"Extreme Makeover -- Faith Edition"
James 1:19-27
- start message wearing two different kinds of shoes.
OPEN: How many people are familiar with the show Extreme Makeover? The most popular version of this show was actually a spin-off of the original version. The version most familiar is the one which would find a family who had fallen upon hard times and provide them with a newly remolded home. (there was actually a family living in Voluntown that received one of these) The original version of this show however was a little more personal. The producers would find a person who wasn't satisfied with they way the looked and they would provide them with a personal extreme makeover. It involved a new haircut, a new hair color, help with makeup and a new wardrobe and such. But it didn't stop there. It went beyond hair and makeup and clothes to include things like plastic surgery, nose jobs and tummy tucks and adjustments to whatever other area the participant thought might need surgical improvement. When it comes to having makeovers our culture is obsessed about the wrong things. We are more worried about the size of our thighs, than the size of our lies. In a world of mixed up makeovers I though it might be interesting to spend some time thinking about what kind of makeover Jesus would give us.
Context: We been studying our way through the book of James. And what James has been saying throughout this book is that you ought to have a faith that changes your life. James was the half-brother of Jesus Christ. Once he came to an understanding of who Jesus is and His relationship to him -- everything changed. He went through a personal extreme makeover. And that's the norm for everyone by the way. Everything that Jesus interacted with went through an extreme makeover. His first miracle - the wedding at Cana -- he changed water into wine. As he interacted with people he demonstrated his amazing ability to change situations: the blind would see, the deaf would heal, the leprous would be cleansed - the demon possessed were set free -- even the dead were resurrected. When people saw the disciples after the resurrection they took note although they were just ordinary run-of-the-mill folk they were now dramatically different. But now they were radically different because they had spent time with Jesus. I had a couple of conversations with people after the memorial service for John yesterday and they remarked how they had seen this extreme change in John. I told them that what they saw was the norm not an aberration. You can really encounter Jesus and not go through an Extreme Makeover. In fact I would go as far to say that if you say you've encountered Jesus and there hasn't been some kind of major redirection in your life -- something that makes you stand in contrast to the world and culture we live in -- you haven't really met him yet.
And that's really what James has been helping us understand up to this point in this book.
I respond different to my trials James 1:1-11
I respond differently to my temptations James 1:12-18
I respond differently to the Word of God James 1:19-27
The issue here is a response to the Word. Verse 18, the Word of truth is mentioned. Verse 21, the implanted Word is mentioned. Verse 22, be doers of the Word is mentioned. It is called in verse 23 a glass or a mirror. It is called in verse 25 the perfect law of liberty into which you look. The Word of God is the theme. And when he says here "be quick to listen," he means to listen to what? To the Word of God. It's how you respond to the Word of God that is his concern. - the word of God is used by God to come into our life and make us different. If you make the Bible a part of your life --you will never be the same person again. It will cause radical changes to happen in your life.
Learn How to Listen:
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. (James 1:19-20)
OK, so why does he write this? Well he is addressing an attitude here that has to be in place if in fact you are going to respond to the Bible the way God is looking for you to respond. It's an attitude we don't do very well with here in the good ole USA. In our culture we are (for the most part) do just the exact opposite. We are quick to speak and very slow to listen. How do I know that -- because I'm one of you. I hate this about myself, but many times as I am listening to a person, externally what I am doing is going "uh-huh, yes, I see, uh-huh) but internally what is happening is I am formulating what I am going to say back to you to negate or counteract what you are saying to me. In my arrogance and pride I somehow think that what I think I need to say to you is far more important than what you think you have to say to me. Have you ever met a person who is totally absolutely completely unrelenting in their particular point of view. And they will not stop until you agree with them? Well to be honest I guess that's been me too many times. But I also think is one of the defining characteristics of most people in our culture. Turn on your television to any kind of a talk show and just watch what happens-- everyone thinks that unless they are talking, they are wasting their time. Listening to someone else and processing what is being said and considering their ideas and concepts I think has become a lost art in our culture. Think of how many arguments you could have avoided if you didn't talk so much. And why is it that we want the floor and we want to keep talking and talking and talking and talking? Because we think that what we have to say is more informed and more important than what the other person has to say, right? Or maybe it is something more basic -- perhaps we simply lack self-control.
One way or the other though it is rooted in our pride. For the most part -- we are the exact opposite of what James tells us to do here. We are slow to listen -- fast to speak -- and very quick to become angry. Why do we get angry? -- because the other person won't agree with me. We get like a little child crying throwing a temper tantrum because we can't have our way. If we listened more and talked less -- the Bible says even a fool seems wise if he keeps his mouth shut.
