Evangelist Cry Ministry
Huger, South Carolina
Dr. Levi Howard Wright, Ph.D.
"Are You In The Word?"
or
“Do You Have Pure Religion?”
James 1:19-27
[19] Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
[20] For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
[21] Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
[22] But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
[23] For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
[24] For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
[25] But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
[26] If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
[27] Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
INTRODUCTION
In our TEXT today the Apostle James declares unto us that "We should be faithful doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
If you are in the WORD the WORLD will not be in you!
The Word is not an icon for righteousness. The Word of God is the vehicle by which you and I get to know and become intimate with God.
If you want to know who God is - it’s in the Word.
If you want to know about the past - it’s in the Word.
If you want to know about some of greatest lines of prose and poetry - it’s in the Word.
If you want to know about the future - it’s in the Word.
However, that is not the problem. The Word is not the problem. The problem is “Are you in the Word?”
I’m not asking about whether you can find your name in the Bible.
I’m not asking about whether or not you can relate to the hardships of Abraham or the faith of Moses.
But my question today, my Brothers and Sisters is simple: “Are you in the Word?
Is the Word of God important to you in your daily life?
If the Word of God is not important to you, and you claim Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour - you are in Spiritual Trouble.
If the Word of God is not important to you.... you will never live the kind of life that God intends for you to live.
You’ll have SALVATION, but NO STRENGTH.
You’ll have SALVATION, but NO POWER.
You’ll have SALVATION, but NO JOY.
You’ll have SALVATION, but NO TESTIMONY.
And if you want to know why a child of God acts a fool in critical situations - you’ll find out that.... that child of God is not interested or in the Word!
We are LIVING in CRITICAL TIMES. Our government is spending literally billions of dollars trying to make changes.... in the lives of people. But changes are not made by the sound of the Legislative Gavel.
Changes are made when men and women, boys and girls, have a “Change of Habit and a Change of Heart”.
Yes, the Word of God is the only vehicle that can effectively Change our LIFE.
Perhaps, the Apostle James was very “Empathic” about this principle because he had seen first hand account of the changes:
Peter had changed from a Cussing Fisherman to a Preaching Pastor.
Matthew had changed from a Tax Collector to a Gospel Writer.
Paul had changed from a Heartless Killer to a Holy Ghost-Filled Apostle.
Yes, everytime a man comes into contact with the Word of God..... there is gonna be a change.
The old folk used to say that “the Word of God will either Draw you or Drive you.”
And whenever the Word of God becomes Real in your life you can’t stay the same.
The Apostle James tells us that the Word of God must become a Living...... and Breathing part of our Spiritual Lifestyle.
Lifestyle says a lot about who and what we are.
"So a man thinketh, so is he..."
If you look with me closely at this TEXT you can clearly see... James’ FOCUS moves squarely on the Process of the Word of God.
He has already told us that we must Guard our Hearing, our Tongues, and Ourselves.
And now, the most important factor is revealed in how to accomplish this task ..... the WORD of GOD must be OPERATIONAL in our HEART and in our LIVES!
I don’t know about you..... but I am grateful that God though enough of His children that He to gave us the WORD.
Without the Word, we wouldn’t know of His Saving Grace.
Without the Word, we wouldn’t know of His Tender Mercy.
Without the Word, we wouldn’t know of His Sovereign Will.
Without the Word, we wouldn’t know of His Loving Kindness.
Without the Word, we wouldn’t know of His Divine Power.
Yes..... I’m grateful for GOD’s WORD and I must handle His WORD very carefully!
1. THE COMMAND IS CLEAR
The Apostle James writes this TEXT in the Present Imperative Action. In other words, these are not suggestions.
These are COMMANDS that must be followed by every believers once they have heard and been told.... they must obey these commands from God.
In this TEXT James says...... that just in case someone wants to argue and squabble about this word.... he makes it perfectly clear, concise, and precise.
In verse 21, he talks about laying aside the (superfluity) unnecessary naughtiness.... misconduct....misbehavior..... disobedience..... transgressions and accepting the Word of
God which is able to save your souls.
Yes, James says that as we Pull Off certain things in our life that are ungodly. A Spiritual Juggling Act will take place simultaneously and a Change will occur in your life.
During the Spiritual Juggling Act, while you’re Pulling Stuff Off ...... God will be Cleansing you with His WORD of Regeneration.
“Are You In The WORD?”
We must understand the command. “Be ye doers of the word!”
James is saying that you who are Claiming the Christ need to be a DOER!
The greek word, DOER or "poietes" is used here, and it means several things:
One who is a keeper of a law.
One who is a keeper of a precept.
One who makes something.
One who is a performer.
And specifically, it means one who is a poet!
In Acts 17:28 it says: "for in him we live, and move, and have our being.”
James seems to suggest that we are to be builders, construction workers. We are to be busy about the Kingdom, not based upon our Agenda, but based upon the Jesus’s agenda.
Yes, my Brothers and Sisters, Jesus has already announced His Agenda - It’s in the Word of God.
When we hear the Word of God we have the responsibility to:
Create based upon the Word.
Build based upon the Word.
