Quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath

Good morning and welcome to Community Christian Church. We are so happy to have each of you here with us in person and also want to welcome in those watching at home via our live stream. If you live in or around the Nevada area we would love to worship with you in person....I am praying that one day soon that will happen.

I do want to ask you to continue to pray for the shooting that happened in KC on Wednesday. Pray for the survivors and the families of the hurting and dead. Also pray for the young people who carried out the shooting and their families. Evil no longer hides folks…pray pray pray and pray some more.

Let’s Pray

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Today is week 4 of our James: A Christian’s Guide to Living From Jesus and if you would turn in your Bibles or your device to

James 1:19–21

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“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

Now I actually intended on trying to cover the rest of the chapter but God said no way.....there is way too much to try and cover that in one message so here we are

There is a lot going on here and I will try to do my best to break it down this morning. I pray your heart is ready to receive the Word and open to the Holy Spirit teaching you and applying this Word to your life.

1. Swift to hear vs 19

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You should listen much more than you speak. I did a very quick internet search and found the average adult speaks anywhere between 6000 and 16000 words per day

Females average a little more and males average a little less

Let’s shoot to the middle and say 11000 words per day that equals 458 words per hour

Do you truly listen to more than 458 words per hour or truly listen to more than 11000 words per day?

Listening is so hard.

There has been lots of research into listening and it shows it is hard

It takes total concentration and engagement to truly listen to someone

Listening does take some talking for sure…asking clarifying questions or restating to ensure you are understanding correctly

When it comes to listening so many have the incorrect mindset of listening in order to speak

Listening to be heard

Truly being heard is very important to people

People get very upset and feel completely unvalued and unloved when they are not heard

The opposite is also true....when someone is heard they feel empowered, important, and most importantly valued and loved

Think about your own life and your own interactions and conversations

You feel better after you truly feel you have been heard and valued and loved

Listening to others is so important and shows people Jesus but more importantly than being quick to listen to others you must be quick to listen to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and scripture

Proverbs 19:27

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“Cease, my son, to hear the instruction That causeth to err from the words of knowledge.”

Proverbs 18:2

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“A fool hath no delight in understanding, But that his heart may discover itself.”

Proverbs 10:17

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“He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: But he that refuseth reproof erreth.”

Romans 10:17

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“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

I wanted to read you those scriptures so you would hear how important hearing really is to God and how important hearing God should be to you

What does your prayer life look like?

Is it more hearing than talking or more talking than hearing?

Swift to listen

2. Slow to Speak vs 19

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Not only do we miss the opportunity to gain knowledge and instruction when we are quick to speak but we go beyond that

Proverbs 10:19

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“In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: But he that refraineth his lips is wise.”

Wanteth means be lacking

In a lot of words there is no lacking sin

The more you speak the higher chances you will sin!

James 3:2

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“For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”

The more you talk the higher the chances you offend someone

Christians are called to unity

Christians are called to be peacemakers

Christians are called to die to self and love your neighbor and put them and their needs and wants first

Christians are not called to offend

Now don’t get me wrong

Right now there is a “christian” movement telling us Jesus gets us

However they don’t get Jesus

Not the true Jesus

Many use this verse to say....if truth offends someone I should just be quiet instead of speak truth

Wrong

I got news for you....God doesn’t need you to soften or harden His Word and His Gospel

Speak the truth in grace and mercy and love but speak the truth

If the Gospel offends someone that has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them and God

You and I are to discern movements and we are to search the scriptures for truth in regards to what people are selling as biblical

I don’t care how much money they have and spend on commercials and t-shirts and internet

I don’t care what concerts and Christian artists they support

No where in the Bible will you find Jesus condoning sin

No where in the Bible will you find Jesus accepting sinful lifestyles

Jesus loves everyone....there is no one who has lived is living or will live that Jesus doesn't love deeply

Jesus loves criminals

Jesus loves those getting abortions and those giving abortions

Jesus loves drug addicts

Jesus loves homosexuals

Jesus loves transgender and gender confused people

Jesus love satanists

HOWEVER

Jesus refuses to condone or accept their sin but He loves them enough that He died on the cross for that sin

That is the truth and if that truth offends someone that is between them and God and if someone claims Jesus is okay with sin because of love they don’t know Jesus and you need to pray for them and run from that message

In John 4 we see the woman at the well and her interaction with Jesus....let’s look at it

John 4:1–26

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King James Version Chapter 4

When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) 3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. 4 And he must needs go through Samaria. 5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. 7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

Many groups, those pushing a Jesus is love message stop at vs 15 but not Jesus

Jesus addresses her adultery

Jesus addresses her fornication

Jesus addresses her sin

Jesus spoke Truth to her

Jesus gave her the Gospel

Jesus even told her He was the Messiah

Jesus loved her but He did not condone her sin

NO because He loved her He spoke Truth

In John 5 we see the healing of a man by a pool and then Jesus sees him again at the temple and says “go and sin no more”

Jesus addresses sin

Jesus refuses to condone or accept sin

Again I say all of that to say this If the Gospel offends.....if Jesus offends....if God offends..that is not your responsibility

No what James refers to is you offending others in how you say something

The words you choose

being selfish and focused on you

You are to testify about Jesus and what He is doing in your life absolutely

In fact every conversation should be about Jesus and what He is doing in your life

but so many times when we talk either in Sunday School or bible study or discipleship groups or wherever

or even in our day to day conversations

if our focus is us and not Jesus we offend others

Our motives must be clean.....there are times that we need to talk about us absolutely and I don’t want us to take away from this that you are never to talk about you

But most of the time the motives behind those stories are to make yourself feel better or to try to gain some sort of prestige or standing or just a prideful, self centered and self focused attitude that makes everything about you when it must be about God and others and never you

Be very careful with words

Quick to hear and slow to speak

3. Slow to Wrath vs 19

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The Greek for wrath means passion, anger, indignation, vengeance

This is beyond anger

Wrath is always accompanied by action, words, outbursts, violence

Your wrath does nothing holy

Your wrath does nothing good

Things should make you angry

Abortion....the murdering of innocent children....

