Swift to Hear, Slow to Speak, Slow to Wrath
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
There is much in this passage that you and I could benefit from.
We’ve studied these concepts before:
Doers vs. hearers
Bridling the tongue
Pure religion
The source of sin and temptation
But one particular verse in this passage came to my mind over and over again this week.
There is a principle In this passage that seems so basic, that we would consider even cliche, having gone to church for so long.
It’s something that we hardly give, I think, any thought to anymore because we've heard it so many times; but there is a principal right here in this passage that would solve so many of the issues that we are facing in this day and age; and that you are facing in your home, at your job, with your kids, with your wife, in the church,
There is a principal here in this passage, in James chapter number one, that if you would just apply it in every day of your life, in every conversation, your life would be so much better.
It seems that Christians, church-going christians, and deacons, and yes, even Pastors, have widely abandoned this Bible Truth.
(Motivation in verse 18)
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Swift to Hear
Swift to Hear
Listen twice as much as you speak.
Everyone needs someone who is willing to listen
Relationships
Job
Marriage
Church
Slow to Speak
Slow to Speak
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise:
And he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin:
But he that refraineth his lips is wise.
Aesop’s Fable — donkey in a lion skin
Your opinion is not as unique and important as you think
Slow to Wrath
Slow to Wrath
He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding:
But he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
Quote — “ Many church fights are the result of short tempers and hasty words.”
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 347). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Example of Christ on the Cross