James says that the command is clear.
It’s not enough to just SHOUT in church.
It’s not enough to JUMP UP and DOWN in church.
SHOUTING and JUMPING UP and DOWN is WORSHIP..... but WORK begins after the WORSHIP.
And once you have been taught the Word of God.....you must let it DIGEST....
But if you don’t come to Bible Study.....
If you don’t come to Sunday School....
If you don’t come to Worship Service......You can’t hear.
When the Lord spoke to the churches of Asia Minor in Revelations, notice that He says, "those who have ears let them hear."
But the ears have to be in the position to hear the Word. And unless you put yourself into position to hear, you won’t know the commands of the Commander-in-Chief.
Illustration
Have you ever noticed that the Christian army is the only army where the troops try to move forward without any real direction? No wonder we rejoice in that song, "Like a
ship that’s tossed and driven...."
2. THE CAUTION IS COMMUNICATED
James then says that after I have decided to become a DOER of the WORD, I can’t afford to fall back and be just a HEARER ONLY.
Here in this TEXT, James uses the word being a hearer "akroates". In this instance, it means to get "caught up" in something heard, especially with pleasure, such as a piece read, recited, played, or sung. In the New Testament, it has the meaning of one just listening without practicing what one hears.
And I think I can safely say, that James is telling us,
Don’t get caught up with the sounds of sermon, the inflection of the delivery, the melody of the lesson, but it’s time to move on from what I heard to what I do.
The caution is simple: don’t just get mesmorized by the Word. Don’t get so profound and deep to where you can’t leave from that stop. The multitude of people that followed Jesus moved from place to place.
When Jesus ascended into Heaven the angel of the Lord said, "why do you stand here gazing???"
Today, too many believers are found at the "I heard station." And sometimes, we can get caught up the words, the poetry, the movement, an we forget to move.
In his book, “God’s Yes Was Louder Than My No”, the author William H. Myers recalls the story of a baptist preacher who had tried to explain his calling. "After all this, I was sitting in the house; I heard someone call my name. I looked around and said, "...I’ve been
working too hard. I’m having an auditory hallucination." So I signed up to go see a psychologist. I went to therapy....I didn’t know at this point that what I was dealing with was God...."
And some of us need to get out of our slothness and recognize the word... hear the word... and obey the Word.
We need to tell somebody... share the Word with somebody.... minister to the sick.... visit the widows.... get out of the house and..... be a witness for the Lord!
YES, too many of us hear the word, and get PACIFIED, and don’t want to do anything,
After hearing the WORD there aught to be a FIRE that’s lite in our heart!
After hearing the WORD, it aught to make us want to live better.... sing better... walk better.... talk better.... treat our fellow man better!
3. THE CAMOUFLAGE IS COSTLY
The Apostle James says, that when we are HEARER ONLY and NOT DOERS we are "deceiving our own selves".
In other words, we rob ourselves of Spiritual Power, because we are not in the Word.
When the Word is not a part of you.
When the Word is not operating in you.
When the Word is not important to you. You are Robbed of Spiritual Power.
Yes, we need the Word if we’re going to be used by the Lord.
You’ll sing better with the Word.
You’ll talk better with the Word.
If you can get into the Dallas Cowboy, you can get into the Word.
If you can get into the Los Angeles Lakers, you can get into the Word.
If you can get into the WWF Smack Down, you can get into the Word.
If you get into Kirk Franklin, you can get into the Word.
If you get into B.B. King and Bobby Blue Bland, you can get into the Word.
If you get into Little Bow Pow and Stoop Doggie Dog, you can get into the Word.
If you can get into MC Hammer and Bobby Brown, you can get into the Word.
If you can get into Luther Vandgross, you can get into the Word.
If you can get into Jerry Springer, Ricki Lake, and Ophray Winfrey, you can get into the Word.
If you can get into the Michael Jordan, Nike, and Reobok, you can get into the Word.
If you can get into New Week, Time Magazine, Playboy, Pent House, you can get into the Word.
If you can get into As the Word Turn, All My Children, General Hospital and the Edge of Night, you can get into the Word.
If you get into Tommy Hilfigger, you can get into the Word.
And when you camflouge or cover up the Word, you rob yourself - you limit what the Holy Spirit can do through your life.
Jesus deals with Satan! And if we’re going to deal with Satan, you’re going to need sound doctrine. Jesus, uses the WORD: “it is written”. And if you want to have Spiritual Power... it’s in the Word of God.
It is written, you can have JOY. It is written, you can PEACE.
It is written, WEEPING endures for a night, but JOY comes in the MORNING.
It is written, HE DIED. It is written, THEY BURIED HIM.
It is written, THAT ON THE THIRD DAY.... HE GOT UP WITH ALL POWER ON HIS HAND.
It is written, HE’S COMING BACK AGAIN.
I’m so glad that....... I’m in HIS WORD.....
I’ve got HOPE........... IT’S IN THE WORD.
I’ve got POWER.........IT’S IN THE WORD.
I’ve got ETERNAL LIFE......... IT’S IN THE WORD.
Amen...Amen...Amen
