What God Wants From You

Every one of us has desires. We have wants. I might be for a new

house. Maybe it's a new job. Maybe you want your spouse to take

you out on a date. We could spend the rest of the night listing the

things that each of us want.

Have you every thought about what God wants from you? To many times we

operate our lives based upon what we want when all the time God is waiting

patiently for us to ask what He wants from us.

In verses 26 and 27 of the first chapter of James, we can see just what

it is that God wants from each of us.

James 1:26-27

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. 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.

I. God wants us to control our tongues.

vs. 26

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.

TWO JESTERS ON ERRAND

There is a story in the Jewish Talmud about a king who sent two jesters

on an errand. In instructing them, he said, Foolish Simon, go and

bring me back the best thing in the world. And you Silly John, go and find

for me the worst thing in the world.

Both clowns were back in short order, each carrying a package.

Simon bowed low and grinned. Behold, Sire, the best thing in the

world. His package contained a tongue.

John snickered and quickly unwrapped his bundle. The worst thing

in the world, Sire. Another tongue!

A. We can use the tongue in many ways.

1. We can use it to praise God.

2. We can use it to curse God.

3. WE can use it to encourage people.

4. We can use it to build people up.

5. We can use it to tear people down.

B. Peter best illustrates this point.

Luke 9:18-20 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples

were with him, he asked them, Who do the crowds say I am?

19 They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and

still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to

life.

20 But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I

am?

Peter answered, The Christ of God.

1. Hear Peter is Confessing who Jesus is.

2. With the same tongue, he is denying

Christ. Luke 22:54-62

54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the

high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 But when they had kindled a

fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat

down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight.

She looked closely at him and said, This man was with him.

57 But he denied it. Woman, I don't know him, he said.

58 A little later someone else saw him and said, You also are one

of them.

Man, I am not! Peter replied.

59 About an hour later another asserted, Certainly this fellow was

with him, for he is a Galilean I don't know what you're talking

about! Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord

turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the

Lord had spoken to him: Before the rooster crows today, you will

disown me three times. 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

C. We must control our tongues.

1. Since James tells us to keep a tight reign on our tongue tells us that

it is possible.

2. However, it doesn't start with the mouth, it starts with the

heart.

3. The reigns are used to control horses. Horses don't natually

want to follow where they are led to go. Before they will go, the must be

broken. This is the same with our tongues. Our old nature must be broken

so that the new nature can use to tongue as an instrument of praise.

God wants us to control our tongue.

II. God wants us to comfort those that are in need.

27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:

to look after orphans and widows in their

distress.

A. We have a responsibility to help those

in need

B. It doesn't mean just to orphans and widows. We are to help

others unselfishly. If you see someone with a flat tire on the way to