Now James is talking about listening to what? The Word of God. He calls it the Word of Truth. What he is saying is that you will experience an extreme makeover in your life if you listen to the Word of God. You can ask yourself the question...you can do a little inventory...do you hunger for that? Or is it a burden for you? Are you always checking your watch? Are you coming under constraint? Could you take it or leave it? Do you really have a tremendous desire to learn? Do you long to grow? Do you have an appetite for the Word? Do you hunger to know God's Word? "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:11) "Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart." (Psalm 119:111)
Ill. -- Ill of 13 year old on the news this week who successfully climbed Mt Everest. I read a story about another amazing athelete. age 33, Erik Weihenmayer is a phenomenal athlete who loves to skydive, snow ski and climb mountains. Mountain climbing is his specialty. As a matter of fact, he is on track to be one of the youngest to climb all of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each of the continents. In 1995 he scaled Mt. McKinley, in 1996 El Capitan, in 1998 Mt Kilamanjaro. In 1999 he climbed Argentina's Aconcauga. On May 25, 2001 he reached the summit of Mount Everest, a peak that 90% of those who begin to climb never finish. Since 1953, 165 people have died trying to climb Everest, but Erik made it. Now that is an extremely significant feat, but you don't know the half of it. Weihenmayer suffers from a degenerative eye disease, and when he was 13 he became totally blind. All of his climbs have been without the benefit of his eyesight. Weihenmayer is a blind mountain-climber! Now you have to ask yourself, "How is that possible? How can a guy who can't see climb the highest peaks in the world?" If you ask him, he'll tell you. He has learned to listen well.
- He listens as a bell tied to the back of the climber in front of him shows him which way to go.
- He listens to his climbing partners who shout back to him, "Death fall two feet to your right!" so he knows what direction not to go. - He listens to the sound of his pick jabbing the ice, so he knows whether his footing will be secure or not. For Erik Weihenmayer, being a good listener is a matter of life and death.
The same is true for every one of us too. Listening, I mean really hearing, is the only way any of us to experience the change that God has opened up for us. How eager are you? How eager are you to come on the Lord's day, in the morning, in the evening? How eager are you to learn the Word of God, to read a great book that explains scriptural truth to you? How eager are you to run to a Bible study so your heart can be opened? How eager are you to go into a quiet place, a private place and open the Word of God before God and commune with Him? James says start by learning how to listen
Now it's not just about listening well -- it's also requires talking less.
This is a great formula for interpersonal relationship. If you want to cut down on the number of arguments going on in your life, just do what it says here -- listen more, talk less -- don't get angry. It's really hard to have an argument with someone if your mouth is shut, right? But in context when James says, be slow to speak and slow to become angry he is referring to our response to the Bible. The speaking is quickly is someone who spouts off about their particular perspective without really understanding the deep things of God's Word. Everyone's got an opinion when it comes time to open the book -- and our attitude when we come to the Bible is not to argue why our opinion of what God says in the Bible is more important -- but to understand what God has said and willingly submit to it. What's he referring to when he talks about the anger here -- he's talking about the person who gets angry when God's Word has a standard that stands against the way a person is living. Sometimes there is a resistance that causes a resentment -- an anger that comes when the Bible confronts the sin in your life. Sometimes that resentment is expressed towards God. Sometimes that resentment is expressed towards the person who is teaching the Word of God. It refers to a disposition of rejection. Resentment and rejection and resistance to the teaching of the Word does not produce the righteousness of God. What does he mean by the righteousness of God? That which pleases God. That which is right before God. You can't produce what is right before God with resentment and anger. But the issue is your reaction to the Word. Sometimes people just get angry when God says you are not supposed to live that way. So James is saying if you want to experience real transformation -- listen willingly.
Receive the Word of Truth With Humility
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. (James 1:21)
The KJV has one of my favorite phrases here, "lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness." Isn't that great? superfluity of naughtiness -- what does that mean? It's the superabundance of evil. If you want to experience real change in your life, there are just certain things that you need to remove. What James is saying here is that our heart is like a garden, and the things that we plant within it are the kind of fruit that we will bear. You don't plant potatoes and reap corn. Ill we planted a little garden patch beside our house and when I went out to plant my tomatoes I noticed that the area was filled with these weeds -- not just any weeds -- nettles. Nettles are a horrible little evil plant that once you touch it causes you to itch all day. Nettles cling to you the moment you come into contact with them. Now I couldn't just plant my tomatoes without pulling those up, right? I had to get rid of the weeds first. I had to till the soil before I can expect to harvest anything good. One of the absolute axioms of life is that you reap what you sow, and if you want to reap godliness you will never do it if you are sowing ungodliness. So he says get rid of the all the moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent -- we live in a world that is filled evil and moral filth. It kind of sticks to you like those nettles -- you come home every day and you just want to brush it off and get it off you -- but it sticks to you -- it clings to you. Don't you fell like you need a bath after you get home and you've spent all day long out in the world? You just want to shake it off and get rid of its attitudes and values. You've got to unload some things.
