James: Doers of the Word
Notes
Transcript
What does God want them to know? To be doers of the Word
Why? It transformers and renews us and makes us strong and others
What does God want them to do? Be doers of the Word
Why? It transformers and renews us and makes us strong and others
INTRO
How many of you have heard knowledge is power?
That if you know something or more about something amass and knowledge you will then by definition have power
How many of you have heard this or said this or been taught this?
Teachers
Pastors
Friends
Family members
But is it true, thought a lot of people say it, that knowledge is power?
Sort of
it is a half truth
Knowledge is power and transformative if it is put into action.
We see in the natural
I can read a lot of books on how to handle my money, attend seminars, go to school in econmics, get a Ph. D., write a book, have a podcast on money.
But I can be broke if I do not put what have learned to action
it will make little benefit to my life if I know a lot but do not put it to action.
Same with health
I can learn, study, teach, how to be physically healthy, emotionally healthily, spiritually healthty, have podcasts, get a Ph.D.
but if I never take a day off, if I only eat sugar and fast food does it matter how much I know
In similar way James is going to say IT IS GOOD TO KNOW, BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO KNOW....KNOWLEDGE NEEDS LEGS especially in regards to our faith, we need to know the the Word is useless, powerless, non-transformative if it is not put into action.
1 of the 6 ways our faith grows our faith
review
Spiritual practices
Christian community
Ministering
Defining moments opportunties or trials
Belong to a church
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
What does James say?
we are to be doers of the WORD
does this mean we are not to hear
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
How do we hear the Word of God?
when the church gathers
Sundays and small groups and bonfires
When we spend time in the word ourselves
Listen to Christian podcast and sermons
BUT IT CANNOT STAY THERE
There plenty the of things we can learn we are blessed with so many free study tools or teachers.
BUT IF WE JUST HEAR and study and memorized…does it matter??
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.
For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
James said a person who hears the Word and does nothing about it is a like a man or woman who looks in the mirror and sees the blemish or their food on your face, or hair is out of control and does nothing about it.
The WORD of GOD is like a mirror to us, it is mirror that shows how to live.
Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Take for example
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
We are not to say that is good! I am writing that down…I am putting it on my fridge dry eraze board…but if we don’t do anything…does it matter?
Nor are we to only use the mirror as a weapon…
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
We know you have a log in your eye
Yes help a brother or sister out…but the WORD of God is not to be abused and misused
are we being quick to hear? The old saying God has given us to ears and one mouth a reason
Slow to speak, slow to become angry
That I read this verse and I am see that I am not quick to listen but short tempered…I confess and say God help me.
Pharisees were not only hears of the Word but they were teachers but their religious practices were for not because they were not real DOERS of the WORD
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them.
Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
They did not live holy lives
Be a doer and not just a listener of the WORD and TEACHER OF THE WORD
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.
You will be blessed
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
James furthers this and says
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
What good is it?
What good is it for you to know how to be healthy if you do not do the things to become healthy?
What good is it to
put a religious views as Christian on Facebook if there is no Christian works…we don’t look like, act like, resemble Jesus
what good is it if you wear Christian t-shirts or crosses or bumper stickers if you are know more by the unGodly words that come out of your mouth then Godly
James gives and example
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
What does it matter?
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
1. Know we are to Love our neighbor as ourself but do not do it?
That we to exude the fruits of the Spirit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
2. LOVE GOD but yet do not spend time with God or TITHE God’s money?
3. Say we have faith that God can do the impossilbe but don’t live that way?
4. Prayer works
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
5. Priest but we don’t live as a priest
called
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Holy one, but we don’t act Holy
James then adds to his point
FAITH THAT IS ALIVE
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
The demons have a grasp of theology, they could probably teach a theology class, but that doesn’t make them a believer.
It is FAITH plus ACTION that makes our faith alive
When live like we should
What happens? BAD THINGS?
BLESSED
you will have life
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
OTHERS BLESSED
Because we become Jesus to the world
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
STRONG
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”