Doing the Do. A Life of Reflection?

Bible Passage: Jas 1:21–27, Mt 7:24–29

Introduction

Welcome Intro

As our kids were growing up, there is one phrase I heard Amber say quite a few times. I remember vividly all three of our kids standing in line before her, and her saying, “You know, the way you look, reflects on me, your Mom.” A few times over the years, I clearly recall that message was directed at my three kids, and me. “You know, when you look bad, I look bad.” Brush your teeth, brush your hair, make sure your cloths match.

FFWD a few years. Any Golfers here? I absolutely love Golf. Grew up playing. It’s a game of honor, a game of etiquette, a game of style and money. One day I was golfing, here in Houston with my cousin. We’d travel around and play nice courses. This week we were playing where they play the Shell Houston Open. What a beautiful course. The clubhouse was amazing. You could just tell people were snooty. There was a lot of money there. So, we tee off, and half way through the round, it starts to rain, then it starts to pour. No lightening, just rain. We decided to get our rain gear out. I hadn’t used my rain gear in a while, but I knew it was in there. Picture this, we were playing with two guys we never met. They reach into their Golf Bags and get out these nice, rain jackets and pants. Black, and classy. My cousin does the same. I’m thinking, great idea. So I reach into my bag, and I’m like OHH MAN. This isn’t good. I had my rain suit, but I forgot it was probably 20 years old. When I pulled it out, and put it on, this is what I looked like…

SHOW PPT SLIDE

And here’s the jacket. I looked like cross between a Giant Banana and wrinkled raisin. We were all laughing so hard. Even the two guys I barely knew. I had my cousin take a a photo, and I sent it on my family’s group chat. I said, Hey Amber, remember when you said, when we don’t look good, you don’t look good. Well today, you look absolutely horrible.

This morning we are continuing in our series… Won’t You Be My Neighbor”. How can we as a church, the people in our church, be better neighbors. Our passage is going to be in James, James 1:19-27.

About JamesJames is a great book.

One of my absolute favorites.

James is Jesus’s brother, of Mary and Joseph. James didn’t become a Christ Follower until after Christ died and rose again

The book of James is considered by some to Proverbs of the New Testament

There is so much richness in each verse

One thing I love about James, is each verse builds on the previous verse. Like one pearl on another. And in the end you have a beautiful necklace

If you’re new to the faith, or looking for something to read, I highly recommend the book of James

Now before I read our passage, I want to read one verse. This verse, since I was a youth, absolutely freaked me out. This is from a message from Jesus in his “Sermon on the Mount”. He’s talking to the the many of his followers and the “Religious” in the crowd.

Matthew 7:21–23 ““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Wow. Could you imagine, getting all the way through life. Standing before God, and then hearing this? Thinking you were doing what you were supposed to do, and falling short.

“Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

Oh wow!! This is not good. These people thought they were doing everything correctly, and God said, nope, you’re out of here. As a works guy, this really freaks me out. I love serving. It makes me feel good. But if I’m not “Doing the Do” correctly, this is all worthless.

How many times as Christians, do we come up with a plan. Okay God, we’re going to do this. Please bless it. We’re going to Do This. Do That. Do this program, do this event, I’m sure you want in on this God? Oh yeah, and bless it. Is this the right thinking?

What does it mean to “Do” the works of God.

Let’s go to Today’s text.

Hearing and Doing the Word.

James 1:19–27 ESV

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. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 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. 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. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 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’re going to break these verses down into 3 points.

How to Listen

How to Do

Let’s Do the Do

1. How to Listen

English Standard Version Chapter 1

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

We must Listen with Humility

Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. What?

What? Stammering… That is completely UnAmerican.

the American way, the worldly way is opposite. Anger, Quickly Speak in Anger, And then I hear their reaction

Proverbs 15:28 “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.”

Proverbs 10:19 “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.”

Proverbs 15:2 “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.”

Proverbs 29:11 “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.”

James is picturing the wise person as one who listens to God, deliberates a response carefully, and answers with cautious words.

Quick to hear - We need to be eager to hear and obey God

Slow to Speak - Be silent until we have fully understood and applied the message

Slow to Anger - We can’t hear God if we are distracted by resentment and vengeful attitudes

This way of thinking must be found in every area of our lives

Sunday Mornings

How many, immediately when you hear something you don’t like, just shut your mind off. As you sit and hear God’s word, be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to Anger. NOTE: not everything you hear is truth from the pulpit. And this can give you a chance to work through those things.

Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger

Personal Quiet Time

As you read God’s word, we can easily blow through text and say, oh I know what’s being said. Or mindlessly blow through 8 chapters. But we need to approach God’s word and be Quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to Anger.

Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger

Neighbors & The Community

Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger

Hurting People

Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger

Family - Our Spouses, our kids, our brothers and sisters

BTW, why is it that our Spouses and families sometimes get the worst of us?

Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger

At Work - My Boss, Co-workers, Customers

But they’re all idiots!!!!

Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger

When I’m dealing with people behind a computer - On Social Media or in Emails

DOH!

Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger

HOW?

Okay. I hear what you’re saying. Easier said than done. I can probably do this once or twice.

How can I humanly do this

And how can it be something I do regularly

This can only be done with a transformed heart

James 1:21 ESV

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Listen with Purity

“PUT AWAY” all filthiness and rampant wickedness. Get rid of the moral filth and evil that hinders the acceptance of the Word, fulfilling the transformational aspect of our faith.

PUT AWAY. It’s an action. Required by us. It’s our First DO.

Even as believers, we ALL have things in our lives that our mucking up our heart. Hardening our heart.

Do you live a life of FOMO? Do you spend more time on Social media than with God?

Are your eyes seeing things they shouldn’t

Not just pornography, how about Movies?

Do you spend more time on how you’re going to put more money in the bank, than God’s word?

Do you live in Anxiety, and need things to overcome that, like Alcohol, food, drugs?

Proverbs 4:15 “Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.”

90% of you right now are thinking about exactly what you need to put away in your life.

Well, I think I’ve stepped on everyone’s toes at this point.

Remember: Be Quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to Anger

BTW, it said “PUT AWAY”. It didn’t say stop completely. Maybe putting your phone down is temporary. Until you understand how to balance it.

EMPTY OUT THOSE THINGS

So you can Receive with meekness the implanted Word, that will save our Souls.

When we have a hole from all the junk we’ve taken out, we now have time, and a clean heart to start filling it with God’s word.

2. Do

We’ve set the Base. We know how to listen. Right? Now what

James 1:22–25 ESV

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 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. 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.

Insert story about getting ready / Haircut

In this text, God’s word, the perfect law is our mirror. Perfect law, the Law of Liberty? what does that mean. I know immediately, many are thinking law. Like old testament stuff. The law is so restrictive. But in this case, Perfect law means, God’s Instruction. God’s teaching. God’s scripture. And by the law of Liberty, you will find FREEDOM in God’s instruction. A verse you’ll hear said around here, A LOT is…

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

So the person who looks into God’s instruction, not just for a brief moment. But the one who stares intently into it, who digests it, who because of what he reads, his life is changed, he will be blessed in his doing.

Two choices

Randomly hear a few things, make minimal changes, I may be spiritually wrinkled, and have hairs out of place, but I’m still a Christian right?

OR, you can stare intently into God’s word, and improve your spiritual walk. (IMPROVE)

Being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts. Who makes the changes. He will be BLESSED in his doing

Blessed. Wait, is this prosperity Gospel stuff? No. But it’s saying when a person stares intently into scripture, and does it. I takes it in. Digests it. Constantly looking. Constantly primping. Seeing those flaws. Oh, that hair isn’t quit right. Ooo, that eyebrow hair is a bit crazy. A person who is constantly looking into Scripture, soaking it up, he is a doer. Doing the things that are required of him, to be more like Christ. AND he will be blessed. Not with a hundred million dollars, but will be blessed in his spiritual walk. He will be a man or woman of stability. Who grows in Faith.

Heart check… How do you see your self? Do you love God’s Word? Do you hunger for it. Are you a spiritually wrinkled Christian, or are you Christ Follower that has a hunger for the Word of God. Is there evidence that you haven’t been transformed

Proverbs 16:20 “Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.”

Proverbs 10:17 “Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.”

Psalm 119:97 “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Psalm 119:155 “Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes.”

Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

How about from the lips of Jesus -

John 14:23 “Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word…

John 14:24 “Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”

John 15:7 “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

And the last one…

Psalm 1:1–3 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

How many have ever been to the Frio River? It’s a top vacation spot for my family. We’ve gone every year for the last 18 years. It’s located a couple of hours west of San Antonio. As you’re driving, when you’re an hour out, the land is just flat. Generally dry flat land. Then in the distance you see these Small mountains. Well they feel like mountains, since we’re from texas. As you’re driving through, you come up over one of the hills, and all of a sudden the whole valley opens up. You’re above Garner State park, and you can see for 25 miles. The frio river is a river, that starts in Laekey Texas. It’s an underground spring that just starts. 7x out of 10, the whole valley is a timber box. It’s generally, really really brown. Mesquite trees, rocky ground. It is beautiful, just a different type of beutiful. You wouldn’t know it, as you come over the hill, but way down in the valley is this river. You can’t see it, but you can see hints of it. As you’re in the river, you are surrounded by these Giant, bald Cypress trees. These trees can grow up to 180’ tall, and live up to 600 years. They are so wide that you could probably have 5 people touch hands and not reach around them. But in the middle of this dry, remote valley, these trees thrive. They have this crazy root system that comes out of the ground and reaches into the water. And that river is life for these trees. For 600 years. Through droughts, through floods, these trees last.

All, I get it. We go through tough times. There are ebbs and flows in our walk, where it’s hard to get into God’s word. I’m not saying if you’re not in God’s word continually, you’re not saved. But there is Power in God’s word.

In the Perfect Law, in God’s word…

There is Freedom from bondage

There is Hope in depression

There is Forgiveness of sin

There is living water in dry times

There is Fruit in hard times

There is Fire and passion. There is Blessing

When God’s ways are most prevalent in our hearts then God’s ways will come out. But if it’s the world’s ways filling our hearts, then the world’s ways that will come out. This is why the psalmist says in Psalm 119:11, Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Engaging in God’s word brings FREEDOM

3. Do the Do

As believers we’re growing daily. Learning to be quick to hear, slow to speak, show to Anger. We’re putting away those things that are sucking us back into the filth. We need to evaluate our faith beyond this. Sitting here. And it’s time to move forward, out into the community.

James 1:26–27 ESV

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 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.

Here James gives us 3 practical steps to what Doing externally can look like. There are more, but these are 3 he lists here:

Bridle your tongue

James must know this is a problem for us. Not only is he bringing us back to it, but it’s the first thing he talks about.

Luke 6:45 “…for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

If we speak anger, there’s anger in our heart. If we speak crudeness, there’s crudeness in our heart, if we speak gossip.

We need to BRIDLE our tongue. Like a wild horse. Tame it. How do you tame it? first you have to control it. James 3:3–5 “If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.

If we are a person of harsh speaking. Crudeness. Anger. etc. How can we go on to represent Christ? Who will ever listen to a word we say. Not just to strangers, but even more to family, friends.

Why would someone want what I have, if I’m just as bad as the rest of the world. It’s time we held ourselves to higher standards.

Our Tonge is a tool that can be used for Good or Evil

Proverbs 15:4 “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”

Proverbs 12:18–19 “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Why is it easier for us to rip off a good zinger. To let someone really have it. Whether on Social Media, in person, or just in our heart.

But wait, I’m defending God. He needs me to step in. These people on the left are clueless…

Let’s go back to what we’ve learned in verse 20. The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Meaning, in what we say, we can never save someone by our words, especially if they rude. Quite the opposite. We are just driving people away from God.

2. Visit orphans and widows in their affliction - Religion

Literally? Yes.

But also, at the time, these were the lowest, and weakest of all. We are called to help those in need.

Psalm 82:3 “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.”

Proverbs 14:31 “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.”

Romans 15:1 “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

Proverbs 11:25 “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”

So important in fact… in Matthew we can learn more.

Matthew 25:41–45 ““Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’”

3. Lastly, Live unstained from the world

Flashback to what we’ve learned. About, looking into God’s word. In being in God’s word, and reflecting Christ, it is the only way we can humanly control our tongue, and care for the afflicted.

Go into the world. But be prepared to stay holy.

Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

True religion being shown through action. Our test for what we hear every week is to embody the gospel through service and compassion. We have a call to love others.

True and active faith reveals itself through compassion and purity, embodying Christ's example.

Conclusion

First of all “HEAR”.

Hear God’s word. Digest his word and apply it

Then “DO”

Quiet your heart. Digest what you learn, and use the reflection to clean up your spiritual appearance. Walk in personal holiness.

Do the “DO”

Holding our tongue, caring for the needy and hurting and growing in personal holiness.