Responding to the Word of God
Notes
Transcript
30 days of prayer Aug 1-30
I urge you to dedicate time to intercede for unity, healing, deliverance, freedom, and revival in the United States as outlined in the Let’s Pray Guide.
Now more than ever, the United States needs the transformative power of Christ. As believers, we cannot grow weary in our responsibility to pray for our country and its inhabitants. Scripture assures us in
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
Intro:
Faith is belief that leads to action, it is trust in God
Do you trust God
trust fall
step of faith (indiana jones)
wheelbarrow tight rope walker
Faith in Action
But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
Obey the Word
Obey the Word
And God will Bless You
Many Christians mark a Bible without letting the Bible mark them.
They believe that they grow by listening to a good sermon or Bible study.
But maturity is not the same as Bible knowledge
As you read the Word, let God’s Word have it’s way with you
Whatever God speaks to you through His word, DO IT
Water to wine-
His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
Our passage warns us to; “Do not merely listen to the Word.”
The person who listens to the Word without doing it
“is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”
Scripture is a spiritual mirror for us
It shows us who we are and what we need to change
Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Hearing God’s Word without obeying brings condemnation on the listener.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
“The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
The blessing in scripture is always to those who listen to the Word, take it into their hearts, and obey it
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
James calls God’s Word
James 1:25 (NASB95)
But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
In other translations it says “the perfect law that gives freedom.
Law does not restrict the righteous
Rather, the law of God guides us to please our Creator and live as we should
Sin brings bondage, not freedom
realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers
and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,
according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
Lawlessness confines, decreases, enslaves.
Rebellion against the Creator lures people from peace, rest, and paradise to sweat, thorns, and tears.
Genesis Sin of Adam and EVE
Lawlessness leads to a son in a fine home to being an outcast in a pigpen
The Prodigal Son
Lawlessness steals parents from children.
It lures people from honor to shame
Where lawlessness reigns there is murder, theft, fighting, war, chaos, poverty, addictions, hate, unforgiveness, turmoil, malice, and darkness
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?
You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.
Lawlessness destroys individuals, families, and societies
In the kingdom of lawlessness there is a flood of sorrow, sexual immorality, shame, and hopelessness
We were born prisoners of lawlessness and sin.
But at the new birth God frees us.
He breaks the chains of sin off of us.
He writes His laws in our hearts.
“This is the covenant that I will make with them
After those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws upon their heart,
And on their mind I will write them,”
He then says,
This is God’s new covenant with us.
God gives us His word to reveal what pleases Him, protects us, and prospers us.
Submitting to the law of God means submitting to the rule and lordship of Jesus Christ.
As we do this, God frees us from slavery to satan, sin, and self.
Through obeying God’s law and submitting to His lordship, we live in the realm of glorious freedom and righteousness.
Where God reigns there is
forgiveness
worship
singing
dancing
and feasting in His presence
The law of God enlarges and expands.
Living under His law we are
free to inherit and enjoy all He has planned for us
Free to explore the universe and the wonders of eternity
Free to fellowship with our Creator.
Free to shine as the lights of the heavens.
Free to love our neighbor as we love our-self
Free to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength
Under His law and in His presence is fullness of joy.
---------
Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Practice the Word
Practice the Word
God will Accept You
Some have given religion a bad name by practicing an empty form of faith.
But James speaks of a type of religion that pleases God
For sure, true religion begins in the heart, like a well of water.
But James emphasizes a religion that flows out into the street.
He reminds us that God likes to see our faith in action.
God smiles and nods His head when He sees religion that takes care of orphans.
This brand of religion does not just pitch coins to orphans on the street.
NO! It removes orphans from the street and helps them find a better life.
Likewise, the religion that God accepts and applauds cares for the widows.
From the beginning, the church has taken care for widows.
Look at the selection of deacons in Acts
Paul wrote guidelines for God’s people to care for widows in the church
Honor widows who are widows indeed;
but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God.
Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day.
But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives.
Prescribe these things as well, so that they may be above reproach.
