James 1:19-27

Illustration

Pet peeves (Survey Monkey)

V 19-21

- Quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger

there’s a grouping of these commands. The first two lead to the third

if we are a people who are quick to listen and slow to speak, then anger will be a tough thing for us to engage

Notice how James also is not preaching against anger. Rather the anger in which he talks about is a righteous anger that leads us closer to the heart of God

Jesus gets angry when the temple has been turned into a market place (matthew 21)

Human anger is often a result of pride.

What makes us the angriest, is not often the things that anger the heart of the Lord

Do those who preach against the gospel, do those who commit atrocities against the Lord, do those who desecrate what he has called holy, make us mad?

Do teachers who assign homework on weekends they shouldn’t, do classmates that keep talking about you behind your back, or do little things bother you more?

What James is getting at here is that if we are to produce the righteousness of God, then our anger should be specially reserved for those times in which something has defiled the things of God

V 22-25

In the same vein as what he has already said, James emplores his audience that we cannot be a people that know what is right only

Scripture is a mirror that we are to compare ourselves to. We are to look at ourselves through its perspective

When you get up in the morning and look in a mirror, what do you see?

Nap from a different dimension look

You wouldn’t look at yourself in the mirror and say “yeah its not half bad” and keep going

you’d comb your hair, brush your teeth, change your clothes

When we hear the word of God, what do we do with it?

When we see that our lives need correction and need to be changed, do we change them? Or do we look in a mirror, see that we look disheveld, and continue about our own ways anyways

James is emploring his readers that when you hear God’s word and you receive conviction, or it highlights an area of your life that you’re missing, you can’t just sit back and pretend it isn’t there

There is a difference between the one who hears and does nothing and the one who changes.

Holiest people I’ve met are the ones who are open to being wrong. The first to apologize

V 26-27

This chapter ends with a “test of faith”

If we call ourselves Christians and believe we are actively seeking the heart of the Lord, then James gives us a quick test to determine if that’s true

Bridle your tongue

Do we withhold things that are unnecessary to be said? Are we quick to criticize others and tear them down? Does our tongue produce Gossip and slander? Or do we use our tongue to build up one another? And bring life?

Take care of orphans and widows

Do you help those who are most vulnerable? Are we a consuming people who need to be entertained at church? or are we actively taking part in caring for those who need it most?

Each one of you has a heart for a specific group that the Lord has placed there. The body of Christ needs your heart for this group

Keep yourself unstained from the world

Is there a difference between you and those who don’t believe in Jesus? We are called to be in the world and to care for others. But make no mistake, our call is to remain as people who are sold out for Christ

We cannot claim to be followers of Christ while simultaneously looking like the world that hates him

What’s different about you? How are you different from the world?