BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE
James 1:19-27
First I want to thank you all for being here. I thought you would find these messages too convicting and quit coming. Even Simone finds them convicting because she was meowing at me yesterday when I was writing this out. Then she went back to licking herself.
I think by now it’s very evident that there is not much theology in James is there? Well not like you saw in John’s gospel. For example we haven’t seen the reason Jesus came have we? Anybody remember why He came? And nothing about His miracles is there? The fact that you and I believe is a miracle. And remember we weren’t there when Jesus did these. We believed in Him anyway, and remember we are blessed. Remember Jesus’ words to Thomas?
John 20:29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
In my country we have 5 branches of the armed forces; the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Marine Corps. There is also the Coast Guard, but their function is different than the above branches as they are not in combat except in war time.
All branches of the armed forces are actively recruiting new members as others leave or retire. And each branch of course wants you to join them. I remember when I went to talk to the Navy recruiter at 2 different recruiting stations how an Army recruiter tried to fast talk me into signing up with them instead of the Navy. One recruiter asked me why I wanted to join the Navy. I started by telling him how my father was in the Navy and he immediately interrupted me saying, “Oh so you’re joining the Navy just because your father did.” He didn’t let me finish giving my reasons I wanted to join the Navy. He went on to tell me how it his job to deal honestly with anyone he talks to bla bla bla. I think he was just trying to fill his quota.
Another time I was waiting for my recruiter at who had signed me up at my home recruiting station. The Army representative was there. Notice I said Army representative, not Army recruiter. I’ll tell you why later. He asked me what I was going to do in the Navy. I told him I did not know yet. He told me that with the Army I know what I’m going to do before I go in and it’s guaranteed in writing. There was another man waiting for the Marine recruiter, and the Army representative did everything he could to get him to sign up and go in and take the entrance tests the next day. I asked the Army representative how long he had been an Army recruiter. He corrected me saying, “I’m not an Army recruiter, I’m an Army representative.” I asked him what’s the difference, to which he replied, “You tell me. What does a recruiter do?” I answered, “He recruits.” He then asked me, “What does a representative do?” I answered, “He represents.” I still joined the Navy and not the Army.
But the armed forces all tried to make themselves look good to get people to sign up for them. The Army once had a motto, “Be all that you can be. Find your future in the Army.”
I want to emphasize be all you can be. The Army believed they could help you realize all that you can be and then help you to be that person. They wanted you to live up to your potential. They didn’t want mediocre soldiers. They wanted solders at their best. That’s what God wants for us. He wants us to be mature Christians. He had James write these very practical words to some believers who were suffering persecution, and to help them be all that they can be. Before I forget let’s remember the Christians in Orissa, India. I got an email yesterday from a friend, and they are suffering some very serious persecution there. Hundreds of churches got blown up or destroyed. More than 5000 Christian families had their homes burned or destroyed. This is all because a Hindu priest and his assistants, who were trying to convert people back to Hinduism was gunned down and the Christians are being blamed for it.
Do you want to be all God wants you to be? James gives us some very practical advice on how not to do it and how to do it. Both have results.
Let’s first see how not to do it. Look at the first 2 verses 19, 20.
James 1:19 ¶ My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
I often hear this verse quoted to me in that I shouldn’t talk so much. But let’s see what James is actually saying. Did you know God gave you 2 ears and one mouth? Because what’s the first thing you want to do when someone tries to correct you? You want to defend yourself! I do. But we need to be good listeners. I read this story several years ago about a woman who was really hurting. She had a lot of questions about her own personal walk with God. She was hurting and I mean hurting. Her husband had been unfaithful, her company was going bankrupt, 2 of her children were rebelling, and she just found out her mother had cancer. She really needed just for someone to give her a hug, pray for her and let her know they cared…just someone who would listen to her. So at a church pot luck, she mustered up all the courage she had to go up to her small group leader, and ask her for her help because she was desperate. Before she could get another sentence out, her small group leader told her, “…the answers are all in the book, just memorize it, I’ll be praying for you.” Would it surprise you if I told you that woman never went back to that church? You know whenever I’m in conversation with someone I find I always want to focus on myself, or tell my story. I was co leading a small group with someone a few years ago, and the other leader brought that to my attention. He said I always directed the conversation back to me. That stung! But he was right. That’s one of the things I need to remember as a pastor, when people come to me they’re going to want me to listen to them; they want to tell me their story. I need to remember that. They’re going to come with their hurts and victories, and they want to be heard. And I need to shutup and listen to them. We all do. Because James tells us something in the next verse, especially about anger.
