Honoring God by Obeying His Word, part 2 // James 1:22-25

And help us father to be more like you be with us now in Jesus name we pray amen, amen. Honoring God by obeying his word. So as would be on this series in jams on honoring God, because in 2nd Samuel it tells us that God honors, those who honor him and our theme for the series in jams. It's time to grow up. And the way that we grow up is by honoring God. So, we looked at how to honor God with our life. How to honor God in our trials, out to honor God in our Temptations, how to honor God, when problems come and last week we started looking at obeying God honoring God, by obeying his word. So today, this is far too and hopefully will be done on time here. I see what time is already approaching cuz your fellowship too much. Don't blame it on me now. Okay, so I'm going to be in fast speed today. Okay? So let's get you guys rides word obeying God by being a honoring God by obeying his word. So the message in a nutshell again is our actions Prove what we truly believe last week. The first point that we made the way that we honor God by obeying, his word is when our faith is not fluffy, that's what we looked at last week. When our faith is not fluffy. And when our belief, dictates our behavior, and when our reality lines up with our religion, that's what we will look at this morning. So just to recap our face. And when our faith is not fluffy, that's when we can really on. Their God fluffy means that we need to be obedient. We need to take God's words. Seriously, what we cannot do? You know what fluffy means? You know, you don't want to be the God's word says you know what? The way that you honor God, it's you really obey his word. Remember it says be quick to hear slow to speak and slow to anger. When you read God's word, whether you agree with it or not, you need to be ready and say God, please help me to obey cuz James 1:19. To 21, says know this. My beloved Brothers, let every person be quick to hear slow to speak. Slow to anger for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away some filthiness, all filthiness.

And rampant wickedness and receive with meekness and humility, the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. See, that's what we looked at last week to God wants to do a work in you, God want to change you, God is calling you to put up the old self. And then you need to put on the new man, because the Bible says in Christ, we are a new creation. We are new creatures. So we need to no longer live our own way, but we need to live God's way. See so we don't want to walk. With God or giving into sinful. We want to walk with God, not giving in to our sinful Temptations. Because remember last week, with looked at CNN, is beneath us, because when we received the implanted word of God, we are type of firstfruits. See God look at us, highly. So, therefore, we cannot leave a life. I'm sad because God says that we are a warrior priesthood. We are children of God. So Christians cannot be living in sin because sin is beneath us. It is below our worth, it is below our dignity. So James is telling a receive the implanted word of God receive it.

Anglican preacher from the 1600s this way, you ready? It's Old English but you're going to get, it says the stinking feel of a pestilent ulcer. We got this right? Finn is the devil's vomit. This is very current, right? The souls excrement, will you awake? Smells good garbage? Not in Earnest that means wickedness. As it is here cold by an allusion, to the garbage of sacrifices, cast into the brook of each run. That is the town of ditch fill.

How does that sound? Really gross. That's what John trap is trying to tell us a Sim snapping to be toying with as Believers. We don't have any business.

And the bottom line we learned last week was that our first responsibility, as Believers is to receive God's word, how as is. And you take God words seriously for so long.

You can only speak being a Christian for so long when you are face-to-face with god. With guys, when you have to make a decision, you get up, either have to fake it or you have to make it. You can fake it, but it's a, it's a life of a lot of stress. I don't know why people put themselves to that. You have like so many fake people in church. It is ridiculous and white movie. Just going to go in the world and just leave you alive. How you really want to because you missing both worlds, it's either you not end up going to the parties. Go crazy. You know, man. You know, you're, you're crazy. You want more than one woman gets in

It's about this women, get all the money that you want to get all of the ways that you want to get it and get all the purse, get all the cars, you, whatever that you want to do. Do what really pleased you would ever really feel good for you. Just enjoy knock yourself out. Go out party drink, go crazy.

But don't try to do both.

It is tiring. It is stressful trying to live a double life.