This verb "get rid of" originally meant to put your clothes off, to take off dirty, filthy, soiled clothes. The meaning of the words moral filth is kind of interesting. It is rhupos. What is interesting to me is that the root meaning of rhupos refers to wax in the ear. And what he is saying is get rid of any dirty wax in your ear that keeps you from hearing the Word of God. Very vivid thought. Occasionally you will hear of a person who thought they were going deaf but what they discover when they go to the doctor is there is an accumulation of dirty wax in their ears and that stops them from hearing properly. Now I know that's kind of gross, but that's exactly what happens in our lives -- there is an accumulation of filthy things and evil that builds up and it prevents us from being able to hear properly. How many of you had a mom that went around with a hand full of Q-tips when you were a child so that wouldn't happen? That was one of the ways she cared for you, right? Now that you're all grown up you have to take care of yourself and clean your own ears out. Physically and spiritually. -- one of the things that make transformation so difficult is the abundance of evil we've been exposed to during our life. You can't get away from it -- but you can choose not to be part of it.
Paul also says, humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. It says humbly accept -- there needs to an attitude of humility. -- a willing spirit. This is really all about being teachable. This is the exact opposite of an "I-already-have-everything-all-figured-out-and-I-am-going-to-live-my-way-no-matter-what-you-say" attitude. We are to come without resentment, without anger, without pride - we set our ego down and receive what God's Word has for us. This really is about submission. So what are doing here? This isn't rocket science is it? We're getting rid of the stuff that pollutes our life and displacing it with something that brings life and holiness into our life. So let me ask you: Is there a viable argument on why we shouldn't be committed to this? Would it make sense to argue, "I really prefer the filth and the evil of the world instead of the healing holiness of God's Word." Does that make any sense to anyone here?
Become a "Doer" of the Word
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
There are a lot of people who mark their Bibles, but there are all too few who let their Bible mark them. It is so easy to hear a Word from God and say "Yeah, I hear that, and I accept that as true," and that is the end of it. But to let God's Word dwell in you, and grow within you, and swell within you until it motivates you to do something, that is the call. Ill of a student auditing a class and actually bring a student in the class. A person who is a student actually has to study -- has to take tests -- has to be graded. A person who is auditing just kind of sits back and listens and is not tested. One of the great problems we have in the Church today is that we have too many people who are auditing and not enough who are students. James says you have to do the word not just listen to the word.
Ill by Chuck Swindoll "Let's pretend that you work for me. In fact you are my executive assistant in a company that is growing rapidly. I'm the owner and I am interested in expanding overseas. And to pull this off I make plans to travel abroad and stay there until the new branch office gets opened up and running smoothly. I make all the arrangements. I take my family on the move to Europe where we will be living for six to eight months. I leave you in charge of the busy stateside organization. I tell you that I will write you regularly and give you directions and instruction. I leave and you stay. Months pass and there is a steady flow of letters from Europe that are received by you at the stateside headquarters. I spell out all my expectations and finally I return. Soon after my arrival I drive down to the office and I am stunned by what I see. Grass and weeds have grown up high a few widows along the street are broken. I walk into the reception area and the reception is sitting there doing her nails, chewing gum and listening to her favorite rock and roll station. I look around and notice the waste baskets are overflowing and the carpet hasn't vacuumed in a week and nobody seems concerned that the owner has returned. I ask about your whereabouts and somebody points down the hall and yells, "I think he's down there." I move in that direction and bump into you as you are finishing a chess game with the sales manager. I ask you to step into my office which has temporarily been turned into a television room for afternoon soap operas. I say, "What in the world is going on man?" You look at me and say, "What do you mean?" "Take a look at this place!" I say. "Don't you ever get any of my letters?" "Oh, your letters? Sure, I got everyone of them. As a matter of fact, we've had letter study every Friday night since you've left. We've even divided many of the personnel into small groups and discussed many of the things you written. Some of those things were really interesting. You'll be pleased to know that some of us have actually committed to memory some of your sentences and paragraphs. One of two memorized an entire letter. Great stuff in those letters sir!" The owner says, "You got my letters, you studied them, you discussed them, you memorized them -- but what did you do about them?" "Do? We didn't do anything."
