What Will You Do With The Word? (Part 2)

Introduction

There was a story being told between a conversation between a father and a daughter. And it goes like this:

The Father talks to her about her messy room and he commands her, “Sally, go clean up your room.” Sally heard her father’s words and she went back to her room to consider what he said. She studies his commandment and tries to understand what he said and what he meant. After studying hours and hours, Sally finally understands his commandment. The father comes back to her and talks to her about the chore that he gave to his daughter. Sally responds, “Daddy, I finally understand your words.” He responds, “I’m glad you understood my words, but did you do it? Did you clean up your room?” Sally responds, “No, but I heard what you said and I studied your words. That’s why I want to tell you that I understand your words because ‘cleaning your room’ sounds like an interesting information.”

For instance, “Jesse’s mom commands him, ‘Jesse, go clean up your room.’ But, Jesse studies his mom’s commandment and tries to understand what she is saying and what she means. After studying hours and hours, Jesse finally understands his mom’s commandment. His mom comes back to him and talks to him about the chore. Jesse responds, “Mom, I finally understand your words.” His mom responds, “I’m glad you understood my words, but did you do it?” Jesse responds, “No, but I studied your words. I got the information and knowledge of your words.””

The story may sound silly, but this is the point that James is going to make in today’s study.

In high school,

Two weeks ago, I began with a question called, “What will you do with the Word?” has everything to do with God’s Word. And the big idea that I wanted you to take away from that lesson is that “You Must Receive The Word.” As Christians, you must find every opportunity to hear and listen to God’s Word. By doing so, you will grow in your relationship with God; you will grow in holiness. You must be quick to hear God’s Word, slow to become a teacher who speaks God’s Word, and slow to become angry at God’s Word and those who teach God’s Word.

Not only are you to receive the Word...

We are in verses 22-25, so let’s read it together. READ.

This passage is perhaps not the hardest thing you have ever read. It is simple and straightforward instruction given by God through James.

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!”

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

James told the Jewish Christians that they are to receive the implanted word (v.21). But, receiving the word meant more than simply hearing and listening to it. Lest the audience thinks “receiving the word” is simply passive listening, James gives them further instruction on his meaning. Being a hearer of the word also meant being a doer of the word, not just hearing only.

So, the way I’m going to teach this lesson is this: for the 1st part of the lesson, I’m going to talk about the hearers of the word only and what that means. The 2nd part of the lesson, I’m going to talk about the doers of the word and what that means.

All of you go to school. You’re learning social-studies, science, math, and etc. Sometimes, some subjects are more academic and theoretical as opposed to practical. You’re learning to be a critical thinker, you’re learning to reason and write essays/arguments.

And during James’ time, there was a philosophy known as Stoicism. It taught that knowledge is the highest virtue. The wise people are those who have knowledge and reasoning through learning and information. You can say that the wise people are those who are smart and intellectual people.

But, I am going to push back and say that some the smartest and the most intellectual people in the world are not the wisest people. I know people, who have a Master’s degree, who do not know even know how to handle their money well. (Don’t you think it is important and practical to know how to save money and spend money?) I have heard men with Ph.Ds who do not know how to love their wives, and as a result it lead to divorce. (Don’t you think it is important and practical to know how to deal with relationships and marriages?) And unfortunately,

1. Don’t Respond By Only Being Hearer Of The Word.

You Must Respond To The Word By

a. Hearer-only leads to self-deception (v.21b)

Hearing/listening/receiving the word implies that a person is getting knowledge and information, as Sally did in the story. That is how we receive instructions. We need words! We need words spoken and written so that we can receive information.

Every day we see lots of different text on television, on computer monitors, on street signs, in newspapers and magazines, and in letters and papers at work or school. Even on our cell phones, we text and see full words or abbreviations of words. One estimate is that we read a few thousand words each day.

One estimate is that we read a few thousand words each day.

Learning information and having head knowledge is not bad. But, in our series known as Practical Christianity, as Christians, head knowledge and information alone are not sufficient.

Look at verse 22 closely. Grammatically, this is a commandment and a middle voice (do you remember your English grammar?). James tells the Christians, “But, YOU be doers of the word, and don’t YOU be hearers only.”

Being followers of Jesus is not about having head knowledge. Being a Christian is not simply going to church, attend Sunday school, listen to the teacher/pastor, and then go home and not do anything about it. Being a Christian is not simply finding God’s Word or the lesson “interesting”, although there are definitely topics contain in the Bible that are interesting and thought-provoking.