But if you really want to do it God's way, I receive God's. Real father, help me to do it. I am not perfect. I'm struggling. But Lord, I want to honor you And God says to obey, is better than sacrifice. What some people live as long as they pay good.

And a lot of churches that help them to believe that for so many years. They think they are. Okay, you are not okay. God doesn't need any money. Doesn't matter how much money you give me. I don't already has everything. Giving is just a test for you so that God can trust you with more so that you will not be stuck up on your money. Giving is not for God, giving is for you.

But it doesn't matter how much money you give to God that will not take you to heaven, if you don't work with him.

Not going anywhere.

See, we need to walk with God. Obedience obedience, that's what matters Bible says to obey is better than sacrifice.

You obey God and the bottom line we saw last week is that we need to believe to receive God's word as if taking god, seriously. So second things second thing. The way that we honor God by obeying his work is when our belief, dictates our Behavior, our abilities need to dictate our Behavior. How many of you you've heard people say thing and then? But, you know, about their lives, especially in the workplace when you have a bus that is mean they don't do what they supposed to do and then they date the other. The words telling you, I'm a Christian

Doesn't sound good, right? Yeah, I remember I wasn't a difficult workplace and all of a sudden people will be coming to to to to my office and see how can you believe she said this Christian? Oh man, that's been hurt. Cuz I know I'm a Christian too.

you know, but you see when our belief doesn't dictate our Behavior You know, people read flu that. And then people do not take us seriously. And I think, for a little bit Believers, that's where we are right now. Our beliefs is not dictating our Behavior. The culture is dictating our Behavior YouTube Facebook Tik-Tok. That's why our Behavior. Our own Silph, sinful desires is dictating our Behavior. Remember the devil can that make us do anything?

We'd spend because we choose to send, not because we have to send in the way that we honor God by obeying his word is, when the belief, dictates our action. Look at the, the verses, what does it saves you? That's the key verse in the Book of James in verse 20 through, it says, Bud be here. Doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves. See, it's important to hear God's word because nothing for you to do it. You have to hear it right. What Jim says, do it be heroes only but be doers of the word.

I know you look what he says there. It says, if you don't do what you're doing, what this evening yourself, there's nothing worse than self-deceit. It's nobody this evening you but it's you would deceive in your own self.

Like you lying to your own self.

Come on. Let's let's take it home.

All of us like like, like struggle with our weight, don't we? All of us would like to have much, you know, that's the way I'm going to embarrass myself. I'm not going to share that.

Somehow in my head, I thought I was 40 pounds, lighter.

I taught myself to believe that I was 40 pounds lighter than I actually was. Bridget, you were deceiving yourself, the Bible say, you need to be do words of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourself, you lying to yourself.

So God is saying, for, if anyone is a hero of the word and does not is not a do work, he is like one who does what in Huntley. Wood looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. You see here. It says, a man will look internally as natural face in the mirror for. He looks at himself and goes away and I'd once forgets what he was like, I'm going to have you looked at the mirror before you leave the house today.

Come on guys, don't lie. I know you'll look probably going to pay attention.

But your look okay, if anyone is that he were only and and he's not a do or you like somebody will look intently at your natural face, you have a mirror. You look at yourself trying to turn around and then you just go around and you forgotten what you look like.

If you look at your face and then there's, you have some, some, some food in your mouth and then you just look and then you just walk out and you don't do anything about that food. That was all over your mouth. You with me? That doesn't happen to lady. That's why it says the men who look like a man who's look at your face in the mirror cuz a lot of us look at it, you know, the way when we show up, you know, the places it's like, we look at our face, we didn't really see on the beer. That was just all messed up. If you shave today, it says looks at himself and goes away and forget what you look like, but the one will look into the perfect law. That means the Bible The law of Liberty hang around there for a second. Let me know if you look at the Bible as restriction. I can't drink. I can have sex before marriage.

I can't cheat on my taxes. No, it's tax season.

I mean, if you look at God's word as restriction but what does it say here?

