Double Minded

A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick

Long before Paul ever wrote his letters to churches, and to Pastors Titus and Timothy, James, the half brother of Jesus wrote a letter. He was the leader of the church in Jerusalem, and his Epistle was widely distributed among the Jewish/Christian churches approximately 20 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. If Paul is the Apostle of Faith, James is the Apostle of Practice. If Paul wants us to know that salvation is provided for those who simply believe, James wants us to know that this in no way gives us freedom from the demands of right living. Here's how he opens his letter: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." (James 1:2-8) If you remember, in the warning given to Timothy, the Apostle Paul chronicled a lengthy list of evils that will dominate the "last days." We focused on those evils which represent loves which replace love for God: self-love, money-love and pleasure-love. Of course the list includes a number of other sins, ranging from abuse to ungratefulness, but at the very end is an almost alarming statement; Paul instructs Timothy to "Have nothing to do with" those who are involved in such things. "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them." (II Timothy 3:1-5) Throughout the long history of Christianity, repeated, and ultimately unsuccessful efforts have been made to fulfill this "avoid them" command by establishing closed, utopian societies. Groups of people under sincere (or not so sincere) religious leaders have vowed to sanction or bar from their communities anything or anybody who did not represent and maintain the defined standards of good living. In fact, in the US, there have been hundreds of these communal utopian experiments - the Shakers alone founded around 20 settlements. There were also the Rappites, the Perfectionists, the experiment at Brook Farm and the Amana Colony of the Inspirationists. One of the earliest was the Ephrata Community established in 1732 in Pennsylvania. Then came the "Rappites" who were followers of Johann Georg Rapp who founded "The Harmony Society" in Butler County, PA - they held that the Bible was humanity's sole authority. The followers of another religious leader, John Humphreys Noyes (born in 1811) were called "Perfectionists" and founded a utopian community in Oneida, NY - they practiced "complex marriage" - the members considered themselves to be married to the group, not a single partner. There were the Zoarites in Ohio, the Moravians of North Carolina, and the followers of German-born Methodist minister, Wilhelm Keil, who founded colonies in Bethel, Missouri, and Aurora, Oregon. Another utopian group called the Amana Inspirationists developed and built a network of seven villages. Early in 1900, in Zion, Illinois, Pastor John Alexander Dowie established a city which was to be communitarian and theocratic, a place of Christian cooperation, racial harmony, and strict fundamentalist morals. Even Walt Disney got in on this idea of creating a dream community. It didn't come to pass until after his death, but today, in the Disney non-incorporated town called "Celebration" in central Florida, in a former alligator swamp, an experiment in New Urbanism is unfolding where, in the spirit of neighborliness, Celebration residents gather at front porches, park benches, recreational areas, and downtown events to "celebrate" a place they call home. By their own admission, theirs is a community built on a foundation of five cornerstones: Community, Education, Health, Technology, and a Sense of Place. In order to recapture a cloudy memory of a pre-war small town, the planners tried to think of everything, including the creation of snow - during the Christmas season it "snows" on Market Street as bubbly foam is blown from machines fastened onto the lampposts. There's also a water tower that dispenses no water, and a 70-foot observation tower that can't be climbed. What's also interesting is that when Disney planners stocked their brand new small town with all the traditional amenities, they left out a cemetery - after all, no one should ever die in a perfect town! This is an ideal town where among other things, residents must keep their lawns mowed, and are not allowed to park boats or RVs in streets or driveways. The vision is for twenty thousand residents sitting on their front porches and rocking. A Pattern Book holds houses rigidly to six antique styles, with approved paint color and adornments. A white plastic fence marks the town border. However, residents of this Magic Kingdom City are learning that the peace and harmony go only skin deep. Two years ago, a Sussex county family, enamored by all that Disney represents, sold out and moved to the alleged perfect city, Celebration. Now they're talking to their friends back home and admitting that, like every other city, Celebration has its ugly underside. Actually, this kind of communalism is contrary to the teaching of both Jesus and Paul. Jesus specifically prayed that His followers would not be taken out of the world. Paul, in an early letter to the church of Corinth, wrote, "I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people -- not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat." (I Corinthians 5:9-11) So when Paul, in his last preserved letter, II Timothy, writes, "Have nothing to do with them," he obviously doesn't mean that Christians should avoid all contact with unrighteous people. Rather, he's fingering those who are posing as the religious righteous - many scholars believe these imposters have taken on positions of leadership; in Paul's words, they are people who "have a form of godliness but deny its power." I'm sure you too have noticed it; religion is often in the news. For example, just this week: A man believed to be a devoted husband and father massacred 10 girls in a one-room schoolhouse in Pennsylvania. In part, the man blamed God because nine years ago his firstborn girl was born prematurely and lived only 20 minutes. Obviously this man had misplaced anger, but what bothers me more are accounts such as these: A prominent congressman publicly announced that at age 12 he was molested by a clergyman, although the congressman also