You may know facts about the Bible. You may be familiar with the Bible stories growing up. You may know how to answer questions from Bible trivia and get all the right answers. You may know how to quote by heart. As important as they are, head knowledge is not sufficient. It is not sufficient.

Some of you may have heard of the gospel many times. You may know and believe that God is created you to glorify Him. You may know and believe that you have sinned against a holy and righteous God. You may know that because of your sins, you are separated from a saving relationship with God. You may know that because you are a sinner, you deserve eternal condemnation in hell. You may also know that God demonstrated His love for us by sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for sinners. You may know that the only way for you to have eternal life is to repent of your sins and trust Jesus Christ for salvation. However, as I have been repeated, you may KNOW, you may have KNOWLEDGE of these glorious truths in the Bible, but you have not truly responded in repentance of sins and true faith in Christ.

How do you know if you are truly a Christian? The evidence that you are truly a Christian is that you are growing in your love and desire for God and His Word. If you say you love Jesus, then you would keep His commandments.

You might think that calling yourself a Christian would be sufficient. You might think that going to church on Sundays would be sufficient. You might think that only hearing the word is sufficient.

And James is going to say 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.

Deceive - To deceive means to mislead. It means to lead you astray. It means to lead you in the wrong direction, wrong thought, wrong behaviour, and wrong conclusion.

James talks about deception here in this verse and later in v.26.

If you say you are a follower of Jesus, and if you have convinced yourself that being a hear-only is sufficient, then James is telling you that you have wrongly convinced yourself - maybe through your thinking, reasoning, or experience - to believing in something that is foolish and erroneous. So, a hear-only leads to self-deception.

Luke 11:28 ESV

But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

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 [or Sunday school] does not lead to a holy, righteous, and obedience lifestyle for the glory of God, if reading the Bible does not lead to following God’s will, then YOU have mistreated the word of God and you are deceiving yourselves about the reality of our relationship to God. You might have even deceived yourself that you are a Christian when in fact you are not truly a Christian.

If you want to know the scariest passage in the Bible, then is the perfect passage:

Matthew 7:21–23 ESV

“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. 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?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

b. A hearer-only leads to forgetfulness

b. A hearer-only leads to forgetfulness (v.23-24)

b. A hearer-only leads to forgetfulness

James will explain why being a hear-only leads to self-deception. He explains in verse 23-24. READ.

James describes a hearer-only by using an illustration a man who looks at himself in a mirror. And the word “looks intently” means to contemplate, to stare at and think about. It means to look at yourself in a reflective manner. And after looking at himself, he forgets what he was like.

And after looking at himself, he forgets what he was like.

You might think James’ illustration is a bit weird. Who in the world would forget what they look like after looking intently at a mirror, right? However, you need to know that the mirror that James was talking about is very different from the mirror that we have at home.

Reflective mirrors that we have was not invented until the 13th century. During James’ time, the best mirrors that they had were the bronze mirrors. No mirrors produced an accurate image of yourself.

But, unlike today, no mirrors during that time produced an accurate image of yourself. You would have to tilt the mirror in a certain angle to be able to kind of see yourself. The rich people would usually use the mirrors to fix their hair.

You would have to tilt the mirror in a certain angle to be able to kind of see yourself. The rich people would usually use the mirrors to fix their hair.

Additionally, many people had no access to mirrors and they saw themselves rarely. You would not be able to see what you look like after you get out of bed. You would not be able to see if something is stuck between your teeth. You would not know if you need to shave. You might not be able to gel your hair or put on your make-up.

Therefore, that is why many people at the time would naturally forget their own appearance. Oh how we take something a simple as mirror in our daily lives for granted.

So, we know that James is using the illustration as a comparison with the hearer-only person. But, what’s the key point that James is trying to make with the illustration and comparison?

The key point that James wants to make is that a hearer-only can easily lose the memory of God’s Word, if the person doesn’t work hard to put into practice. By failing to practice and do the Word of God, you forget what God saved you for.

Remember ?

James 1:18 ESV

Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

God saved you that you should be God’s new creation. You are a child of God. You are a slave of God. You are a disciple of Jesus. To fail to do the word was forgetting what you had become.

Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We often memorize v.8-9, but we forget v.10. God saved us from sin, but God saved us for a purpose, and that is to be His workmanship. We are created in Christ Jesus for good works that honour and glorify God.

