Don’t Miss Your Mirror Moment

James 1:22–25 ESV

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 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. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 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.

THE POINT: GOD’S WORD IS NOT MERELY FOR YOUR INFORMATION, BUT FOR YOUR TRANSFORMATION — SO YOU SHOULD OBEY.

YOU SHOULD OBEY 

  Illustrate: 

Mirror James 1:23-24

James 1:23–24 ESV

23 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. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.

YOU HAVEN’T OBEYED TO GOD’S STANDARD

  “perfect law.

Matthew 22:37 ESV

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

JESUS HAS FULFILLED THE PERFECT LAW

Matthew 5:17–20 ESV

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

I GET CREDIT FOR FULFILLING THE LAW

SO OBEDIENCE LEADS TO MY FREEDOM

James 1:25 ESV

25 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.

Illustration: Israel following God step by step every day led to the liberation.

Illustrate:  freedom in obedience pushes me to my purpose — With the fish example.