Don't be Fooled
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
What are you doing?
What are you doing?
As you turn in you Bibles to James chapter 1 this morning, I have a question for you.
Who wants to hear the voice of God this morning and obey it? That should be everyone’s goal here this morning right? You don’t want to hear from me, you should want to meet God here this morning. Listen to want God wants you to do amen? Let’s look at our text this morning.
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.
What does our passage this morning say about God? Look at verse 25
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.
God’s word is perfect. God is perfect He lacks nothing. What else?
The law of liberty let’s pause a moment and ponder that. How many people feel liberated by laws. Typically we feel restricted right? But God’s law sets us free.
As turn to what des this passage say about man. We must be careful. This is a passage that can easily be misrepresented and misunderstood. The warning from verse 22 seems pretty clear doesn’t it?
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
This flies in the face of the pray a prayer write it in the back of your Bible and never doubt it doesn’t it? This has a serious warning for us.
We can’t just come here Sunday morning and listen to another good sermon and walk away without applying it and think we are being obedient to Jesus can we? Because what does the end of verse 25 say?
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.
We want to be careful. We want to make sure we understand and make sure we follow the instructions of the Lord provide to us by James. We know that Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. As far as saving ourselves are righteous acts are as filthy rags. So our works don’t save us so why is James making a big deal about them?
Because our hearts are desperately sick. As fallen humans we are all prone to deception. What deception is that? We can come and hear the instructions of the Lord and feel good about the truth we hear but walk away and forget it all and fail to apply it. Look back at verse 25, the blessing only comes after what? Only after we act on the truth we hear here this morning. If you look into this perfect law, this law of liberty, that is the law that has the ability to set you free and walk away and don’t apply it. Your attendance here this morning is in vain.
What is true freedom?
“Freedom is not the ability to do whatever you want. Freedom is the strength of character to do what is good, true, noble, and right.”
“Freedom is not the ability to do whatever you want. Freedom is the strength of character to do what is good, true, noble, and right.”
~ Matthew Kelly