The Bible is not just about hearing and studying -- it's about doing. It's about living it out in our lives.
Look at what else James says in verse 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 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.
OK, let me suggest to you what a mirror actually is.
A mirror is a diagnostic device. That's what it is, isn't it?
You get up in the morning and you look in the mirror -- and you are trying to diagnosis how much damage was done overnight, right? You're trying to determine what repairs need to be done before you go out the door. You look in the mirror and you see the hedges need trimmed, some cracks and potholes need to be filled, there needs to be a little painting over here. It's amazing how much damage can done overnight, isn't it? You use the mirror to help discover the problem areas that need a repair job. You look at your clothing -- "This needs tucked in -- this needs straitened and that needs adjusted." You diagnosis the problem areas and fix them as best you can before you leave for the day.
Now would it make any sense to look in the mirror and notice something really needs attention and walk away without doing anything? Guys you look in the mirror and happen to notice the barn door hasn't been closed -- you forgot to pull your zipper up. Would you really see that and walk away and saying, "My zipper sure does need to be pulled up," but go through your day without doing anything about it? You get into work and as soon as you walk into the place somebody sees you and says, "Hey man your zipper is down." And you say, "Oh yeah, I saw that in the mirror this morning before I left the house." And you just go on about your business. That would be crazy, right? Ladies, would you take one last look in the mirror and see some big piece of spinach stuck between your teeth and think to yourself, "That sure is unsightly," but then walk around all day without doing something about it? When you smile somebody politely points out that there is something stuck between your teeth. "Yeah, I know -- I saw that in the mirror this morning before I left home." That would be absurd right? What would you think about someone who had that kind of an attitude? "really? You saw you had green teeth when you looked into the mirror and then walked away without doing something about it?" They've got some kind of serious problem. They've got some really deep issues that need immediate attention, right? I mean it's one thing not to know about the little issue -- but when you say, "I looked in the mirror and diagnosed that there was a problem and then went about my day without taking any action to correct the issue." -- that's a sign that there is a much deeper problem afoot. Or what would you think about a situation where a person walked out of their house wearing two different colored shoes? And when you asked them about it they said, "I know, I know -- I saw it this morning before I left the house." If they went through their day knowing they had two different kinds of shoes and didn't do anything to correct and change it you would think there was some kind of a weird problem, right?
- now let me talk to you about my shoes for a moment. It would be crazy for me to walk around all day like this, right? Now as I've been talking -- some of you haven't heard much of what I've been saying -- because you are so focused on the contradiction that's on my feet. You can't take your eyes off my shoes. That's exactly the way it is with people of the world and the Church They want to listen to the message -- but sometimes they can't take their eyes off of the glaring contradictions that gets in the way of the message. Do you know who would walk around knowing that they had two different kinds of shoes on but not do anything to correct it? A clown. A person who is trying to draw attention to themselves for the purpose of entertainment.
James is saying that is exactly what happens when we come to the mirror of God's Word. It's just as crazy when we come to this book -- and look at what he calls it -- the perfect law that gives freedom -- Freedom from what? Freedom from all the things that enslave us. Freedom from all the nettles that cling to us from walking around in this world. Freedom from the corruption and the pollution that we live in. Freedom from the superabundance of evil in our culture. James says it is crazy to come to this diagnostic device that God has given to us and look into it and recognize that there is need for an extreme makeover but walk away without doing anything about it. That would be a crazy way to respond.
Now on the positive side of things, James also says the person who does make the proper adjustments -- who does more than receive but does something - he will be blessed. Now I want you to notice the words, "and continues to do this" - some translations have abide -- or remain in it. It's always funny as I work with people who are not walking with the Lord how many times people will say, "I've already read the Bible. Done that one a long time ago. In fact I've read it a couple of times already." The blessing comes from abiding in the Bible. This is not a hit-and-run kind of a deal. You come back time after time after time. Because I don't know about you, but I've got to make constant adjustments in my life. I mean would any of us say, "A mirror? What do I need a mirror? I looked into a mirror once -- I did that a long time ago. I already know what I look like in a mirror." That would be silly, right? We keep mirrors in a prominent place because we all know there is a daily need for adjustments and repair.
