Mirror, mirror…
INTRODUCTION
How many mirrors do you have in your house? (Make a game out of it.) I think I only have two, but I bet my wife can correct me.
How many different types of mirrors do you have?
- compact mirror for your purse
- handle mirror
- cosmetic magnifying mirror
- decorative mirror
- full length mirror
We may have different types of mirrors and multiple mirrors, but basically they all have the same common purpose. Tonight as we discuss some spiritual truths we first need to establish “the mirror”, which is God’s Word. God’s word acts like a mirror for our souls.
James 1:22-25
“DO not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. DO what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not DO what it says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to DO this, not forgetting what he has heard, but DOING it – he will be blessed in what he does.”
The Mirror of God’s Word
Examination is the main purpose for having a mirror. Think about it. You check yourself out… make sure that there is nothing stuck in your teeth…pop that zit…
a. The Casual Glance –
Maybe it’s just a guy thing, or maybe it’s because I’ve already bagged a wife, but I really don’t spend a whole lot of time in front of the mirror. Some of you may be thinking I should spend a bit more time there, and I thank you for your vote of confidence. But to be honest, I look in the mirror to do my hair in the morning, and I don’t look back. I’m a casual mirror looker. Some people need to spend a ton of time, repeatedly even, in front of a mirror to get everything just right, but that’s just not me.
Sometimes we treat God’s Word with the “casual glance” and it drastically affects our “spiritual look”.
A casual look into God’s Word is like using that little compact mirror. You use it to see if your mascara is smeared or if there’s a booger hanging out you nose, but it doesn’t give you a big detailed picture of the rest.
When we casually read God’s Word so that we can get that “check” on our to do list, we accomplish very little.
Reading God’s Word should never become a religious exercise that we perform to appease our conscience.
Instead of taking just a casual glance in the mirror of God’s Word, we need to take a…
b. A Closer Look –
A closer look involves study and meditation. It’s kind of like using that cosmetic magnifying mirror. We need to use God’s Word to show us who we truly are – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Taking a closer look will help us:
- Discover how He uniquely created us, loves us, and has a perfect plan for our lives.
- See the principles of life that He has laid out for us to live the ultimate life.
- Show us the flaws, the sin that gets in the way of us growing and becoming the beautiful people that He desires us to be.
King David knew how to take a closer look. Let’s read what he penned in Psalm 119:9-16.
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your Word…I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you…I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.”
In this process of examination, once we take that closer look, now it’s time to…
c. Taking Action
The message transliteration of this verse says, “Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.”
Us church people are so good at reading about what we could and should do. If fact, we are even better at talking about it. Unfortunately, when it come to taking action, we don’t look so good in that mirror. You see, we have a tendency to “forget who we are, what we look like”. Weather it be the distractions from the affairs of this world, or just simple laziness, I think we can all admit that we need to do a better job at “doing”. The blessing comes in the doing!
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7:24-27)
Closing Application:
So we’ve taken that “closer look” in the mirror of God’s Word tonight. We’ve maybe seen some things in us that we don’t really like. The magnifying mirror of God’s Word has revealed some flaws. What do we do now? Will some cover girl make-up do the trick? Not exactly.
Jesus said in John 15:3, “Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken to you.”
Paul in Ephesians 5:26 states that the church is cleansed “with the washing of water by the word.”
1. To look good in the mirror of God’s Word we first need to be washed by it. Titus 3:5(b) says that “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
Tonight as you look into the mirror of God’s Word and you don’t look like you should, it’s you night to start over…
Admit…
Believe…
Commit your life to Him!
2. The rest of us, we need to take some serious action and DO what God’s Word is telling us!
Paul continues in Titus 3:8, “And I want to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to DOING what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.”
Maybe you’re here, you’ve looked in the mirror tonight and you’ve been challenged to make some changes…to take action!
- To study His Word rather than just casually read it as a job.
- To remove some flaws from your life.
- To live out the Great Commission!
Altar – Read James 1:25 in the message
– full-length mirrors for students to look at and pray