A hearer-only who is forgetful is the person who does not check his own heart and examine his relationship with God. This person fails to see his spiritual status more clearly and assumes his relationship is doing okay. This person does not diligently look at himself and goes out thinking that he looks alright. This person who does fails to check his spiritual status has forgotten what God has done to save him.

The History Of Israel

The history of Israel was not a pleasant one. If you do not know the story of the Bible too well, then you would want to pay attention.

Israel, God’s people, the Jewish people were forgetful people. The Israelites witnessed God’s miracles. They saw God sent 10 plagues. They saw God parted the Red Sea. They saw God’s hand in rescuing them from slavery. After God saved the Israelites from Egypt, these people were committed to obey God’s Word when they were at Mount Sinai. And Moses was at Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights. Now, pay attention to this passage.

Exodus 32:1–4 ESV

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

Exodus 32:1-

The irony is that God was at Mount Sinai with Moses. God was in front of them, and yet they built an idol or a fake god in front of God. They forgot what God has done for them.

In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses instructed the Israelites to REMEMBER to follow God. That word, “Remember,” is used 15 times as a commandment. Remember.

Before we criticize the Israelites for their forgetfulness, let me warn you that we are no different from them. If we say that they are stupid people and question why they’re like this, then you have spoken judgment upon yourself because you are what you criticize the Israelites for.

Look at verse 25, “being no hearer who forgets.”

The point is not forgetting the lesson that I taught two weeks. The point of this forgetful person is the failure to do what he heard. This forgetful person fails to take God’s Word to heart. This forgetful person does not do anything about the word. This forgetful person does not care about the word.

How can we deal with the problem of self-deception and forgetfulness? James offers the solution:

You don’t need to be a scholar to understand what “doer” means. You need to practice the Word, obey the Word, and live out the Word. So, here are the points that are all from verse 25.

a. A doer takes a closer look at the Word

A doer takes a closer look at the Word

James says, “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty.”

The word “looks” literally means to “bend over” or to “stoop” in order to look closely. It’s the same word used in

John 20:5 ESV

And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

After looking intently John came to believe.

John 20:8 ESV

Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;

To be a doer of the word, you must take a closer look at the word. If you do not read the word, then how can you be a doer of the word. Of course, you should also study the Word so that you would know how to apply the text to your life. For instance, should you sacrifice animals on the altar, as commanded to the Israelites? I would suggest read the New Testament, read the gospels, Paul’s letters and all the other letters, and pay attention to their instructions, and do them!

If you do not know what to apply, then text me or call me.

The theme of perseverance appears again; only it is in a different context. The first was dealing with trials. This one deals with obedience to God’s word. Nonetheless, both contexts are not against each other. For to persevere through trials, believers must also persevere in obedience to God’s Word and not abandon it.

The law of liberty. In your NIV, it may say, “the perfect law that gives freedom or liberty.”

The law that James is talking about is speaking about God’s Word in a broader sense. We may often view the law as something restrictive and boundary. But, the boundary is meant to give us freedom to do the things within the boundary so that we do not walk outside of the boundary and enter into danger.

James later will talk about the royal law quoted from Moses and from Jesus.

There is freedom and joy to obey Christ ().The law is meant to free believers to freely obey. This was fulfilled by God who puts His law in our hearts ().The strength to obey God does not ultimately come from us; it comes from God. The reason we are able to obey God freely is because of God’s grace and mercy upon sinners.

This liberty is speaking of the freedom and joy to obey Christ ().

Galatians 5:1 ESV

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

The law is meant to free believers to freely obey. This was fulfilled by God who puts His law in our hearts ().

Jeremiah 31:31–34 ESV

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

The strength to obey God does not ultimately come from us; it comes from God. The reason we are able to obey God freely is because of God’s grace and mercy upon sinners.

b. Doing The Word Takes Perseverance

God’s favour and blessings would be on His people who obey His word. If you are a Christian and you are not doing His Word, then you forfeit the blessing that God offers to you.

What does this blessing look like?

There is joy in obedience.

There is happiness.

There is a deeper relationship with God.

Through obedience, we become all that God has meant us to become, which is to be holy and be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ.

God will reward His people for being faithful to Him. ()

Psalm 19:7–11 ESV

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Conclusion

A few years ago, when I taught on the theme of holiness in our 2016 youth retreat. Some youth asked a question about God’s grace and living holiness. Their concern was how to reconcile the tension between God’s grace and holiness. We saved by God’s grace, so why is there a need to live a holy life or a life of obedience?

