Mirror, Mirror. (Hix) Series

Mirror, Mirror Sept. 25, 2011

James 1:22-25-But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

I heard about the guy who came to church late. He walked in just as the service was completing. He said to an usher, "Is the sermon done, yet?" The usher was wise and said, "The sermon has been preached, but it is yet to be done." Be ye doers of the word, don't merely listen. Put it into practice.

LOOKS INTO:

1.direct eyes at something: to turn the eyes toward or on something What are you looking at? Look me in the eye.

2. use eyes to search: to use the eyes to examine, watch, or find somebody or something We looked everywhere.

3. consider something: to direct the attention toward something in order to consider it Let's look at the possible options.

There are two ways you can look at a mirror. You can stare into it or you can glance at it.

God wants us to stare into the word.

Continues In It:

We are to meditate on God’s word, we are to think about what we read are heard!

Psalm 119:11-Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

Psalm 119:15-16-I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways.

I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.

Psalm 119:97-Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

Hebrews 2:1-Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.

What are you doing about what you already know about God’s word?

Are you obeying the things that you have been taught about God’s word?

“Too many Christians mark their Bibles, but their Bibles never mark them!”

The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could.

One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?"

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water."

The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house.

The grandfather laughed and said, "You will have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.

This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.

The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!"

"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket." The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was clean.

"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.

That is the work of God in our lives. To change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of His son. Take time to read a portion of God's word each day.