wanted everyone to know that that fact should not excuse him for writing lurid emails to an under-age page serving on Capitol Hill. Not too long ago, another very prominent political leader was indicted on money-laundering charges related to allegations which charged that he and his associates steered $190,000 in corporate donations to state legislative candidates and disguised the source by sending the money through national campaign committees. When this proclaiming Christian was booked and fingerprinted, he flashed a broad smile as he silently prayed, "Let people see Christ through me." When this politician was asked if he had done anything illegal or unethical in public office, he flatly answered, "No." Asked if he'd done anything immoral, he said with a laugh, "We're all sinners." Asked what he would do differently, he said, "Nothing. . . I guarantee you if other offices were under the scrutiny I've been under in the last 10 years . . . you're going to find, out of hundreds of people, somebody that's probably done something wrong." (TIME, Monday, Apr. 03, 2006) It sounds to me that out of one side of his mouth, he was claiming to be a "sinner" who didn't "sin," and out of the other side of his mouth, he was excusing his behavior because, after all, certainly others were guilty too! The pastor of a Missionary Baptist Church was accused of forging members' names onto three of the church's benevolent fund checks - he could face one to 10 years in a prison if convicted. In discussion with my daughter and her husband, I learned that my son-in-law's employer has commented that he probably shouldn't take on any more jobs with members of the church they attend. He explained that the Christians are the worst customers to deal with, they often use fowl language, seem to expect free services, and often end up cheating him by not paying what they owe. Another young man of my acquaintance, who claims to be a Pentecostal Christian, was found to be telling lies frequently and probably engaging in homosexual activity. What's wrong with these pictures? Professing Christian men who clearly are not living up to their professed identity. The Bible has a name for this kind of person, a name tucked away in the Scripture we read a few minutes ago. The word is "dipsuchos," a combination of the words for "two" (di) and "soul" (psuchos), and is translated "double minded" (James 1:8). We understand the suffix "di" as it is also found in such words as: "ditheism," the belief in two gods, "dioxide," an oxide having two atoms of oxygen in its molecule, and "dilemma" which refers to a situation when there are two equally valid alternatives - thus the expression "horns of a dilemma." The second part of the word is also well known as it's found in words such as psychology, psychic and psychotherapy. However, using this word "double-minded" is not to suggest that there are two minds; this is not dual personality or schizophrenia, but rather indicates that the mind is divided. Notice that the word "divide" also has the suffix "di". As a noun, a "divide" is a watershed, an elevation between two areas of drainage, and in the English Parliament, they call their vote a "divide," that is, a separation between two positions - the yeas and the nays. There are other words we use to express this idea of double-mindedness. We might accuse someone of being two-faced, call them hypocritical or insincere, or say they have mixed motives, or that they speak with "forked tongue." When you think of it, double-mindedness is the very opposite of integrity. Just look at that word - an "integer" is a complete entity, a whole number, not a fraction. There's an ancient Latin expression using this word - "Blameless of life (integer vitae) and free from guilt." According to James, the chief characteristic of a double minded man is instability; he says, "a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways" (KJV) What does it mean to be unstable? Actually, this word is a simple negative of a verb meaning "to place down permanently." An unstable man is someone who is undependable, unreliable, lacks personal conviction, is easily manipulated and influenced by others - in short, he is like a leaf flitting in the wind. This is certainly what the Psalmist had in mind when, in the first Psalm he identifies the "blessed man": "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away." (Psalm 1:3,4) See the contrast? On the one hand, there's a strong fruit-bearing tree receiving constant underground nourishment, and on the other hand, a leaf blowing in the wind. Which would we rather be? Many years later, the Prophet Jeremiah used the same imagery as the Psalmist when he wrote: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." (Jeremiah 17:5-10) Jeremiah plainly tells us that a heart turned away from God will bring a curse, but on the other hand, a blessed man is one who trusts in the Lord. For this man there is no fear or worry, there is perpetual green (life and vitality), and this man is always fruitful. Why can't we trust in man? Because as men, we do not know our own hearts, they are deceitful and hopeless - they can be divided and we don't even know it. Thankfully God knows, and that's why we put our trust in Him. Going back to James, if instability is the problem, what is the remedy? In short, he calls for believing prayer for wisdom during times of testing - coupled with one of a number of responses - joy and perseverance. In Psalm 1, another answer is given - meditation on the word. It may sound to simplistic, but nonetheless true. Those who are faithful in their prayer life and who spend time meditating on God's word, will become stable, and avoid becoming like the double minded man. You see, our message is not about avoiding those who are evil, it's about saying, "don't be like that!" We must make every possible effort to avoid becoming like that, avoid coming under their influence Let's put it real straight - you are a double minded man or woman if you: come to church and sing praises to God, but at work you use foul language say that you love your wife and your kids, and then get mad, yell at them, and inflict verbal and emotional abuse come to the altar and present your body as a living sacrifice, and then knowingly