The Lord God is the perfect law who created you? Who created you? Is that a trick question? Who created you? Oh, you don't want to say God created. You woke created you Say it with confidence who created you, so does God know everything about, you does that, God know how you would function best. That's why we need to follow God's word because God knows our frame. He knows we are but dust and God knows exactly what he needs is the law of Liberty. The Bible says a I came to that you might have life and have it at bone that then God says, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. When you really look living, according to God's word, guess what you are living and walking in Freedom. You don't have to worry about you, no mistakes that you made, or I can believe I did this. You don't have to live with the fear of regrets that you don't have to live with all those things because you are living and working in Freedom and it says, look into the particle of Liberty and perseveres being know, he werewolves does, what forget? But they do or ask it will be blessed in his doing. A lot of us here is how we take God's message. You with me, I have a tension. All of us would look. We take God's message just like a piece of chewing gum. We just come in the sanctuary and then the preacher is preaching. You put your piece of gum and and then when you go out, what do you do? Just spit it out.

And that's why we see there's no changes in church. We can go for years but our lives have never change cuz all that we do is just chewing gum.

Did I say it nicely? Okay, I think James is really rubbing on me, okay? Without application, there can be no spiritual transformation. That's what Tony Evans says, without application, there can be no transformation. Romans 12 verse one and two says, what do not be conformed with this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. So that by testing, you may prove to be a child of God that you walking with God. See, if you look at your life, your life is exactly the same way that it was 5 years ago, 6 years ago, 3 years ago, 1 year ago. Even last week You're not growing, your life needs to be transforming as a Christian. You see, if you, if you don't live out the word that you hear it will have no effect upon your lives.

Do you agree? If you don't live it out, it will have no effect on your life. You can listen to sermons all day and read your Bible regularly, without any effect in your life. because if you simply a, he were And just a reader. But you are not doing. The word of God will have absolutely no effect and your life, and this is an Integrity issue.

Surgery. John Maxwell, put it this way Integrity occurs when words and actions match. Don't you love it when people's words and their actions match? We all crave for that, right? We all crave for that we want people's words and actions to match and here's the thing. So when we not obeying God's word, we just like integrity.

I'm not talking about struggling. You all of us, struggle and may God help us. because Paul says the things that I want to do, I do not, do I do the very things that I hate But there was a recipe uses, but thanks be to God, will gives us the victory.

So you can leave victoriously because God gives you all things that you need to live in Victory. So we don't have to be dishonest and like Integrity in our life by not walking according to God's word. Because remember Jim says a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Would you like to have a bus that's on the table? Today they say do this one meant more to say, I never said that.

That's what we doing to God. See, the very things that we hate and then we asking like we expect from people and we not giving it to God.

Are you with me?

I know this can be uncomfortable message. We all struggle with this but that's what God's word is telling us. You look at the mirror and then you just walk away like nothing happens. You know, it is just like a prostitute in the Book of Proverbs that it says, you know, what does she say? She went and did all her fingers and she just wipe her mouth like nothing happens.

Actually, that's how God called the Israelites people. They were living like prostitute because God was giving them his word, but they were not living. According to his word, wildaid Nuit or long. You see, hearing must lead to doing. If all we do is here, we don't do.

It was just totally a waste of time. Hear it? Hear the words from a dead preacher Jay Vernon McGee. He puts it this way. Most sermons are heard by the many but taken too hard by the fief. Most sermons are heard by the meeting but taken to Heart by the few. May not be, this might be us, may may we stand out maybe different play. May we all hear honor God by obeying his word, and we make sure that I would believe lines up with our Behavior Faith Works. When I do something about what I hear, it would mean Faith Works. When I do something about what I hear. Why don't you stay with me? Faith Works when I do something about it. I kids. Let's go with me, Faith Works. When I do something about it. You were me. Your mom trust you when she tell you to do the dishes and then you did it. You with me. And then I remember there was a story in the Bible where was talking about two sons. A father asked them, a come to the field and work with me. The first 10. Yes, I'm coming. And the second says, oh, oh no, I'm not coming. I have some other things and father was disappointed then went to the field but guess who came The second one came but the first one will promise to come did not come. What do you think is trustworthy?