Three Specific Areas That Must Be Renovated:
Our Tongue:
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. (James 1:26)
On any given day, on average -- we will speak close to 18,000 words. In any given month, we will speak 540,000 words. Which means in a given year we will speak 6.4 million words. Did you know you spend a fifth of your life talking? For some of you it might be much higher than that. What James is saying is you will know how well the renovation project is going because your mouth is a tattle tell on you. Every once in a while someone will say some kind of off color or profane thing that they want to try to cover up and they'll say something like: "Excuse my French" or "I didn't mean to say that." It's a way of glossing over a profanity. "I didn't mean to say that" Yes you did. You said a filthy word because there was a filthy thought in your mind. A profane word comes from a profane mind, right? It's an area in your life that needs a makeover. OR how about gossip. I don't know how many times people will come up to me and say, "You know I don't like to gossip, but I need to share something with you about so-and-so." "Well have you gone to the person and asked them about this personally?" "Well, no because I wanted to talk to you first." That's because you want to gossip. The Bible doesn't say, "Go to you local pastor or deacon or leader and tattle tale on them," does it? The Bible says when your brother is in sin -- you go to them. Ever see two little kids arguing over something in the backyard. One does something the other doesn't like, "I'm telling mom." Or "I'm telling dad" We grow up and it's, "I'm telling the pastor" I'm telling the deacons." Or in the office, "I'm telling the boss." Why not just grow up and talk to the person -- and only the person and no one else but the person about your concern?
Or how about lying. Do you stretch the truth, exaggerate, expand a particular point that puts the situation in your favor? Or slandering someone -- do you talk negative about someone else so that you can feel better about yourself? Or how about shout and yelling at people. Do you blame others when you loose your emotional composure and start to shout? James says we need to a rein -- notice he says a tight rein on your tongue. He says, "Don't deceive yourself into thinking you're a religious person - a spiritual person if that area of your life hasn't experience a complete renovation." Does the way you use your tongue need an extreme makeover?
Our Compassionate Involvement With Hurting People
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress
In verse 27 he says real faith -- pure faith -- the stuff that is real is faith that looks after orphans and widows in their distress. The NIV translation here is a little weak -- it really says to visit orphans and widows in their distress. This is not sending a check to help them -- this is actually placing our hands on them. Ministering personally to people who are in a position of not being able to provide for themselves. This is more than just having a compassionate attitude towards them. This is being involved with people that perhaps nobody else wants to be around. You look at this verse and you tell me -- Is it possible to be a real Christ follower but not have some kind of an ongoing ministry of compassion to people who fit into this category? Is it possible to a Christ follower if you don't control your tongue and you don't have a heart for those nobody else has a heart for? Is it? Only if you practice self-deception. And by the way -- James is saying that this is an easy thing to do. Working with people in distress is -- well, it can be distressing. It's just easier to say -- let the government take care of it -- let the social service people take care of it -- let somebody else take care of it. I think this is the one area where the Church is failing more than any other. Churches tend to focus on ministering only to people who can then give something back to the Church. It's a kind of "you-scratch-my-back-and-I'll-scratch-your-back" kind of a thing. That's not the standard God's Word is calling us to here. You give to those who can't give anything back. You focus on that. You get intention about that. This is not about being reactive if and when someone might happen to by chance cross my path and I'll react as best I can to that situation. If we are actually hearing the Word of God -- we are going to intentionally find people who can't take care of themselves and get about the business of providing for them. Does this area of your life need an extreme makeover?
Our Purity:
and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Lastly, James says if your faith is real -- there should be an extreme makeover in the area of purity. None of us can live one single day without the pollution of the world coming upon us. But we can decide to take a shower when we walk in the door. You do that by daily spending time in the Word. I was flipping through the channels a couple of weeks ago and ran across this show called "hoarders" It was about people who just keep collecting junk and never throw anything away. And the piles just keep getting higher and higher and higher until they can hardly move in their homes and they are constantly surrounded by these piles upon piles of junk. There comes a point where you just have to get rid of the junk. Otherwise it consumes you. The Bible says, "Be careful how you live not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Don't be foolish but understand what the Lord's will is." Stop and think about the areas of your life that need a makeover because the pollution of the world has been piling up and you haven't done anything to stop it. Do you need an extreme makeover in the area of purity?
Close: -- Getting beyond self-deception. Illus. of a shack attached to a newly built home. Ill of Extreme Makeover -- Home Addition -- What's the first thing they did? They demolished and removed all the old debris of the old structure before they started building the new. Imagine putting up a brand new half a house while leaving the broken down shack on the other side with a leaky rook and rotten floorboards and broken windows. Imagine the moment when they say, 'Bus driver move that bus!" and the bus pulls away and there is this brand new half a house with an old broken down shack still attached to it. "What in the world is that? That's ridiculous! You can't do that!" "If you're going to do anything -- do it all!" The mistake we make is thinking that because we've remodeled one area of our life -- the rest can't just be ignored. James is saying -- that's self deception.
