Bible study James

Good evening to all of you

Truly what a blessing it is to be in the house of the lord one more time

Do me a favor....... if you will and tell the person next to you...... that it’s good to see you

Amen

As you know, we are still in the book of James

On last week, we delt with verses 21-25

and so tonight, we are going to be studying verses 26-27

Amen

But before we get into our lesson

Let’s pray and hear a worship song

And we will dive right into our lesson

Amen

Thank you Bro.....Sis

Again, we are in the book of JAMES

And so, tonight, we are going to talk about

Right Religion

(James 1:26–27

ETS: And so, in our lesson

What we will see here is that

James revealed the characteristics of a person, who knows God and one who does not know God.

ESS: And do , tonight, I want to pay close attention to this because

It’s critical for us to understand that

Our religion must reflect our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

OSS: And so our lesson teaches is that

We are to search our hearts and lives to make sure, we have a right relationship and right religion.

Amen

can I tell you , when we look out in this world

There are so many religions in the world today.

And there are so many , who are serious about there religion

i mean

As a matter of fact,

Wars have been fought over religion,

right

families have been torn apart over religion, people have died for their religion.

And there are so many , who are serious about there religion

but here’s the thing

Religion can be good or religion can be bad.

I can be a good or bad

And so, when it comes down to our religion

I guess the question that we should ask ourselves ………is

Do We can have real religion or false religion.

do we have an authentic religion or artificial religion

and so let me tell you the difference ,

The test of your religion, is not how you look, but how you live.”

listen church , See Right religion, is supernatural not superficial.

yall, Don’t get mad , but listen

If your religion don’t work on Monday, you don’t need to bring it here on Sunday.

And so, let’s look what these verses tonight

And so, when we look at our lesson

Keep in mind that

This text tonight

reveals some criteria of right religion.

Somebody read James 1:26-27

and let’s look what it say 26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

And so, when we look at our lesson

Keep in mind that

This text tonight

reveals some criteria of right religion.

And so when we look at verse 26

Look at verse 26 real good

AND SO,

THE FIRST THING THAT I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT IS THA……right religion

IT Requires our Examination (v. 26)

YALL LOOK AT VERSE 26

(A.) IT Requires our Examination

where

In our thoughts v. 26a

BECAUSE LOOK WHAT IT SAYS

IT SAYS

“If anyone among you, thinks he is religious,”

And so, looking at this

Keep in mind

James is not talking to the pagan ungodly world, but to a person, who is in church and claims to know God.

And what James does here is that, James warns the brethren about examining the way they think.

For he says, “If anyone among you, thinks he is religious,”

James says in essence,

We are to examine our own lives and to think Biblically about ourselves.

Amen

Because look what James says

James says that we can deceive ourselves, if we hear the word of God and do not obey the word of God.

James says that we can deceive

and so, here is the question

Are we deceived about the way we think!

are we deceived about the way we think

And so what is James saying

James is saying that this man , did not bring his thoughts to the Bible and because he did not obey the Bible ,

, his religion was worthless.

And you know, there are a whole lot of folks, who knows what the Bible says , but because they don’t bring thought of the Bible and obey the word

there religion is worthless

He says that it’s worthless

And you know

Jimmy Draper said something, that caught my attention

He says that

, “False religion occurs, when someone says all the right words, talks the language, has fooled himself into thinking he is something he is not, but his religion, is false and worthless.”

and you know,

let me tell ya that , there’s a whole lot of folks , who can talk a good game,

and think that they are more righteous than everybody else

but James says that, these folks , are the ones, who Have A False religion

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and so , let’s look at this tonight

Let’s look what It says

It says, If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues , but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.

And so , let’s go back and lets look at the meaning of Religion:

what does this word religion, means

religion……it’s a, outward appearance of a religious experience.

And so , in essence

this means

Going through the motions!

and you know, this is exactly what some of us do, every week. We go through the motions

And you know, this is sad , because

For many of us , there are so many of us , who just go through the motions

We are miserable at home, we are miserable at work, we are miserable at church, because all we have, is an outward and dead religion and not a life changing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

And you know

Really , this is exactly what the children of Israel did.

Isaiah 1:11–13 NRSV

11 What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. 12 When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more; 13 bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation— I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity.

And you know church

It is a sad thing, to stand before the Lord and having thought you were religious, but to find out, that you were lost.

And so let me submit to you that

If we are going to have right religion in our world,

we must examine ourselves.

Amen

James says that we are to examine our thoughts.

And so , In verse 26, we see that right religion requires our examination.

Right religion, requires our examination

Not only in our in thoughts

But also

(B.) In our talk v. 26b

Because look what it says

It says in the b part of verse 26

26 If any think they are religious, and

do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 27

And what does this say

That We need to examine our thoughts, but we are also to examine our talk.

See, The true test of our religion, is not in our tithes, our money, our coming , but in our tongue.

And so, the question is

How’s your tongue? Does your tongue cause bitterness, hurt, and pain?

Does your tongue bring blessings and help to others?

Jimmy Draper wrote one time that , “With a word, a heart is lifted or cast down. With a word our spirits are dashed or they are encouraged. With a word there is sweetness or bitterness. With a word there is victory or defeat.

And you know church , False religion, is characterized by a loose tongue.

And as a church, listen

We are to bridle the tongue.”

And why does James tells us this

James says that, because if we do not bridle our tongue we have fooled ourselves.

Yall look at Psalm 141:3,

It says that , Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

See, let me tall ya church that

The tongue, is the thermostat of how we can tell how hot or cold our religion is.

