Untitled Sermon

James 1:19-27

Each week, we’re going to hear of breaking news in our world and culture and talk about it through the lens of Scripture. Now today’s breaking news is centered on a group of people who seem to stand out, and not in the most flattering way – Christians. In our society, Christians aren’t usually perceived well. From being seen as hypocritical, to judgmental, to outdated, it can be difficult for those who don’t know Jesus to see Jesus through His people.

Now obviously, there are more Christians who are exemplifying Jesus than not, but this goes to show that as Christians, people are watching. People are watching to see what, and more importantly, Who, we model. So, how do we model Jesus? How do we live our lives the way Jesus called us all to, at all times, in all circumstances?

Let’s go to the Bible. Any of you out there have a sibling? When it comes to siblings, you either love ‘em, hate ‘em, or feel both of those at the same time. Now imagine your sibling claiming that they’re God. And not only are they claiming, but they’re actually right! That, my friends, was the case with Jesus and His half-brother, James. And James wrote a letter found in the New Testament, challenging and calling out the hypocritical things the Christians were doing while also reminding them how we SHOULD live as Jesus followers.

James 1:19–21 “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.”

Wanna know something that sets Christians apart? Our conduct. How we live and what we do when people are and aren’t watching us. James’s point is that because of the person of Jesus, when we choose to surrender to His way and follow His footsteps, we operate differently than the culture around us.

He makes the point that we should be quick to listen. Quick to hear the person in front of us and what they have to say to better understand and respond accordingly. And we must be slow to speak, which again, takes the focus off of us and places it on the person in front of us.

We should be slow to anger. Notice here how he doesn’t say, don’t get angry – we can sometimes believe that anger isn’t biblical. But the truth is, anger is a normal emotion, just like any other emotion. It’s what we do in the midst of our anger that makes all the difference. In being slow to anger, as Christians, we shouldn’t be easily offended, easily upset, or easily put off by people or things. With Christ, we can exercise the patience that He gives us.

Then James drops this gem right here...

James 1:22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

It’s one thing to hear something or even read something but putting it into practice and applying it is a whole other level!

In the same vein, James says, to hear the word, to hear what Jesus has commanded us to do and how we are to live, and not apply is deceiving yourself. You’re playing yourself! When you know or are made aware of the truth, but don’t follow up on it, you hurt yourself and hurt others. James makes this incredible comparison.

James 1:23–24 “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. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.”

Mirrors are made for us to clearly and fully see the image we’re looking at. When we stand in front of a mirror, the goal is to look at ourselves, check out the fits, make sure that nothing’s in our teeth, but also, to be observant. All of us know what we look like because we’ve spent enough time in the mirror or seen enough pictures of ourselves. There’s no confusion about who you are because you’ve continuously seen your image. In that same breath, James points out that the point of looking in the mirror is to look, learn, and adjust. When you hear the words of Jesus, we’re all supposed to take a look at ourselves and adjust with the goal of looking and truly being more like Jesus!

James ends that section of his letter reminding his audience that their tongue and what they say matters deeply. In fact, he lets them know in essence, “You can claim to be religious all you want, but if you aren’t controlling what you say, how you treat the marginalized, and the influence the world has on you, you’re playing yourself! Again!”

So, what does this all mean? How does all of this impact how we live our lives as teenagers and future adults who are here to share Jesus? As Christians, we need to be both believers and followers of Jesus. We need to be careful not to just hear about what Jesus did and how He lived, but live out what He modeled and follow Him. Practically speaking, putting this into practice looks like first knowing what Jesus even said. How can we follow what we haven’t heard? To hear the words of Jesus, I recommend reading through the Gospels— Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I recommend starting in John. Get familiar. And don’t just get familiar once. Listen, we’re all pretty forgetful! I forgot what I had for breakfast this morning! So the more often we hear and read His words, the more we’re reminded. Next, create a list of daily habits to put what you’ve heard into practice. Notice I said practice. Practicing something continuously helps you become better at it. And don’t practice alone. Practice with community. Ask the Holy Spirit, God’s very own Spirit, for guidance.

How you share Jesus can affect how others see Jesus. How you share Jesus with your family, with your friends, with those that you know and those who you don’t know, matters. Why? Because, as Jesus followers, we are reflections of who we follow. And when we’re able to put what we’ve heard into practice at all times, we allow for those around us to see that our walk with Jesus isn’t one of perfection, but progression.