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man,
having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Seek first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness
Justice and Righteousness are closely related
Righteousness in the Bible is more than sanctified, holy, living.
more than pursuing a life without sin
a truly pleasing life of righteousness is reflected in righteousness
The greek word for righteousness here is dikaiosynee
Which translates to be put right with, righteousness, justice
The root word dikee translates to penalty, Justice, punishment
If there is a link between righteousness and justice, then we must look at what the bible says about justice
The hebrew word for justice is mishpat
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
That word, mishpat in its various forms occurs more than 200 times in the OT
It’s most basic meaning is to treat people equitably
It means acquitting or punishing every person on the merits of the case,
reguardless of race or socail status
However, it is more than just the punishment of wrongdoing
It also means to give people their rights
Mishpat is giving people what they are due, whether punishment, or protection, or care
Over and over again, mishpat describes taking up the care and cause of widows, orphans, immigrants, and the poor
those who have been called vulnerable
and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’
“But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing.
If you want to understand God’s justice in an unjust world then look closely at the Bible
God’s justice is not simply a blind dispensing of rewards for the virtuous and punishments for the wicked
Though plenty of those are to be found on the way
God’s justice is a saving, healing, restorative justice,
because the God to whom justice belongs is the creator God
who has yet to complete his original plan for creation
and whose justice is designed not simply to restore balance to a world out of kilter
but to bring to glorious completion and fruition the creation,
teeming with life and possibility,
that he made in the first place
And he remains implacably determined to complete this project through his image-bearing human creatures
and, more specifically through His church
This is why James says
Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Perverted religion focuses on self rather than others
It says, “Please me, entertain me, praise me.”
Some forms of false religion get lost in the fog of ideas and philosophies
But practical religion does not hide from or ignore human need
Practical religion loves, lifts, and shares
It liberates and delivers.
It empowers, heals, and restores.
It enlightens, teaches, disciples, mentors, and coaches.
Practical religion has sweat, blisters, callouses, tears, and aching muscles.
But it also has laughter, joy, and fulfillment from victories.
Our passage here celebrates a religion that releases the captives, embraces the homeless, and teaches the illiterate to read
It speaks of a religion that builds churches, schools, clinics, and hospitals.
It speaks of a religion that counsels people about their common problems, and helps them have pure water to drink.
It speaks of a religion we can see
a religion with a heart that beats with love and cries for people who hurt
a religion that frees people from alcoholism, addictions, disease, and sexual sins
It speaks of a religion that reaches out a hand and lifts people up
Jesus spoke about this kind of practical religion and he modeled it for us when He said:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
Practical religion pleases God because it reflects God.
God delights to see His children with religion that loves like He loves
As we follow the example and teachings of Jesus,
we please God with practical religion.
What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
“All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;
I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’
“Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’
“Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’
“These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
The Bible emphasizes religion that is practical,
it also insists on religion that is pure
Something is pure if it is unmixed.
Pure water is not mixed with dirt or disease.
To have pure religion means to “get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so common.”
Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
Pure religion is holy, righteous, and Godly
Its pure light shines in a dark world, as stars brighten the night
so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;
nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Jesus was upset with the church at Sardis because their clothes were soiled
‘But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
In the past, Jesus had washed these believers
But they backslid
Little by little they began to embrace the values of pagan society
In time, their spiritual clothes were as dirty as those around them
Their pure religion became polluted
Their faith died
Jesus urged them to wake up and clean up
Altar Call:
Are there those here who feel a burning desire to do something?
God has placed an individual, or a situation into your mind?
Has the Holy Spirit been prompting you to act on your Faith?
end the stream
We are supposed to be a body with many parts. There are things that each one of us does well that someone else in this room may need.
A body is only as strong as it’s weakest member
if there is pain in any part of the body, it affects every thing that you do
a paper cut may be minor, but it can be a major inconvenience for those that use their hands
a broken thumb can affect every aspect of daily living
There are those in this room that relate to the description of the vulnerable, poor, orphan, or widow.
If you are here, and there is a need that you cannot do something yourself to fix, can you stand up?
It can be a physical, worldly need that you need help with.
It could be a bodily pain that only God can heal or insurance won’t cover
Those who raised your hands earlier, here is your opportunity to put your faith into action. Will you pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you to one of these people standing.
Go to them, find out their need.
Pray for them, pray over them.
Then obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit to act on what He is leading you to do to help.
Faith without works is dead.
