Hearer And Doer Of The Word

Introduction

Good morning, brothers and sisters.

Mark Twain once said, “It isn’t the parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me. It’s the parts I do understand!”

James 1:22-25 is perhaps not the hardest thing you have ever read.

It is simple and straightforward instruction given by God through James.

It is easy to understand this passage, but it is difficult to do what it says.

Maybe some of you have trouble being hearers of the word.

Perhaps, you find God’s word boring.

Perhaps, you decide to take a snooze and ignore God’s word.

The Bible says in Hebrews 5:11 that you have become dull of hearing.

If that’s you, may God have mercy upon your soul.

However, this passage is not speaking to non-Christians.

If you’re not a follower of Jesus, then this text doesn’t apply to you directly.

However, there is still something for you to learn.

But, you have to keep on listening.

This text is speaking directly to Christians.

James is referring to the “beloved brothers” in verse 19.

If you’re a born again Christian, you should desire to hear God’s word.

You should be earnest in receiving the word through the teaching and preaching of the Bible.

So, it may be easier to be hearers of the word.

However, brothers and sisters, being a hearer does not mean listening passively.

I can stare at your eyes and assume that you’re listening.

But, I cannot know if your mind is wandering elsewhere.

Additionally, being a hearer does not merely mean receiving knowledge and information.

Some of you have studied and learned systematic theology.

You may know church history and all the theological terms.

You may know a lot of the facts about the Bible from your Bible classes.

You may know how to quote John 3:16 by heart.

Learning information, having head knowledge, and biblical truth is not bad. They are important.

However, head knowledge and information alone are not sufficient.

That’s why James gives a commandment to the Christians in verse 22, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Who is doing the deceiving here?

You are.

And James is saying something that sounds extremely hard to hear:

If you think being only a hearer of the word is sufficient without being a doer of the word, then you are deceiving yourself.

If you say you are a follower of Jesus...

If you have convinced yourself that being a hear-only is sufficient...

If you think that going to church on Sundays would be sufficient...

Then James is telling you that you have wrongly convinced yourself into believing in something that is foolish and erroneous.

How can you discern that you are deceiving yourself?

You may have cracked open the Bible and books...

But, you have not cracked open your heart in genuinely loving, caring for, and serving your brothers and sisters.

The Scripture commands us to love, care, and serve one another, right?

If hearing God’s Word does not lead to doing...

if studying God’s Word does not result in obedience...

if attendance at worship service [and Sunday school] does not lead to a holy living...

if reading the Bible does not lead to following God’s will...

then YOU have mistreated the word of God...

And you may be deceiving yourselves about the reality of your relationship with God.

Brothers and sisters, there is a tendency to go to one of two extremes.

First, we can go to one extreme of knowing so much about the Bible, systematic theology, and church history...but lacking obedience.

Second, we can swing to the other extreme of obedience, but lacking in biblical knowledge and not caring about sound doctrine.

Context

In the previous verse, James told the Jewish Christians that they are to receive the implanted word (v.21).

Exposition