Let me say this upfront and say that the Bible has absolutely no tension with itself. The problem is not with the Bible, but the problem is within us. We may only care about reading the parts that we like, and we may try to dismiss the other parts of Scripture that we do not like.

Let me say this upfront and say that the Bible has absolutely no tension with itself. The problem is not with the Bible, but the problem is within us.

Experiencing God’s grace in salvation always leads faithful obedience ().

Titus 2:11–14 ESV

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Practical Christianity teaches us that our obedience to God’s Word is deeply rooted in God’s grace as shown in Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.

How do you know if you are truly a Christian? The evidence that you are truly a Christian is that you are growing in your love and desire for God and His Word. If you say you love Jesus, then you would keep His commandments.

What will you do with the Word? Just as Sally needs to actually do the word and clean up her room, so we as Christians are to be doers of God’s Word.

Will you be a hearer AND doer of the Word? Or will you be a hearer of the word only and not a doer?

Jesus Christ was a hearer AND doer of the Word. He listened to His Father’s Words and did them. Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life in obedience to His Father. Because Christ was both a hearer and doer, He voluntarily and joyfully went to the cross to die for sinners so that your sins can be forgiven, and so that you no longer live for yourself, but you live to honour your Lord and Saviour. And so, will you joyfully and gladly be a doer of the word?

Because Christ was both a hearer and doer, He voluntarily and joyfully went to the cross to die for sinners

Is your obedience motivated by guilt or peer pressure or simply being a good person? This kind of motivation will not lasts.

Or is your obedience motivated by God’s grace and love as revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Word of God? Has the Lord spoken to you personally and convicted you to stop walking away from the mirror so quickly and examine it? What will you do with the word?

If you want to be doers of God’s Word, then what does loving your neighbour as yourselves in this youth group look like? What does it look like for you to love someone you do not know?

If you want to be doers of God’s Word, then will you sacrifice your time and energy to serve the Lord? We have many opportunities for you to serve God in this church. Don’t simply come and hear the word only on Sunday school and leave. Come, do the word, and serve your brothers and sisters in Christ.

If you want to be doers of God’s Word, then would you tell your non-Christian friends about the gospel? You can invite your friends to church, but do more than that! Tell them about Jesus! Tell them why you go to church. Tell them how God has transformed your life if you are a believer.

All of you go to school. You’re learning social-studies, science, math, and etc. Sometimes, some subjects are more academic and theoretical as opposed to practical. You’re learning to be a critical thinker, you’re learning to reason and write essays/arguments.

And during James’ time, there was a philosophy known as Stoicism. It taught that knowledge is the highest virtue. The wise people are those who have knowledge and reasoning through learning and information. You can say that the wise people are those who are smart and intellectual people.

But, I am going to push back and say that some the smartest and the most intellectual people in the world are not the wisest people. I know people, who have a Master’s degree, who do not know even know how to handle their money well. (Don’t you think it is important and practical to know how to save money and spend money?) I have heard men with Ph.Ds who do not know how to love their wives, and as a result it lead to divorce. (Don’t you think it is important and practical to know how to deal with relationships and marriages?) And unfortunately,

How do you know if you are truly a Christian? The evidence that you are truly a Christian is that you are growing in your love and desire for God and His Word. If you say you love Jesus, then you would keep His commandments.

Some of you may have heard of the gospel many times. You may know and believe that God is created you to glorify Him. You may know and believe that you have sinned against a holy and righteous God. You may know that because of your sins, you are separated from a saving relationship with God. You may know that because you are a sinner, you deserve eternal condemnation in hell. You may also know that God demonstrated His love for us by sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for sinners. You may know that the only way for you to have eternal life is to repent of your sins and trust Jesus Christ for salvation. However, as I have been repeated, you may KNOW, you may have KNOWLEDGE of these glorious truths in the Bible, but you have not truly responded in repentance of sins and true faith in Christ.

What Will You Do With The Word? (Part 2)

Big Idea: You Must Respond To The Word!

1. Don’t Respond By Only Being A Hearer Of The Word.

a. A hearer-only leads to self-deception (v.22b)

a. A hearer-only leads to self-deception (v.22b)

b. A hearer-only leads to forgetfulness (v.23-25)

b. A hearer-only leads to forgetfulness (v.23-25)

2. Respond By Being A Doer Of The Word (v.25)

a. A doer takes a closer look at the Word

b. A doer perseveres in doing the law

c. A doer is free to obey and love God

d. A doer is blessed by God