Opening illustration: A church had a new pastor who preached the same sermon every Sunday. When people started complaining, he told the congregation, “I’ll preach a new sermon when you act on this one.”
That pastor’s statement reminds me of the words of the apostle James: “Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only” (1:22). As followers of Christ, we are to live what we learn.
Michael Baughen, a speaker at a Bible conference in England, stated, “James wants you to have a holy faith - worked out in the world.” Baughen pointed out that some people, though involved in the church and regular in giving, never care for anybody. “The world calls that hypocrisy,” he said. Indeed, our empty lip service never fools the world. James said we fool only ourselves. Our faith is “pure and undefiled” when it overflows in service to others (v.27).
Baughen lamented, “Too many times at a funeral I hear, ‘He never did any harm,’ and I want to scream, ‘Did he ever do any good?’”
Some Christians are little more than “harmless” citizens in the world, for they are hearers only. Others are compelling witnesses, for they are both hearers and doers. (Our Daily Bread, Joanie Yoder)
Let us turn to James 1 in God’s Word and catch with what Nike lifted from James for their ad “Just Do It!” When they can do it so faithfully while being so secular, what is holding us down to ‘JUST DO IT!’
Introduction: James wanted all believers to be alert to comprehend the Word of God. This is very important since "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). The Word of God gives us faith to believe, and when we believe, God creates new life within us.
Many people hear the Word of God, but to some of them it is only words; they do not accept it as the Word of God. What a paradox it is that all creation obeys His Word except we who are made in the image of God and have the ability to choose. We think in our head ‘look how smart I am’ but in fact we are just deceiving ourselves when we don’t act upon God’s Word.
Many people have an extensive knowledge of the Word of God, but they do not really believe what it says, so they do not respond to it as His Word.
If you as an individual, married, family or church desires to be blessed, the only answer is to be obedient to God’s commands in His Word. Do not sit on them or even try to turn, twist and dwell upon them, but just do it (act upon the instructions of the Word). You will surely be blessed!
(A) What are the obstacles to ‘JUST DO IT?’
1. Hearing without DOING (vs. 22-23a) – Don’t take action by doing what has been told to them
James speaks about a man who goes to the church meeting, listens to the reading and exposition of God’s Word and thinks that listening to the Word has made him a Christian. He deceives himself by thinking that his attendance at public worship, and his hearing of what is read and said there, is enough. He has shut his eyes to the fact that what is read and heard in church must then be lived and done in life. There are those who assume that listening and reading God’s word beside regular attendance makes us a good Christian. Those who act and behave like this are less than half the way there but have missed the point that listening here demands action on our part. Listening without action is useless!
It is important to listen to what God’s Word says, but it is more important to obey it, to do what it says. We can measure the effectiveness of our Bible study time by the effect it has on our behavior and attitudes. Do you put into action what you have studied? Hearers-only end up deceiving themselves.
Illustration: A man in New York City who died at the age of 63 without ever having had a job. He spent his entire adult life in college. During those years he acquired so many academic degrees that they “looked like the alphabet” behind his name. Why did this man spend his entire life in college? When he was a child, a wealthy relative died who had named him as a beneficiary in his will. It stated that he was to be given enough money to support him every year as long as he stayed in school. And it was to be discontinued when he had completed his education. The man met the terms of the will, but by remaining in school indefinitely he turned a technicality into a steady income for life - something his benefactor never intended. Unfortunately, he spent thousands of hours listening to professors and reading books but never “doing.” He acquired more and more knowledge but didn’t put it into practice. This reminds me of what James said: “Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). If we read the Bible or listen as it is taught but fail to put to work what we have learned, we are as bad as that man with his string of degrees. His education was of no practical benefit to anyone. Hearing must be matched by doing. (Our Daily Bread, Richard De Haan)
2. Looking without TAKING ACTION (vs. 23b-24) – forgetful, overlooking the smudges, don’t take action …
James now talks about a man who looks into the mirror. These ancient mirrors were not made of glass but polished metal and reflected a smudged and disfigured image of their hair, face, body and clothes. They projected an image of one that was over-exaggeratedly defective. Rectifying one defect could easily highlight another. Today when we look at ourselves in the mirror what do we see and do? We usually take action to rectify the defect on our bodies … why don’t we take serious action with our lives when we see ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word. Why do we let it pass? Is our physique more important than our spirit?
Here is the point of comparison. The person who looks into the mirror to see his own image and promptly forgets is like a person who hears the Word of God proclaimed but fails to respond to it. He sees his reflection in the mirror, quickly adjusts his external appearance, and walks away. He hears the gospel preached, makes minor adjustments, and goes his own way. But the gospel is unable to penetrate his heart and cannot change the internal disposition of man. The mirror is an object used to alter man’s external appearance; the Word, however, confronts man internally and demands a response. Why does a person forget what he looks like almost as soon as he walks away from the mirror? That seems incredible and yet it is true. Many people hear a sermon on a given Sunday and a week later cannot remember a single word of that sermon. The person who only listens to the Word goes away and fails to respond to its demands.
Illustration: Pastor Stuart Briscoe was teaching the principles of Bible study. He showed how to pick out the promises and the commands in Scripture, and what to do with them. Finally, he reviewed and asked, “Now, what do you do with the commands?” A little old lady raised her hand and said, “I underline them in blue.”