pollute that same body with alcohol, tobacco and drugs tell family members you're going to church to worship the Lord, and then, instead of joining in the song, you spend most of the time in church talking with friends tell your friends you're a Christian, and then send an IM saying that one of their friends is a "fag" pray that God will purify your thoughts, and then feast your eyes on pornographic images tell co-workers that you're a Christian, and then cheat the company you work for by fudging your time card, walking out with company supplies, or use the company telephone and computer for personal use without having been given permission tell fellow-students in school that you're a Christian, and then cheat on homework or tests by exchanging answers via text messenging say that everything you own belongs to God, and then do not return to Him the tenth of your income condemn public officials and media celebrities for their sexual promiscuity, and then flirt with the attractive man or woman you work next to paste a "Jesus" sticker on your bumper, and then give a finger to the person who cuts in front of you tell friends you go to church, and then join in the laughter when off-color jokes are being told fill out your income tax form claiming a deduction for gifts to the church, but pad the numbers because you also want credit for all the time you volunteer for the church If James calls such people "double-minded," Paul says that such people have a "form of godliness, but deny the power." What is the power that is being denied? What is it that we are saying, "I don't want it"? It is not the power to perform miracles or heal people, it is not the power to control people in order to get them to work towards your goals, it is not the power to enable us to work hard and prosper - none of these. It is the power for righteous living, it represents a total internal change. When I was a child, I remember an analogy my own Pastor used often. He would say, You can take a pig, clean it up all you want, but the fact remains, it's still a pig - let it out in the barn yard, and before you know it, the pig will be back rolling in the mud, because it's still a pig and that's what pigs do. Today we say it a little differently, it doesn't do any good to put lipstick on a pig. In the language of the theologians, what is called for is "sanctification" - the process of inner cleansing. In fact that's why Jesus said, "You must be born again." Let's come to God today, and in the words of the contemporary song, pray with full sincerity, "Make me over again." You know my other side I can no longer hide Let you down so many times sin freshly crucifies Thought that I had a plan had it all figured out But the more that you tried to be by my side The more I pushed you out Lord make me over; Make me over again. Time after time I failed you Pierced your side when they already nailed you Jesus heal my open wound I just want to be more like you Father I let you down What's not like you just take it out Reconcile me Jesus I just want to please you Wash me and make me whole ("Lord make me over again" by Tonex) On Thursday Evening, January, 11th, 1866, the preeminent preacher Charles Spurgeon gave an exposition on Psalm 51. He started his sermon by telling the story "of a little book which an old divine used constantly to study, and when his friends wondered what there was in the book, he told them that he hoped they would all know and understand it, but that there was not single word in it. When they looked at it, they found that it consisted of only three leaves; the first was black, the second was red, and the third was pure white. The old minister used to gaze upon the black leaf to remind himself of his sinful state by nature, upon the red leaf to call to his remembrance the precious blood of Christ, and upon the white leaf to picture to him the perfect righteousness which God has given to believers through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ his Son." When Spurgeon reached verse 10, he uttered this prayer, a prayer that should be ours: "Make me over again; let the image of God in man be renewed in me. Nay, not the image only, but renew the very Spirit of God within me." (http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/3278.htm) Discussion Questions Double Minded 1. What do we know about the identity of the man who wrote the New Testament Book of James, and how do his writings balance those of Paul? 2. Who were the first recipients of the epistle of James? 3. What is the biblical attitude about "utopian societies," and why do these experiments always fail? 4. When Paul told his son-in-the-faith Timothy "Have nothing to do with them," to whom was he referring? 5. What are some of the valid reasons religion often gets bad press? 6. The Greek word translated "double minded" is made up of what two words? 7. According to James, what is the chief characteristic of a double-minded man? 8. What image of stability is given to us by both Psalms 1 and Jeremiah? 9. In Jeremiah 17 we are plainly told not to trust in man. Why? 10. Combining the advice of James and the Psalmist, what are the two main remedies for instability and double mindedness? 11. What are some of the ways religious people exhibit their double-mindedness? 12. In Paul's statement about some people "having form of godliness, but denying the power," what is the power that is being denied? 13. What barnyard analogy is applied to people who talk the Christian talk but who don't walk the Christian walk? 14. How does the Biblical expression "born again" relate to the contemporary phrase, "make over'? - - Return to Top of this Page - Email a link to this page - Go To Next Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick - Back To Sermons Page or to the Sermons Alphabetical List - - Download This Sermon - - Download a Power Point Presentation for This Sermon - - If you have enjoyed joyfulministry.com, you may send a referral letter - Click Here, and enter email addresses of your friends. This Page's Title Is: Your Name Is: Your Email Address Is: Your State and Country: Please identify your vocation: Senior Pastor. Associate Pastor. Youth Pastor. Lay Minister. Church Member. 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