Adultery and sexual sins leading to the destruction of marriage and families

Child abuse and sexual exploitation and trafficking should anger you

Musicians who don’t even hide the fact that they rock with the devil are witches and in fact act out satanic rituals in their shows for millions to see that should anger you

The fact that almost ever commercial on TV has some sort of homosexual couple or idea in it should anger you

The filth that is in movies and TV even children’s cartoons......those that glorify satan not God should anger you

Professional athletes celebrating a winning season running around in public drinking and getting drunk at parades all the while claiming to be Christian and in their sinful behavior are teaching kids and others that it is okay to sin as long as you claim you are Christian

That is not the Gospel and Truth that is Matthew 7 Christians.....away from me I never knew you.......

That should make you angry

I get angry about those things because innocent people are harmed and taken advantage of and God is not glorified

Even though those things make me angry I must choose to handle that anger as God requires

Ephesians 4:25–27

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“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.”

Deal with your anger quickly

Pray

Seek God

Look for real, tangible ways to help

The longer you allow anger to hold on and hang around the bigger place you give the devil

you must also ask God to show you the true motive for your anger

Most of the time if we are honest we are mad because of our pride

How dare they say that about me or my family

How dare they post that

How dare they judge me

Pride

Pride drives anger and wrath

Pride is a sin.....let it go my friends

4. Lay apart all filthiness vs 21

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This really brings it all to a head

Really drives home the fact that true Christians must be different

True Christians must be changed

You have a choice

reject the world and live according to God’s Word

or

reject God’s Word and live according to the world

Those are the ONLY two choices.....

there is no fence to sit on

there is no middle ground

there is no partial Christian

Jesus wasn’t rejected partially

Jesus was beaten partially

Jesus didn’t die partially

Jesus wasn’t risen from the grave partially

It is all in or all out

You are or you aren’t

I hear Coach Dennis Pendrak in my head......he used to say lots of things but one in particular when it came to either or was this

You are either pregnant or your not....there is no kinda pregnant

You are either for Jesus and against the world or you are for the world and against Jesus

You will know by your fruits

filthiness Greek noun moral dirtiness

superfluity Greek noun superabundance

naughtiness Greek noun badness, depravity, evil, malice, wickedness

Lay apart.....put away…run from having nothing to do with

This is very strong language here

Do you do this?

Do you lay apart all filthiness

Do you lay apart ALL sin

Even your pet sin

Even that sin you love

Even that sin you are comfortable with and like to justify

It is just who I am

I can’t do anything about it

I have tried to change but just can’t God will forgive me

No sir

No maam

Lay that sin apart

Run from it

Stand on scripture

You have a choice this morning

you can choose to reject this or you can choose to allow the Holy Spirit to change you

Being a Christian isn’t a role you only play on Sundays or at a Bible study or discipleship group or when you are around the church crowd

Those are away from me I never knew you Christians…fake Christians

No this signifies a lifestyle change

Leaving

Laying apart the world and your old dead sinful self.....telling your sinful nature that you now belong to Christ and have a new nature

How do you do this

5. Receive with Meekness the engrafted Word vs 21

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Receive Greek verb to take with the hand, take hold of

meekness Greek noun mildness, humility gentleness

engrafted Greek adjective implanted

Word Greek noun Divine Expression of Christ

This is an action

Do you take with your hand

Do you take hold of the Word?????????

Turn with me to

Hebrews 4:12

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“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Vivid

Graphic description

God’s Word separates the old you from the new you

Discerns your thoughts and intents

Moves you from a sinner to saved because it clearly shows Jesus and what your walk must be after accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior

You cannot accept Jesus and remain the same

It is not possible

The world and Jesus are like oil and water

They are like opposite charged batteries

They can’t mix and the repel each other

Do you mix with the world?

Do you repel sin and the world?

Does the world and sin repel you?

Lay apart the world

Lay apart sin

Allow God’s Word to divide you asunder

Allow God’s Word to discern your thoughts.....your intentions

This is one major way the Holy Spirit moves you from milk to meat

From a babe in Christ to a mature Christian

If you are not in the Word

If you are not praying the Word

If you are not praying about the Word

If you are not having deep discussions about the Word and it’s implications to you

Then how in the world do you expect to be grown spiritually

I will shamelessly plug Wednesday nights

On Wednesday nights we have an Adult co-ed bible study at 7 pm and a Men’s discipleship group also at 7 pm

Those who attend regularly are growing

Why

Because the focus is the Bible and how to allow the Holy Spirit to apply that to our lives

True....sometimes hard and uncomfortable discussion about scripture and its impact to our lives happen every week

Speaking for the mens discipleship group there has been real growth

Those of you living with us men who attend can attest to that fact because we are different

Not because of us

Not because of the group

No because of Jesus and the Holy Spirit and truly committing to applying God’s Word to our lives

I am heartbroken for those who willingly choose to miss that

Are you in?

You will hear that question a lot this series

Are you in?

You have heard God’s Truth.....are you in?

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Invitation

STOP STREAMING