James 1:19-27
Notes
Transcript
Announcements
Announcements
Ok! Reliance small group is meeting again this week. See you on Wednesday @ 6:00-7:30 for our Midweek Gathering.
Review
Review
Last week we read James 1:12-18. We’ve seen a theme in James these last couple of weeks. What have we been talking about?
Trials
Purposes of Trials
Trials proving our faith
Wisdom to handle trials
Wealth and Poverty
The reward for trials (eternal life)
True nature of temptation
True nature of God as gift-giver
God’s sovereignty
We shouldn’t overemphasize God’s sovereignty so we fail to take responsibility for our own sin. We should be grateful that God provides trials for our growth and transformation. Trials are a gift!
Alright, before we get into this next section, let’s pray.
Pray
Pray
Prayer for trials we’re encountering. That we would remember they are gifts from God.
Prayer for one another. Help us to make new friendships and strengthen old friendships here.
Thank you for your faithfulness, Amen
Introduction
Introduction
We’re going to take this next section of James piece by piece but we will read James 1:19-27.
In this, James is showing that Christians should exhibit true religion by hearing and obeying God’s Word. James wants us to experience “spiritual wholeness” and reminds us that to live wholly before God means we must be obedient to his commands and live consistently by His Word.
Receive the Implanted Word
Receive the Implanted Word
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
If we look quickly back at v. 18 we read
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Since we are firstfruits of what’s to come in God’s new creation we should be a changed people.
The way we talk should change. We should be quick to listen, slow to anger and slow to anger.
Maybe not all anger is bad. After all, God gets angry. Even Ephesians 4:26 talks about anger.
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
It’s the “do not sin” that’s hard about being angry. Anger, in a sinful fallen person, is almost always tainted with sin.
We should recognize that we’re unable to transform ourselves. It’s God Word within us which saves us. We should humbly recognize that receiving God’s Word within us alone saves us, not our behavior, good or bad.
App: When you get angry, or even when there’s a circumstance in your life you don’t like, how do you respond? Is it quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, or is it just the opposite?
Be a Doer of the Word, not Just a Hearer
Be a Doer of the Word, not Just a Hearer
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.
While God’s Word is within us, it is also something outside of us. We look at it and read God’s Word and respond to it.
How we respond to it matters.
James uses an illustration to show what he means. To be a hearer, but not a doer is just like looking in a mirror, only to forget what you look like.
But to stare intently at the Word of God reveals who you are because he will be compelled to act upon it.
App: When we read the Word of God, we act on it. We don’t forget who we are because God knows us best. As Christians, God’s Word reminds us that we are called to do His Word not only hear it. Get in the Word!
The Nature of True Religion
The Nature of True Religion
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
We can think of ourselves as religious while being deceived. Sometimes we think of religion as a bad thing. It’s really not. It means “religious service.” We brush our teeth religiously but don’t see that as a bad thing. He’s talking about how if believe we’re doing God’s Word, but we really aren’t, then whatever it is we claim to be practicing is worthless. He mentions speech again as an example here.
If you haven’t visited an orphan or widow in the last month are you really a Christian?
I’m kidding. James points these out specifically to refer to people who are on the edge of society. They aren’t thought about much.
App: Does your faith and your work match up? Consider your speech. Outside of this room, does the way you speak to others show that you are a Christian? Who are people living in the margins that you can pursue? Lonely kids at the lunch table? Kids with special needs? Deaf?
Pray
Pray
Questions
Questions
What are some steps you can take to be a better “doer” of the Word?