Do the Do
Today we are back in our series on James, and today probably more than any other message you will see why I chose for our series title, "James seeing things from the right perspective."
Today we are going to talk about a subject that Jesus spoke on frequently, and in our text today James is going to help us see Jesus teaching from the right perspective. So let's dig in turn in your bible to James 1 and we will be reading from verse 22
Jas 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Jas 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
Jas 1:24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
Jas 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.
The bible has a lot to say about hearing the word of God.
8x's in the Gospels Jesus is recorded as saying, "he that has ears to hear, let him hear."
8x's in the book of Revelation, it says "He that hath and ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Many of you are very familiar that Revelation 1:3 pronounces a blessing on those that read and hear the words of that book of scripture.
God wants us to be hearers, and not just that but very careful listeners.
In Lu 8:18 "Therefore take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him shall [more] be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him."
In Luke Lu 9:44 Jesus said, Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
In the old testament God warns of a very special danger that would come:
Am 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
Am 8:12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find [it].
Scholars are divided on when this refers to. Some the period from Malachi to Christ 400 years. Some to the time when the 10 tribes were carried away. There is no mention of prophets ministering to them, but when the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were carried away there was still prophetic ministry.
We also are reminded of Saul, whom the Lord answered not...
I think it could refer also to after the great white throne judgment. People will want to hear a word from God but will not. People we need to understand how blessed we are if God has given us the ability to hear and recognize His word, as His word.
So the bible has a lot to say about hearing the Word of God, but James makes clear that is only half the equation if all we are is hearers we are deceived about our true spiritual condition.
That is why today's message is simply entitled:
Do the Do
James is dealing with people who thought, that since they could hear everything was fine.
(Natural man recceiveth not, since I can hear I am one of the "blessed" ones.)
Hold on now, James says and lets talk a little bit more about this spiritual hearing stuff.
Earlier I mentioned the text in Revelation that says we are blessed if we hear and read the prophecy of that book, I don't know about you but I have heard many a preacher say that Revelation is the only book of the bible that promises a blessing for just reading or hearing it. Really? Is that what it says?
Here is the exact quote:
Re 1:3 Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time [is] at hand.
Do you how many non-Christians have read this book, and never got the blessings intended? Hearing alone is insufficient. Let me show you an extreme example of a hearer who was one of the most lost men who ever lived.
Mr 6:20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
I want you to notice a couple of things about Herod:
1. He had a fear and respect for John and he recognized that he was a real man of God.
2. He recognized what a person would be like if they were just and holy
3. He kept him safe (Observed, for a season)
4. He did many things
5. He heard him gladly - he enjoyed good preaching
But he never stopped shacking up, and in cold blood he murdered the greatest prophet of the bible,
And his conscience was only able slow him down enough to tell him he was wrong, but it was to no avail as he went ahead and committed that foul deed.
There are people who can come to church, shout amen, enjoy preaching but their true nature is never changed.
I liken it to these Hollywood celebrities on these music shows who can lift their hands and wave them while a gospel choir or Christian song is being sung. Don't mistake enjoying the sound of music for being in love with Jesus. In like manner there are people who enjoy good preaching but never change their lifestyles.
Back to our text in James
So what is James talking about with a mirror and deception?
He is saying that when you read the Word of God it shows you what you really look like, but there are some people who just a short time later live totally opposite of what they have seen, and they think that simply because they saw themselves a certain way in the mirror they are ok, and James says if you ain't acting like what you saw, you are deceiving yourself.
Explain: the mirror shows who we are/who we could be in Christ. But it doesn't necessarily mean you are in Christ, or that you should feel good about the way you are living simply because you are in Christ.
How many of you remember the story of Snow White:
Mirror mirror on the wall.
The Word of God is a true mirror of what we can be and what we are called to be. But if you don't combine it with actions you are looking at a fun house mirror and you are seeing yourself way different than you really are.
Fun house mirrors make you look taller, shorter, fatter and thinner than you really are.
The mirror of God's word shows us what we are in Christ, and how we are to be. But it will also show us what we are really looking like. Some of us glance at the mirror and all we see is a picture taped to it of what we once looked like, and we deceive ourselves that in some way we still look like that.
Application is our aim. Looking in a mirror doesn't make you any prettier. Hearing the word does not make you a better Christian until it germinates it you. Jesus once rebuked the Pharisees saying, "My word has no place in you." In other words you may hear it but it does latch on to you and become a part of you and change you. The greatest area of deception with the word is that we think because we agree with the word it has somehow it has changed us.
The word doesn't work unless you live it.
(Note to pastors at this point in the message we showed a self produced video of two guys pigging out while watching a work out video. Point of the video is you don't lose weight by watching an exercise video, and you don't necessarily change by simply hearing the Word.)
You can't lose weight by watching exercise videos. Or by deciding to lose weight, the only way to do it, is to do it. Deciding is worthless without corresponding action.
Being a hearer without being a doer, all it does is make you accountable.
Most of us are educated far beyond the level of our obedience.
We have a lot more revelation than application.
Knowledge wise we have a Ph.D., but application we are still in kindergarten:
I don't think I can forgive them? Really? You have been saved for 20 years and Jesus hasn't rubbed off enough in your life that you can't forgive someone? I am not here to coddle your immaturity this morning but to challenge you to grow up in Him.
I don't see how I can praise the Lord in this situation? Really? After all the times He has taught you all things work together for good, you still fall apart at the first sign of trouble? You don't need another sermon
You need to start walking in all the ones you have already heard!
There are a number of Christians who believe the pursuit of "Revelation" is the pinnacle of Christian experience. James argues when Revelation is accompanied by activation that is the pinnacle.
We don't need to fill another notebook, with more outlines, and powerful truths, and wonderful insights, we do not suffer from a lack of correct heads, but what we really have need is to have more of a consumed heart, and more of walking out what we already know.
We don't have a problem with access to the word, availability of the word, studies on the word, resources on the word.
The problem we have is that the word doesn't have enough access to us!
There is a world of difference between faith and saving faith, this is one of the most powerful truths in the book of James
Jas 2:14 What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
Rahab is an excellent example of this
Jos 2:8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
Jos 2:9 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
Jos 2:10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that [were] on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
Jos 2:11 And as soon as we had heard [these things], our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he [is] God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
Notice everyone believed, and everyone was afraid, but only Rahab changed her behavior and sought salvation. There are people who believe in God, but that doesn't mean they are saved. I am not suggesting for one second we are saved by works, but I am saying what James is saying: real faith has outward evidences.
Faith believes, but saving faith changes us in very tangible ways.
Jesus told a parable about the difference between faith and saving faith.
Saving faith builds a house on the solid foundation of belief that is put into practice.
The two men in the parable both heard the word, both believed, but their destinies became different. The difference is one man put what he believed into practice. If you don't put in practice what you believe you have the same kind of faith the devil has. He believes but his belief will not save him. Faith that doesn't change the way you live is not saving faith.
I want to close with a very simple question:
What can you do to better live out the faith you claim to have?
God help me not to be a hearer only deceiving myself.
