faithful day by
day.
b. Their names may never go down in
the annals of history, but they are written in the book of
life!
4. Many times these ordinary believers
minister without notice by others, how anemic the church would be if it only had
the services of its leaders and those who are always out front and not the men
and women like “James the less” who are the faithful servants behind the scenes
faithfully serving though not always noticed.
ILLUS: Like
Booker T. Washington, in his autobiography "UP FROM SLAVERY" he writes how the
hardest thing he endured as a slave was the flax shirts they were given to work
in. These cheap shirts would cut
the skin open and chafe so bad as to create sores. Only after these shirts were worn for
some time did they become comfortable.
His older brother who never achieved fame like he did however used to
take the new shirts and wear them until they were broken in so that Booker
didn't have to suffer the cutting and pin prick like feeling of the shirts ...
he just did this for the love of his brother! – Source Unknown
B. Influence! 15:40-16:3
1. Where did James acquire the
GIFT TO BE ORDINARY!? The influence probably came from his
mother.
a. His mother is mentioned several
times, usually with Mary the mother of Jesus.
b. Here she is mentioned as one of the
women who followed Jesus and cared for Jesus' needs, the practical and ordinary
stuff!
c. In other words, his mom was a model
of being ordinary and extremely practical – and
faithful.
d. These women were evidently women of
means, if Matthew his older brother and he had been tax collectors it is quite
possible their father had been one too and so they had become a wealthy
family. Now that wealth was turned
to serving Christ in down to earth practical ways, the family went from social
standing among the rich to becoming ordinary servants to
Jesus.
2. James' mom was also there the day
of Jesus resurrection to help anoint Jesus' body for what she thought would be a
permanent burial. 16:1-3
a. His mom's concerns here are again
eminently practical, not to become famous!
b. His mother was a model of behind
the scenes ministry, of just being an ordinary
servant with an extraordinary
commitment!
3. No doubt mom had set the focus for
this family, she had taught her boys to focus on the really important stuff, the
common ordinary touch.
a. Where our focus is directed is
usually where we will end up!
b. If you focus on being some great
person you will never get down to the business of serving faithfully day by day,
you’ll always be looking for the moment when you can do something so great that
everyone will take notice!
c. Where is your
focus?
ILLUS: The
“flying Wallendas” was one of the greatest tight rope walkers in history. The father Karl fell to his death several
years ago while attempting to cross between two buildings in Puerto Rico without
using a safety net. His wife
explained to the press how just before this walk he had done something he had
never done before, she said, “Karl never focused on falling before, he was too
busy thinking about walking, but this time he spent the night before restless
and focusing on falling, for the first time in his life he supervised the
placing of guidelines and talked about falling, I think his focus on falling set
the stage for his fall!” How
important it is where our focus is centered! – Source Unknown
II. THE UNRECOGNIZED SERVICE! Matt. 20:20-28
A. Impeccable!
1. It is not a stretch of imagination
to guess that “James the younger’s” record of service was impeccable; otherwise
surely the Bible would have recorded his errors as indeed it did with almost
every other disciple who failed.
a. The lack of information may be an
indication that there was nothing to report that was unusual, neither something
great nor bad – just ordinary faithful walking; being consistent in his level of
service.
b. James was the kind of disciple that
simply served as he was expected to serve, he didn’t assume others would take
care of the need if he didn’t do it, like his mom he probably looked for what
needed to be done and then just did it.
2. How unlike service sometimes today
in God’s kingdom where others assume someone somewhere will somehow take care of
serving where the needs are.
ILLUS: Remember
3-Mile Island, the near melt down of a nuclear power plant and the possible
contamination of a large area here in the United States. It really wasn't as much of an
"accident" as many think, many people working that day had seen the dials
reporting unusual activity at the plant, that there were several problems
growing throughout the day.
However, no one did anything to correct the mounting problem because each
person who noticed the dials automatically assumed someone was taking care of
it, or would! The worst nuclear
accident on our shores almost happened because nobody took responsibility to
check on things, they all assumed somebody else would do this! – Source Unknown
3. This quiet behind the scenes
Apostle served faithfully though in ordinary ways most of the time ... he never
reached FAME, but boy he should reached
FAITHFULNESS!
