Living Faith: The Call to Action
Notes
Transcript
A. Rapport for the time
There are two type of people in this room when it comes to putting together things that are purchased that say “some assembly required.”
You have the people who open said box and pull out the direction first. They meticulously take the pieces out in piles around the room so they have everything in front of them. The next step is to follow instruction, even if just pictures, trying to line up everything how the picture looks until you finally come to a completed product that looks like the picture that is on the front of the box.
The other group of people open one end of box and slide everything out at one time so they can stand the box up in front of them. The next step for this person is to see how many extra pieces they can have left over after they make what is in front of them look somewhat like the picture.
You know which one you are at this very moment don’t you.
This is a great example of how we sometimes treat the bible. We hear the word preached or read it for ourselves and sometimes get to the point that we stand the bible up and decide we will just do it ourselves despite the instructions that we have been given in the actual word of God. I’ll do it my way.
The problem with this that we will hear about from what is probably the most famous verse in James, and again in a section of chapter 2 of James is that this is not the Christian life.
Listen to James.
B. Reading of the text
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.
C. Review of the text
Trials
Wisdom from God
Humility
Unchanging God
Don’t deceive yourself
Goodness of God
Embracing God’s word because of his Goodness to us
D. Relevance of the text
For our hearts to day we need to evaluate the place of God’s word in our life. Can you honestly tell yourself you are pursuing the Lord in his word in such a way that it actively shows in how you are living?
T.S. James is informing our lives to be Engaged beyond hearing.
1. Engage Beyond Hearing
1. Engage Beyond Hearing
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Doers (of the word)
13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
21 “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.
22 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?’
23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
21 But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Not hearers only
inerrancy of Scripture— The idea that Scripture does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact.
Infallibility-Scripture is not able to lead us astray in matters of faith and practices
Sufficiency—scripture contains all the words of God he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history and that it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly.
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 24.56 ἀκροατής, οῦ
24.56 ἀκροατής, οῦ m: (derivative of ἀκροάομαι ‘to hear,’ not occurring in the NT) one who hears—‘hearer.’ οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ νόμου δίκαιοι παρὰ τῷ θεῷ ‘for not the hearers of the Law are righteous in God’s sight’
The Letter of James, Second Edition 2. The Right Response to God’s Word (1:21–25)
In his message of the kingdom, Jesus announced the overwhelming, amazing wonder of God’s sovereign grace reaching down to reclaim sinful people for himself. But no one emphasized as strongly as Jesus the need for people, touched by God’s grace, to respond with a radical, world-renouncing obedience. Both the gracious initiative of God and the grateful response of human beings are necessary aspects of the gospel. The word, through which we are born into new life (v. 18) and which becomes planted in us (v. 21), is a word that must be put into practice.
Deceiving yourselves—You are not deceiving God. The only person we hurt when we go through the motion is our own heart.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
The Letter of James, Second Edition 2. The Right Response to God’s Word (1:21–25)
The person who fails to do the word, James therefore suggests (in an anticipation of his argument in 2:14–26), is a person who has not truly accepted God’s word at all.
T.S. Not only are we to be engaged beyond just hearing but James provides an example in the mirror of memory.
2. Mirror of Memory
2. Mirror of Memory
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.
looks intently—This is not a casual glance like a 12 year old boy looks at his hair before leaving to go out in public. This is a deep look—in the Greek—to discover something through direct observation, with the implication of also thinking bout it.—to notice, to discover.
The truth is forgetfulness leads to a stagnant faith. Our Lord and savior was our example of how a life is to perfectly reflect God’s truth through His consistent actions.
Jesus Learned obedience.
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.
8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.
9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,
If we simply go about our Christian lives coming to church weekly yet with no change actually occurring in our day to day life what has been accomplished? It can be hard to look into a mirror and really look at oneself btu it would be even worse to do so and just forget all together what we even look like.
James is telling us in the trials is not the time to stop being a Christianity. Being part of the beloved is not a part time job. If we are going to claim to be amongst the redeemed we had better get to work living like we are a part of the Kingdom of God.
T.S. God has no opening in his kingdom for part timers. Instead, the word of God gives us his truths and say live in the blessing.
3. Living in Blessing
3. Living in Blessing
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 truth of our Christian living will be persistent application of God's perfect law of freedom can lead to a liberated and blessed life, encouraging believers to continually strive towards an obedience that reflects Christ's fulfilled promises and brings real transformation.
The one who looks—Greek—ACTIVE_____to look into something by stooping down.
What do we need to be looking at?
Perseveres—To continue in an activity or state..continue in a course of action in spite of difficulty or with little or no indication of success. OH MY!!
You think the word of God is not working in your life? Is he goodness of God to blame? Is the word to blame? Or could it be that I’m not actively listening and pursuing the word?
Doer who acts—-One who works!!
Will Be Blessed—Not sometimes will get blessed. Or you can take it or leave it live however you want to live as a Christian and you will be blessed just because your a Christian. Do you realize that is exactly how the Jewish speak about being the chosen people of God? They are the special ones because God chose them so it doesn’t really matter if they really believe what God says because they are of the seed of Abraham.
Application:
There is a disconnect between what the word of God teaches and what Chruch folk are saying. It possible for some of the problem in a church is the forcus of he pastor. Is the pastor focused upon his own opinions or trying to persuade someone to thing that have zero to do with the word of God. In fact, the word theology or doctrine have become non starting words as they make people go to sleep or want nothing to do with the church at all. This has created a group of people who claim to be evangelical redeemed but that simply do not believe what the bible says to us, because they have not listened or not listened to the actual word.
• 64% of American evangelicals agree with the statement, “Everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God.”
• 53% of evangelicals agree that “Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.”
• 47% of Americans believe that “God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.”
