Sermon Tone Analysis

!!! [[James 1:19-27|Bible:James 1:19-27]]

 

! Translation

 

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

21 Therefore in humility put off every vulgarity and abundance of evil, and receive the implanted word which is able to save your souls.

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

23 For if someone is hearing the word and not doing, this is like a man observing the face of his birth in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself and goes away and immediately forgets of what sort he was.

25 But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and abides in it, not being one who hears and forgets but a doer of work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

26 If someone thinks to be religious but cannot hold in check his tongue but deceives his heart, this one’s religion is worthless.

27 Religion pure and undefiled in the presence of God the Father is this, to care for orphans and widows in their tribulation, and for one to keep himself unstained from the world.

!

Outline of Text:

 

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V19-20 Know This

* Comprehend, understand, know with the mind these instructions

* Be quick to hear

* Be slow to speak

* Be slow to anger

* Anger does not produce righteousness

* God requires righteousness

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V21 Because of Word and Knowledge: What is the Therefore There For

* From v18 we have words for James about the Word of truth

* From vv19-20 we have words from James about aspects of the believing life

* Therefore:

* Put away filthiness

* Put away rampant wickedness

* Receive with meekness the implanted word

* Implanted: placed in, permanently established.

Something placed in something else for the purpose of growth.

From two words meaning /in /and /to germinate/.

Continuing the fruits imagery from v18, we were brought forth by the Word of truth and that Word was also implanted in us, but implanted so that we ourselves might grow, or rather so that the word might grow in us and produce even more fruit.

* The word able to save your souls

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V22-25 Hearers and Doers

* V22 Doers and not hearers only

* Be doers of the word

* Not hearers only – these deceive themselves, feeling their participation in the Christian walk is satisfied as they hear and receive the Word.

Mental reception and assent is seen as enough, but no great dedication is given to living out the Word.

* V23-24 Like a man forgetting himself

* Like a man who carefully studies himself in a mirror

* Despite his careful study, when he leaves the mirror he forgets himself.

Despite attentiveness to and reception of the Word, when away the “hearer only” is quick to forget the truth.

* V25 The blessed man

* The one looking into the law

* Perfect law of liberty

* Not a direct reference to the Mosaic law, but to the Will of God.

It is God’s will that should guide and direct our path, and his will is revealed to us through the Word.

His will is perfect and represents the highest way for humans to live.

Only when we live as we were created to live will we experience true liberty.

* Who then perseveres

* Not a hearer who forgets

* A doer who acts

* How this looks when lived out is described in a small way in vv19-21 and vv26-27

* He will be blessed in what he does

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V26-27 Pure Religion

* Thinks he is religious, but:

* Does not bridle his tongue

* Deceives his heart

* Religion is worthless.

* True religion, pure and undefiled before God

* Visit widows and orphans in their affliction

* Keep oneself unstained from the world

* Pointing back to v21 and perhaps vv13-15

!

Sermon Manuscript

 

There was once a family of bears living in a forest.

This was a sophisticated family, well-educated and quite proper when it came to matters of social interaction.

Papa bear had a hobby.

He loved bridges.

As such he read every book about bridges that he could get his hands on.

He knew just about all there was to know about bridges, and his knowledge could rival most human bridge builders.

Papa Bear would often stop and talk with other bears about building bridges.

They would discuss the finer points of the craft and would imagine the specifications for the grandest bridges the world had ever seen.

Whenever Papa Bear met someone new he would introduce himself as a bridge builder.

As the new person heard Papa Bear speak, the new person would have no doubt that here stood a master bridge builder.

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There was just one problem.

Papa Bear had never in his life built a bridge.

In fact, he had never really even seen one being built.

All he knew about bridges came from his reading and from the bridges he himself crossed.

Now, for all his knowledge it would have been foolish of bridge building companies to ignore him.

Several companies offered him jobs.

“Why should I take this?” the bear would respond, “It will only take up my time!”

And so he continued, the only bear in the world to have the title of Bridge Builder without ever having actually built a bridge.

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Our passage this morning comes from [[James 1:19-27|Bible:James 1:19-27]].

In this passage James speaks to us of Christians who are very much like Papa Bear from our story.

Let’s hear what God says to us through his servant James.

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[[Verse 22|Bible:James 1:22]] tells us to /be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves/.

I believe the rest of today’s passage focuses in on those words.

The core of James’ message is found in [[verse 22|Bible:James 1:22]] and the surrounding verses provide additional meaning and context.

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James first reminds us of some aspects of the Christian character.

These words help to paint a picture of what the believer’s life looks like when we are doers and not just hearers.

The Christian is one who is quick to hear, quick to listen to others while also being slow to speak.

I think this is an essential part to the humility that Christians are called to live.

Not putting ourselves forward, not thrusting ourselves on others, but listening and loving, speaking when it will be helpful, not just when it will get ourselves noticed.

Too much of what we do is to get others to look at us.

Will we instead act with the interest of others in mind?

Listening to others, hearing their thoughts, concerns, fears, joys – and sharing with them in those things.

Paul is talking about this sort of thing in [[Philippians 2:3|Bible:Philippians 2:3]] when he says, “/Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves/.”

But be careful!

While you are quick to listen, also be slow to anger.

I do know people who are good listeners but they listen only to find something that will stir them up, that will set them off.

They listen for the purpose of criticism, not for the purpose of building up another person.

That is the goal of our listening – to be able to help build other people up.

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Anger, James reminds us in [[verse 20|Bible:James 1:20]], does not produce the righteousness that God requires of us.

This is something God calls for from all believers: that we would live righteous lives before him.