Why Good Intentions Aren't Enough Series

NOTE:

This is a manuscript, and not a transcript of this message. The actual presentation of the message differed from the manuscript through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is possible, and even likely that there is material in this manuscript that was not included in the live presentation and that there was additional material in the live presentation that is not included in this manuscript.

› Engagement

Margaret Thatcher once said:

No-one would remember the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions; he had money as well.

I think she’s only partially correct. It’s not just the fact that the Good Samaritan had money; it was he was willing to do with his money that makes him memorable.

As we continue our journey through the book of James this morning, we’re going to see that

If I want to be more like Jesus good intentions are not enough

› Tension

I’m pretty sure that most of you joining us here this morning came with good intentions. You genuinely want to worship God. You want to know what His Word says and you really do want to apply what you’ll learn here today. But the real test of whether you’ve actually worshiped today will come over the next days and weeks when you either turn those good intentions into action or you fail to do so.

› Truth

Today’s message is the third in our Faith Works series as we work our way through the book of James. So far in the first chapter we’ve looked at James’ very practical instruction regarding how to handle the trials in our lives and how to triumph over temptation. And we’ll need to remember that context as we close out that chapter this morning. Go ahead and follow along as I read beginning in verse 19:

James 1:19–27 ESV

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

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.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Perhaps the biggest danger with this passage is that we will take all or part of it and divorce it from the surrounding context and draw some conclusions that might even be correct, but which aren’t really what James is trying to teach here.

Let me illustrate. Take a look at verse 19 again. Now if you were just to read that verse on its own, what would you say would be the main idea? It’s probably one that you’ve heard before. [Wait for answers]

That’s right, we’ve all heard the adage that we should listen twice as much as we talk because God gave us only one mouth and two ears. And that’s not necessarily bad advice and it’s a principle that we do find elsewhere in the Bible. However that is not the point James is trying to get across here.

Let’s see if we can see what he is trying to teach by taking a look at the context. I’m going to just read several verses in this chapter and see if you can identify the common theme. Let’s begin by going back to the last verse of the passage we looked at last week:

James 1:18 ESV

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

James 1:21 ESV

21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:22 ESV

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

James 1:23 ESV

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.