Walking through James (4)
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Listening and Doing
Listening and Doing
I’m glad that you’re here tonight. I’m thankful that God is working in you.
Tonight, there is a lot in our Scripture.
Our focus tonight on is not only hearing what God’s word says, but actually doing what it says.
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Today, I want to start with a story, I can’t confirm that it’s true, but it’s definitely possible. It comes from Sermon Central.
It’s called,
ANGER ON THE GOLF COURSE
There were times when golf course etiquette was completely traded in for the ever popular "lose control and act like a madman" routine. There's something intriguing about watching a full grown man crumble to pieces over a tiny ball that's 1½ inches in diameter. I've seen guys throw their club farther than they hit their ball out of sheer frustration and anger. I've seen them break their club over their knee. I've even seen people get so angry that they thrown their golf bag (clubs and all) into the nearest water hazard they can find.
This reminds me of a story of a group of golfers watching a fellow who was having some difficulty on this particular course. The frustration became too much by the 13th hole as this poor guy placed shot after shot into the pond that lay between him and the green that, finally in exasperation, he picked up his golf bag, spun around like a discus thrower, heaved the whole thing into the middle of the lake, and stormed off the course, apparently forever.
Moments later, however, he returned, and in complete embarrassment waded into the pond. He had 'come to his senses.' He fished out the dripping bag, unzipped a pocket on the side, took out his car keys, and flung the bag once again, this time even further than before. Then he went home.
Anger can make us do some of them most stupid things.
James gives us some really good advice about how we are called to live.
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
James has three things for us to take note of:
. We need to be quick to listen.
Listening has more to it than just hearing, listening has to do with putting what we hear into practice.
Slow to speak.
Slow to become angry.
Maybe you’ve heard or even said the words, “I wish that I would have thought before I spoke.”
This is even something that becomes true if we lose our cool. If we lose our temper, it becomes hard to think clearly, and even much less listen.
Our anger doesn’t produce the fruit in us that God wants us to become.
In Ephesians 4, Paul about anger and the fruit that it produces, and then He encourages us how we should live.
Let’s read,
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
and do not give the devil a foothold.
Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children
and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
As we continue to read in James, he compares our lives to a mirror.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror
and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Each of us have the ability to read the Bible or to hear God’s word. If we hear what God’s word says, but do nothing about it, we are no better than somebody that gets up, and shakes themself off, and sees that they need to do something to clean up, but just walk away and don’t even worry about it.
Everybody can see last night’s ketchup on our face. They can see our uncombed hair. They can see that we didn’t even take time to even look or care to be presentable.
Spiritually, when we hear what God’s word is saying and we don’t respond to the nudge of the Holy Spirit, we miss out on the freedom in Christ that we are looking for.
There may we areas in our lives, that we have felt that we need to do something about, and when we pay attention to what Holy spirit is saying, He can change us and make us into the people that God wants us to be.
I think that if I were to ask any of you if you would like to be blessed, you’d say definitely.
According to James here are some things that we can do.
But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Let’s take time every day to get into the Bible.
You might not like reading. That’s ok. There are apps that you can get and you can listen to God’s word.
The YouVersion is a good Bible. You can get many translations. We will grow if we hear and apply God’s word to our lives.
James closes this section with
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
There are three things that God considers important, once we have a relationship with Christ.
Our tongues...
Our speech often follows our temper. We say things that we don’t think that we mean.
Our words are powerful. They have power to give life, but hurtful words can also bring death. We’ll look at this more once we get to James 3.
How we treat those who are less fortunate than ourselves.
This morning, I saw what God can do in somebody’s life. Last year, we worked with Gordie, and God did amazing things in his life.
Is there somebody that you know that you can be the hands and feet of Jesus to?
keeping ourselves from being contaminated by the world.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Brothers and sisters, friends, as we surrender our lives to Christ.
As we give our lives as a living sacrifice to God, He can do the impossible,
He can give us the power to live victorious lives, and you will be an overcomer.
It’s not just the hearing, it’s the doing. Doing doesn’t get you to heaven, believing does. We do good works because God has done a work in us.
To close,
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
not by works, so that no one can boast.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Let’s pray!