James 1:20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
Other translations say the righteousness of God. I like the way this one says it. Anger does not bring about the life God desires. We need to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and especially slow to anger. You know why? Uncontrolled anger is something the devil uses and it can destroy you if you continue that way. I got very convicted reading this when someone else wrote that when we are angry or have strong emotions, we should not do anything. Let me repeat that. If you are angry or have very strong emotions about something don’t do anything! Because if you do, you often make a hasty impulsive decision that is not in line with God’s word or His will. And often times it is a decision you will regret. Just go slow and wait. I’ve learned this truth and I’m really trying to grasp it and live by it.
There is a place for righteous anger, as we saw Jesus kick the merchants and money changers out of the temple. But anger that is purely emotional is dangerous. In Japan you have suzumebachi. In my country we have hornets. I haven’t seen them in Texas, but I had a feeling I’d see them in Virginia. Hornets build large paper nests the size of a basketball. They kill a lot of insect pests that we don’t like, so they are helpful in that manner. But they also are very protective of their nests and very easily agitated. If you get close to their nest, they will come out and sting you. And they do sting. I found a hornet’s nest on the side of the house we were staying at in Virginia. I went and got the caretaker and he came with a long stick to hit it. I was inside when he did it, but the hornets came out of the nest and they were absolutely livid. I was by the window and they were hitting up against the window, wanting to sting me through the window. They were livid! I have never seen someone get so angry as those hornets We have a couple of expressions, “as mad as a hornet” or to “stir up a hornets nest.”
This is the kind of anger that does not result in the life God desires for us. Now you might not be able to sting like the hornets, but you can cause physical damage to someone or something. And, we will see this later, but if you speak out of anger, your words can destroy worse if those hornets could sting me.
Proverbs gives us some warning about anger we need to hear.
Proverbs 14:29 A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.
If you have a quick temper everyone will know it and they’ll stay away from you.
Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Whey you respond harshly to someone it will often make them angry and they will respond back to you in the same way.
Do you want to have the righteous life God desires you to have? Then do what James says, be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.
There is another way to do it, and God has given us just what we need, His word. How do you respond to it? Let’s see how to respond and how not to respond.
First we need to receive it.
James 1:21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
You’re going to see that we need to do things the way God wants us to do them and not the way the world wants us to do them. There are certain things we need to get rid of. I said this last time, but there are places I need to stay away from, like the video shops in Akihabara because of their content; they are morally wrong. And there is a lot of evil going on, like the situation in Orissa, India I described.
Instead, and we need to do this with humility, or meekness, accept God’s word. What is your attitude toward God’s word? Is it just another book you read every day or hear messages from, like this one? Is it something you often quote? Or do you receive it as God’s word and live by it. Because you see it can save you. Not the Bible itself. But remember the message of salvation, the gospel is in the Bible. Only Jesus can save you and give you eternal life. Where did this come from?
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Did someone just make that up because they thought it was nice? Remember many people believe that as Christians we’re not the only ones with the truth. All religions lead to heaven. Is that what Jesus said?
We’re to receive God’s word implanted in us. What does it mean to be implanted? Easter Sunday Mrs Wada brought some flowers for KC and told me to go plant them. So I dug holes for them, put them in, and poured water on them. They were implanted. I got a better example of this. Have any of you ever had an ingrown toenail. I understand the word, makizume, means “rolled toenail.” Whatever you want to call it, it hurt. The nail actually grows into the skin just under the nail. I’ve had them before and they usually get better on their own, or I can just put cotton under it and that helps. Not this one. It hurt and was not getting any better. I knew I needed to see a doctor. And thanks to the expertise and outstanding surgical skills of Chihoko’s husband, it’s gone.
We’re to receive God’s word like it’s ingrown. You see it was not given just to entertain us or make us smarter sinners. No, it was given to make us like Jesus.
What happens if we don’t receive it like this, or act on it? These next 3 verses will tell us, but in short we are only fooling ourselves.