Illustration: see, let me make this plain

When we go to the doctor for a check up, one of the first places the doctor looks is in our mouth.

The doctor checks our tongue for any swelling, any redness, any signs that might reveal that we are sick.

Well listen , In the same way , we need to examine our tongues on a daily basis, to see if we our spiritually healthy or spiritually sick.

We must examine our speech, we must only speak those things that build up, encourage, strengthen, or convict others.

We must speak those things that glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 10:19, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”

Church, We must bridle our tongue.

Well what does the word Bridle mean: it means to hold in check or to restrain.

You know in chapter 4 of James, and we will get to that

it talks about the tongue and

Just as the bits are put in the horses mouths to steer or guide or restrain the horse, so we must be a restrainer on our mouth so that we can control our tongue.

Can I tell you,

One who can never control their lips, will never have control of their lives.

If we do not bridle our tongue we deceive ourselves and others as well.

See, Too many people have been turned away from the Lord by church members that gossip, slander, cuss, and swear.

Can I tell ya

And the reason why so many people

They don’t bridle their tongues, is because their religion is false and dead and has no power in our lives.

Matthew 12:34–37 (NRSV)

34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

And so church, The true test of our religion is how we handle our tongue.

And so , Right religion requires our examination!

And so before we move on

This is a good question

Do we think rightly and honestly about ourselves?

Do we examine our speech and our tongue?

Well, James says that if we do not bridle our tongues,

Look what he says

we deceive our own heart and our religion is useless.

KJV: Vain: The word means futile, worthless, fruitless, or of no value whatsoever.

In essence, James says that our religion, is not worth a wooden nickel if we do not bridle our tongue.

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And so, In verse 26 we’ve seen that Right Religion requires our examination.

But In verse 27, we see that Right Religion:

II. Reflects His Expectation (v. 27)

Right religion reflects his expectation

(A.) Of being a source of help in the world v. 27a

watch what James says

James says ion verse 27

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this:

Yall see that

Can I tell ya church , and this is true

When we are right with God, we will reflect His love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness in this world.

Can I tell you

We are to reflect what He expects from us in His word.

We are to be a source of help in this world.

And see, James is not promoting a social gospel.

Nawww, but look at what he says

When he says this

James says that , Right religion before God, is to be doing what He’s called us to do.

And In contrast, to what James says is false religion, he now gives some evidences of what is true religion.

Brothers and sisters, can I tell you

We must always seek to help meet people’s physical needs, but the churches main priority is to help meet people’s spiritual needs.

Listen, and please hear me

If we never seek to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with a lost world, then we are not a true New Testament church and our religion is false, dead, lifeless, and dry.

Listen church, we are talking about Right religion right?

Right religion will always lead a congregation to seek to win a lost world to Jesus.

And James says, that we must seek to help the homeless and we must seek to help the helpless.

watch what he says

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

The homeless.

Widows: represents the helpless.

Look at Psalm 68:5, it says that

“A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation.”

And so when we look at the church, the question Is

Is God using this church as a source of help in this world?

I ask that, because

To know God, is to be used by God!

church ,

We are called on to be a source of help in this world.

All the help that we offer and render in this world, is to be done in the name of Jesus and for the glory of Jesus Christ.

See, True Christianity, is manifested from a pure and loving heart by the way believers talk and by the way they act.

It is manifested by how they love and care for those who are in need, not by how they love and care for those they prefer, those who are close to them, or those with whom they share common traits and interests.”

And let me say this

God has called for each one of us, to do our part.

We cannot hire or pay people to do our ministry for us. God has gifted the church and we must be about doing His work.

Amen

And God has called each one of us to be a source of help in this world.

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But before we move

What does it mean by

Pure and undefiled religion, is before God.

Brother and sisters, That means that God beholds all that we do and He examines all that we do , according to His blessed word.

And so, this teaches us that

Right religion reflects His expectation of us being a source of help in this world,

but then, we also see in verse 27, that it reflects His expectation of us:

(B.) Of being sanctified and holy in the world (v. 27b)

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

And here,

This passage convey our end of maintaining right religion.

Brother and sisters, We have a responsibility to keep oneself unspotted.

This means, that we will be held responsible to God, how we have lived.

Amen ,

And let me share this with you that

The only way we can keep ourselves unspotted by the world, is to stay close to Jesus.

We are to be in the world, but not of the world.

Great Biblical Truth: If we are to have undefiled religion in this world, then we must remain unspotted by the world.

what is Unspotted: (a-spilos) means unspilled upon. Means to spill and spoil.

Johnny Hunt said, “The world will spill its filth upon us in order to spoil us, and this will make us unfit for God’s work.”

This word means, free from all defilement in the sight of God.

And so, hear me well

We must keep ourselves from being defiled by this world. We must guard what we say, guard what we do, guard what we watch, guard what we hear, we are to guard ourselves from evil temptations, guard ourselves from sinful lifestyles.

Can I tell you this

If we find ourselves comfortable with things of the world, with immorality, with vulgarity and profanity, with dishonesty and lying, with criticism and gossip, then we are not God’s children.”

How’s our religion today? Do we have right religion in God’s sight or false and dead religion?

Would you examine yourself today? Would you examine the way you think and the way you talk?

Does your life reflect God’s expectation of us in this world? Are we being a source of help in the world or are we being of no help in this world?

Are we sanctified and holy in this world or are we being spotted and defiled by the things of this world?

God calls all of His children to surrender and be sanctified and then to keep one’s self from being defiled by this world! Are we doing that today? Would you come and surrender your heart today to Jesus?

Would you come and confess that your religion is not God’s religion? Maybe you need to come and be saved today you come!