B. Immense! Matt.
20:20-28
1. In his brother Matthew's Gospel it
is recorded that “he that wishes to be GREATEST should become
LEAST” or a SLAVE to others, James was good at being the
"LESS!"
a. Jesus' model was the servant,
greatness in the Kingdom is not equated with greatness in the eyes of this
world, or even the eyes of the church today – unless of course the church
understands the biblical definition of
greatness!
b. While James has nothing recorded
for us to read about, his contributions to the
2. While we don't know his specific
deeds, we know his name will be written on the
foundation stones in heaven!
a. We can't point out a single event
he did, but his life is a testimony of great service, tradition says he died by
stoning, preaching Jesus as Lord!
b. Great names will come and go in
history but their example and work live on.
ILLUS: Like the
great Lincoln Cathedral, a presenter was sharing with someone one day the beauty
of the two great towers that adorn the west front part of that edifice, he
pointed out the great detail and beauty of design and complexity of the work and
then added as a matter of fact, "but we
don't know who even built them."
The artist was unknown, yet the work remained for all to marvel
at! – Source Unknown
III. THE UNEQUALED SATISFACTION! Matt.
25:31-40
A. Inheritance 25:31-34
1. What is the reward of the ordinary
faithful servant of God?
a. His brother Matthew’s book records
Jesus as saying: "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your
inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the
world!" 25:34
Heaven is the promise for the faithful and eternal life with
Christ!
b. Knowing this future joy and victory
can have great impact on our faithfulness day by day, even when bad things
happen we can be unshaken knowing what's
coming.
ILLUS: Like the
guy who lives in
2. When we know the future the present
circumstances cannot shake us, so be faithful no matter
what!
B. Impressive! 25:35-40
1. What kind of service impresses
Jesus? Look what is listed here in
this same text:
a. “I was hungry,
and you gave me something to eat…”
b. “I was thirsty,
and you gave me a drink…”
c. “I was a stranger
and you took me in...”
d. “I was in need of
clothes and you clothed me.”
e. “I was sick and
you looked after me...”
f. “I was in prison,
and you came to visit me.”
2. How "UNGLORIOUS" these ministries
are! This is not the stuff of fame
and greatness! These are the needs
of ordinary people!
a. Jesus' point must not be missed,
ordinary stuff is the service God is looking for, the mundane needs of others
and our faithfulness to serve in these ways!
b. This was the man we know as James
the younger or “Less!”
3. He is not impressive for any great
event recorded in the Bible, but he is listed as an Apostle who served without
incident until his death!
a. This ordinary disciple is really
one of the most impressive of the group!
b. In spite of his youth and
inexperience he was faithful to serve
continuously.
c. In spite of not having a great
story to tell of something big he did he is simply a great example of the bulk
of those who will serve the Lord generation after
generation!
d. Nothing negative at all about
him, just
ordinary
greatness! Don't lose heart saint if you never
become famous or great in other peoples’ eyes even though you serve faithfully,
someday your name and service will be proclaimed by Jesus before the entire
world! Be patient and keep serving till the end of
time!
ILLUS: Henry
Morrison, after serving 40 years on the African mission field was heading home
by boat. On that same boat rode
Theodore Roosevelt. Morrison felt
really dejected when the boat pulled into New York harbor and people started
yelling for the famous Roosevelt.
No one was there to greet him or applaud his 40 years of faithful service
in Africa; he was a “nobody” – without recognition! He thought that after 40 years somebody
surely should have acknowledged his homecoming and work! Then he heard the still
small voice of the Holy Spirit say to his dejected heart, "Henry, you're not home yet!" His impressive service will be
acknowledged when he truly gets home, even if nobody here ever notices
it! – Source Unknown
CONCLUSION: The greatest work of God's kingdom is done by
ordinary unknown believers! While the
world is unaware of their names it will not be unmoved by their
service! God will honor not our fame but our
fidelity! Faithful common service
is the foundation of a healthy church and ministry even if you never become
famous! Being “ordinary” is okay
and is the hallmark of greatness in God’s
eyes!