James 1:22 ¶ Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Right now you are actually listening to the word. I am listening to it when I study these passages and prepare my messages. But it shouldn’t stop there. If it does, you are being deceived. Do any of you remember what my message was on last week? Do you remember what Pastor Takao spoke on today? Do any of you remember what you read this morning?
If you only listen to the word, and do not do what it says, James says you are deceiving yourselves.
I’ve often heard this passage used on how to listen to a message. That is not really the purpose of this message, but let me give you a couple ideas.
I had a friend teach this passage, and he said when he listens to a message he listens as if it is being said just for him. It’s like he is having a personal conversation with the pastor.
Another idea is to remember this is for you. Not the person sitting next to you, or someone else, but you. I’ve seen the pastor make a point, and a husband and wife are sitting together, and the wife often nudges her husband. Or you might hear something and think, “I wish John was here, he really needs to hear that.” No, YOU need to hear it. God is speaking to you. Let Him worry about the person sitting next to you or the person who is not here.
And let’s remember to do what it says.
What if you only listen to the word, and don’t do what it says? Remember, James gives very good illustrations of this.
James 1:23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror
James 1:24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
When I was in seminary and took preaching classes, we were always supposed to use illustrations to show our point. I have several books with hundreds of illustrations, in case I can’t come up with my own. I think James does it much better than I can.
How much time do you spend in front of the mirror each day? For me, as little as I have to. Mostly when shaving and combing my hair. And did you notice that James is referring to a man? Because I’m a man and I don’t spend any more time in front of the mirror than I have to. Not so for women. If you see something you don’t like you’ll be there for another 20 minutes fixing it. I don’t drive in Japan, but in my country often when driving to work in the morning, at stop lights I often notice women putting on their eye make up.
But like James says, the man looking at himself in the mirror and going away forgets what he looks like. This is the same for the one who only listens to God’s word and does not do it. Is this you? Or better yet, is this me?
You see there are two kinds of people, hearers and doers. Or James amplifies that and we see a forgetful hearer or effectual doer. Look at verse 25.
James 1:25 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.
God’s word is not just to be given a casual glance but an intent look. In other words, do you just read your Bible, close it and forget what you just read? I’m reading through the OT prophets and I have to admit, they are not easy to understand, and I often find myself forgetting what I just read about.
The Bible Church movement started about 35 years ago in my country. Most pastors were in denominational churches like Baptist churches, Methodist churches or Presbyterian churches. The Bible church movement came as a result of Christians not being faithfully taught the Bible. So these churches would make teaching the Bible the main point of their services. Often their chapels looked like classrooms. You would go in, sing a song or two, then the pastor would give his message; often 40 or 50 minutes. There might be a handout for you to take notes on. Or if not, you would just bring your own notebook to take notes on. Of course, you would come back Sunday night to hear the next message. And if you were really committed, you would also come to the Wednesday night Bible study, and prayer meeting if there was one. I once attended a church where the pastor’s primary gift was teaching the Bible. He gave the message at both the Sunday morning and evening services. He also gave the message at the Wednesday night Bible study. Notice I said Wednesday night Bible study, not Wednesday night prayer meeting. There wasn’t a prayer meeting. I was very thankful to sit under this pastor’s teaching. I’ve said of him, that I don’t know a man who’s mind was more saturated with the word of God than him. He read through the whole Bible every month. As a matter of fact, he was not available in the morning because that was his devotional time. He knew the Bible, he taught it and most importantly he lived by it.
I was also an adult sponsor for our high school group. And I remember our youth pastor tell us at a staff meeting that the main criticism of the Bible church is that people just go there and soak up Bible teaching. I was very active in the singles ministry at this church when I started going there. There was a time of singing and of course a time of teaching, then we broke up into prayer groups. I always enjoyed being taught the word of God. Now we have excellent Bible teaching with Pastor Takao. When I come on Sunday s and Wednesdays to prayer meeting I see many people writing notes on the message. I appreciate it when people make notes on my messages because it means they are serious about it. But does it stop there? If so, you are like the man who just looks at himself in the mirror and walks away. You can have all the Bible knowledge in the world, but if you are not living by it, you are the person James is describing. You’re only deceiving yourself.