Underlining the Bible’s commands in blue might make for a colorful Bible, but the point of the commands is that we obey them. Unfortunately, there are many people in evangelical churches who have their heads filled with information from the Bible, but they don’t obey what the Bible commands. That may sound harsh, but surveys commonly show that there is substantially no difference between evangelical Christians and the population at large on most moral and social beliefs and behavior.
3. Talking without SELF-CONTROL (v. 26) – Bridling the tongue, No Self-control, Yacker, Loud-mouth …
James says that true religion will cause you to “bridle [your] tongue.” Here and in chapter 3 James compares the tongue to an unruly, wild horse that needs bit and bridle to check its wild tendencies. To bridle the tongue is to discipline it, restrain it, curb it, and keep it under control. It is also a present tense, which means that this should be a regular, ongoing activity. A true Christian has learned to bridle and restrain their tongue. He or she will restrain the tongue from speaking profanity, or gossip, or slander, or lies, or anything else that is hurtful. Paul told the Ephesians to “let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth” (Ephesians 4:29).
So this is what we should be doing. We ought to pray with the Psalmist, “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (141:3). Someone else has prayed, “Lord, please keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.” The believer should be careful what kind of freedom he gives his tongue. Sometimes people defend their use of the tongue by saying, “Well, I just speak what’s on my mind,” as if that excuses them to say whatever they think. But James tells us here that true religion will cause us to restrain our tongue when it is about to say something that is hurtful, or sinful in any way. Or they may say, “Well, if it were not the truth, I wouldn’t have said it.” Just because you think something is true doesn’t give you a license to tell it to anyone at any time. Ephesians 4:15 says that we are to speak the truth in love. Look back at v.19, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak ...” You need to restrain your tongue, and think before you speak!
Would you pass this first test? Are you consistently controlling your tongue? If not, your religion is not real. In fact, it is useless. The word “useless” (mataios) also means “profitless, of no purpose.” In other words, if you don’t control your tongue, your religion isn’t worth half a hallelujah. Empty vessels make most noise.
Illustration: Long ago in the horse and buggy days, there was a pastor visiting at a couple’s new home out in the country, and because it was so far out, they asked him to spend the night. Well, he was awakened the next morning by a soft soprano voice singing, “Nearer, my God, to Thee.” Well, he was impressed by the piety of this young wife, and how she began her day in such a religious fashion. When they sat down at the breakfast table, he told her how impressed he was by her religious piety and how pleased he was that she would start her day off in such a spiritual fashion. She said, “Oh preacher, that’s the hymn I boil the eggs by; three verses for soft, five verses for hard.” So you see, outward expressions of religious piety do not always mean that a person is truly religious.
(B) Who is the one that just GETS it and is BLESSED?
1. One who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work. (v. 25)
Ministry of Obedience and Action: As Christians we are saved by grace and salvation frees us from sins control. As believers we are free to live as God created us to live. Of course, this does not mean that we are free to do as we please (1 Peter 2:16). We are now free to obey God. God’s grace doesn’t free us to sin but frees us from sin. Now God does not necessarily want us to limit our consideration and help to these, but those who cannot provide for themselves should take priority in our ministry. The same words are used in Matthew 25:36, “I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.” In fact, that is one reason why it is important to minister to the down-and-out in our society. Because when you minister to others, you minister to Jesus. Jesus said, “Inasmuch as you did to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40). In fact Proverbs 19:17 says, “He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will pay back what he has given.” You can’t out-give God.
2. One who visits orphans and widows in their trouble, and keeps oneself unspotted from the world. (v. 27)
Ministry of Love and Selflessness: By caring for the powerless people, the church puts God’s Word into practice. When we give with no hope of its return, we show what it means to serve others. God calls us to commit ourselves to Christ’s ethical and moral system not the worlds. Today’s mass media has magnified the world’s ability to stain our Christian lives. When we keep ourselves separated for God, they don’t stand a chance to taint us and bring shame to Christ. So we need to limit our exposure to the wrong kinds of worldly influences.
Why should we keep ourselves unspotted from the world? Well, if we don’t, that will adversely affect our relationship with God. He is holy. He is righteous. He is pure from all sin. And He expects us to live a clean, holy, righteous life. Are you living a morally clean life? Furthermore, if we don’t keep ourselves unspotted from the world, our testimony as a Christian will be affected.
Illustration: A pastor asked a professing Christian some questions.
Pastor: Are you active in the local church?
Christian: The dying thief wasn’t and yet he was accepted. So why should I?
Pastor: Are you baptized?
Christian: The dying thief wasn’t and still he made it to heaven. So why should I?
Pastor: Do you partake in the Lord’s Supper?
Christian: No, the dying thief didn’t either and Christ still accepted him. So what’s the big deal?
Pastor: The only difference between you and the dying thief is that he was dying in his belief but you are dead in yours.
Application: Let’s not just learn what God says. Let’s Just Do it! You haven't really learned the Word until you live the Word. We often are hearers of the Word and not doers. We learn and teach God’s Word more than obeying it ourselves. John 13:17 tells us that “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”
