Sermon Tone Analysis

Open your Bibles to James 1:22-25.

•This morning we come to a text that teaches us that our Faith consists in much more than mere hearing.

James 1:22 is probably the most famous verse in this short letter.

•It says, “But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Brothers and sisters, the Bible is different from other books.

•It’s different in that it is the very Word of God, inspired by Him, without error.

It is heavenly wisdom and Good News for sinners.

It proceeds from the mouth of God.

•Christ is found in it’s pages, and so, it gives life to those who receive by faith what is revealed.

But the Bible is different in another regard, too:

•Most books teach you things, but they don’t demand anything of you.

•A fiction book demands nothing from you.

A history book teaches you about the past, but demands nothing.

A cook book tells you how to cook, but does not command you to cook.

Science books teach about the natural world, but they demand nothing from you. 

•BUT THE BIBLE is the Law of the Lord.

The Bible is the Word of God.

And it demands things of you.

•It demands faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

Faith in the Good News that He saves sinners.

•It demands faith in God’s own self-revelation.

It demands agreement with what God has said about all things.

•And it demands ACTION as well.

It demands life change.

It demands obedience.

And why does the Bible make demands of us?

•Because it is the WORD OF GOD. 

•And God Almighty makes demands of His creatures.

•And, because He is God, these demands cannot be put aside without terrible results for those who ignore Him. 

•The Bible legitimately demands things of us because God legitimately demands things of His creatures.

But, brothers and sisters, how often, when when we hear the Word, do we say either aloud or in our hearts, “I know…”

•We hear what God commands us to believe or do and then we say, “I know…” and then there is a “but.”

Maybe it’s actually said.

Or maybe it’s unspoken.

But, either way, it’s still there in your heart.

•We often know what the Word says about how we are to live, what we are to be busy doing, how we are to think, what we are to do in the situation we find ourselves in, or how we are to navigate the daily difficulties of life.

•We often “know.”

We’ve heard the Word.

We’ve read the Word.

We’ve heard it preached.

We “know.”

•So here is the question for every single one of us: If you “know,” then why don’t you do it?

There is so much that we know and understand in the Bible, but we simply don’t do it.

•We hear the Word.

But we don’t do the Word.

•Reality Check: Have you committed yourself more to prayer since last week’s sermon?

(If you hadn’t formerly, that is.)

Or are you still carrying around your worries?

•One man said quite well, “It’s not the parts of Scripture that I can’t understand that bother me.

It’s the parts I do understand.”

Brothers and sisters, we must do what we know.

That’s the point of our text this morning.

•We must hear the Word.

And then we must do it.

•I submit to you that it’s better to know less but believe and obey what you know, than it is to heap up knowledge that goes unpracticed and unapplied and is essentially useless.

Hear me: ALL that we learn and understand from the study of God’s Word is meant to bring about CHANGE in our hearts and lives.

•Don’t ever forget that.

•Our religion is intellectual, yes.

But it is NEVER merely intellectual.

That’s a worldly thought.

God did not give us His Word for mere mental stimulation.

•This text in James reminds us that our faith is always meant to lead to action.

Our hearing the Word must result in our obeying it.

But before we go any further, let me be clear:

•I don’t believe that this is a huge problem in our church right now. 

•I don’t believe that I’m pastoring a group of people who don’t give a rip about obeying the Word.

I see continual growth in many of you.

I see a desire to obey and honor the Lord in you.

•But I do know human nature well enough to say that this is a general problem for Christians at different times in our lives.

•And I know that it has been a problem in this church in years past.

And I don’t want us to ever go back to it.

•So, as Peter says in 2 Peter 1:13, “I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder.”

So this sermon is not meant to be a rebuke to this entire congregation.

•Maybe it will be for some of you.

That’s the Lord’s business between you and Him. 

•But my intention is for this sermon to be a REMINDER for us to have a continual aim at hearing the Word and then DOING what God has said.

•And may the Lord bless us this morning and encourage us to continue in the way that w’ve been going, but with more zeal and focus on glorifying Him in our lives.

Now, if you would and are able, please stand with me for the reading of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God. 

James 1:22-25

[22] But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

[23] For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.

[24] For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.

[25] But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

(PRAY)

Our Heavenly Father, 

We thank you for your Word.

As our Lord Jesus said, your Word is truth itself.

We humbly sit at the feet of your Book this morning and await your instruction.

We ask that you would make us teachable today.

By your Holy Spirit soften our hearts and grant us faith to receive the Word.

Speak to us, and grant that we would take in what you have said, digest it, meditate upon it, love it, glory in the truth, and then walk according to the light you’ve given.

We want to glorify you as we obey you through faith in Christ.

So, please, work that in us today.

Glorify yourself in us.

We ask these things in Jesus’ Name and for His sake.

Amen.

1.)

Before we begin our study of these verses, I’d like make a brief clarification about something of central importance to our Faith.

•This morning, I will be talking an awful lot about DOING.

An awful lot about obedience to God. 

•I’ll be talking about our WORKS and the necessity of Christians doing good works and obeying God.