Someone said that the Bible is a surgeon’s scalpel, foot lamp, school teacher, bread, meat and milk. Is it that to you?
But if you are one, who not only listens to the word but does it, like James says here, you are blessed. I need to clarify something on the law that James is referring to. Most people don’t find the law liberating, they find it restricting with all these things you can’t do. I’ve shared this one before, but when I was 8 years old, my mother took my sister and I to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. It’s big with many buildings. You’ll need to spend several days there if you want to see everything. We went into the Museum of Natural History and there was this large whale. I had been interested in whales, because we had read Moby Dick and I liked looking at pictures of whales in the encyclopedia. And so I was really excited to see the whale. I wanted to see what it felt like. But there was a sign on the whale that read, “DO NOT TOUCH.” I didn’t like that. I wanted to know what it felt like. And I touched the whale. My mother reminded me that the sign said “DO NOT TOUCH.” I didn’t like that. Itt was restrictive.
Remember what Jesus said about the law? He came to fulfill it.
Matthew 5:17 ¶ "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
When we follow God’s law it really is liberating. Because you see someone wrote that liberty comes when we are free from sin and it’s consequences. As a matter of fact Paul really put it well.
Romans 8:2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
When we are not bound by the law of sin and death we really are free. And if we really pay attention to God’s word and do it, we will be blessed. Remember we are blessed if we do.
If we are doers of God’s word, what does that look like? We’ll see in the last 2 verses. There are 2 aspects of this.
James 1:26 ¶ If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
The first one has to do with our speech. We’ll see more about this in a few weeks, but for now we need to be careful what we say. Or as James says, keep a tight rein on your tongue. Do any of you know how to ride a horse? You control a horse with a rein. I don’t remember who I was asking about this, but I learned to ride a horse when I was 10 years old. We were told how to hold the reins. Because this is how we control the horse. I remember my riding teacher telling me, “you need to show that horse who is boss.” This is what we need to do with our tongues. We’ll see in a few weeks the damages our tongues can do.
James says a lot about deception. I always remember a 7th grade geography teacher telling me when I said I left my homework at home, I was only fooling myself. You know it’s good to take a long look in the mirror and see what is really there. I can give a whole message on that but I won’t. I listened to a song yesterday by Evie, a Christian singer from back in the 1970’s called “Mirror.” I’ll just play it for you. But remember Evie sings, “Until you find Him in the mirror, you’ve got a long long way to go.”
What do we think of when we hear someone is religious? We often equate it with externals, like going to church, prayer meetings and things like that. Often we think of it as external acts of piety. But as we see, if you can’t control your speech, your religion is worthless. Because often times the best indicator of whether one is a Christian is his or her speech. The way you talk in church is one thing. How you address that waiter at the restaurant or flight attendant on a 777 is another thing. But often the way you talk is an indication of where you really are. In 1 Timothy 3 Paul lists the qualifications for an elder or a deacon.
The Pharisees were great on all the externals. But when it came to the internals they scored 0.
Remember in James the emphasis is on doing. What does religion look like for someone who is a doer of God’s word?
James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James describes it in 2 ways, our helping those distressed, and not being stained by the world. We see the first one all over the Bible. A good example of this was Elijah, in 1 Kings 17 when he was sent to help a widow. He restored her son to life.
This is not a complete list of what a mature Christian is, but acts of love and service to others and living a holy life are 2 of them. There are many opportunities for both of these. There is a group of women who go to King’s Garden every month to help. Last week we had the church bazaar. I heard a lot of money came in. And there were many who were not church members who came to it. One of my English students did.
This is what is pleasing to Jesus. See there is a difference between merely external adherence to the law v inner goodness seen in acts of love and service, and living a holy life before God.
Next week in my country we will elect a new President. There is a lot of concern among Christians about our freedom of religion. Now I know it is guaranteed in the Constitution, but it looks like that applies for everyone except the Christians. Right now, we are free to read God’s word, listen to it, put it into practice. We might not always have that freedom. In China they don’t have it. In Orissa, India, the Christians are being blamed for the death of the Hindu priest and his helpers. God’s word might not always be available to us like it is now. So let’s be the person James describes who hear the word, and are blessed. It will be evident in everything we do. And we will be all that we can be. Or better yet, we will be all that God wants us to be. Let’s pray.