The second one actions, speak louder than words. Always always actions. Speaks louder than words. What you do have more weight than any words that you will ever speak. So, that's why Christians, as Believers. Our belief must dictate our Behavior. What would you leave? Should dictate our Behavior. He's another dead preachers. Quote for Charles H. Spurgeon puts it this way. I fear, we have many such in all congregations admiring. Here's how it was a good. That was a good sermon preacher. I wasn't that was a good message. That was a good word. There's so much lying in church.

Hey, this is crazy. That was a great sermon and then they were sleeping all the loan

and it all along. You were saying, oh, the preacher's been must be reading my mail, you just telling my business,

Even if he did are you doing? What you doing? Is it sin?

We find all kinds of excuses, not to repent. We always want to have like, you know, a special category. You know, it's just me and my situation is different. No temptation has overtaken. You that is not common to some. Oh, we all face the same Temptations. All of us. Want to get a bigger. Check back from our taxes, don't we? All of my tablet, Temptations to pad the numbers so that I can get a bigger check. Including the preacher k. All of us want to get some more K. All of us, want to get away with stuff. See many of us are just like admiring hewers. We are affectionate. He worries. We are attached yours. I got a Sunday. I'm going to hear the door is open. I'm going to be there.

But all the while we are on blessed, he words member went out before it to John 10:10 with you. I came so that you might have life and have it. How To the fool, have it more abundantly, but that's that's the thing that's happening to church. And this is one thing that really sad in me. I look at people's life day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, and then I can see that God wants to do so much more with them.

But they are never ready to take the next step to let God use them. To let God give them all that. God has in store for them. And then some I would like to our self. Remember self, we deceive ourselves, we look at the mirror and then we deceive our hearts and we forget Equisync. Like, whatever little thing that we doing now. It is better. Have you ever look at a baby? The baby got poop in the diaper and then once you take the baby to go ahead and change the diaper and the baby's crying. The baby doesn't want you to take that. Dirty diaper. Oh no, no, it's my dirty diaper to talk to me.

but a lot of us, that's what we doing, which is living like, in dirty, diapers, And then we think like, that's the best thing that we can do. But God is saying, I got so much more for you, I want you to be in a clean diaper.

And then leave out the life that I have for you. And if you think I'm passionate about this, I am actually it about this cuz I see people's life day after day. And I can see God wants to do so much more but we just have failed to trust God's word, to take God's word, to put God's word first. And knowing that God will do what he promised to do. God will never fail you what God says he's going to do it. That's exactly what it's going to. The God says, I know the plans I have for you, they are place to prosper. You not to harm you. There are plans to give you hope, and to give you a future. And a lot of us are letting the devil stealing our future stealing our Dream. Still coming over kids dreams, because we just living in a dirty diaper and we think that it's comfortable

pajamas is telling us your Spurgeon, all those preachers of old ad men telling us. They don't be just an attached believer don't be, don't be an unblessed. He were God wants to bless you. The reason that God speaks these words to euflora preacher or flew the Bible, is that your life will be transformed. And when God sends you a life inside out and you start walking with God, bless your life is you just would act yourself men. What was I waiting for? why is it that I have never taken that leap of faith to trust God, and whatever God tells me to do, When God says to put him first I put him first. See what God does. Showing you this week put God first in everything that you did this week and see what God does. See if God will not come flu. See if God will not keep his promise. God says, you put me first and I will give you every other thing that you need. Did God not say that? Someone says blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the wicked. No stand in the way of Sinners, but sit in the no sit in the seat of scoffers. But his Delight is in the law of the Lord. And on his lower, he meditate day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that you'll his fruit in its season in all. Its leave does not with her and then some of what he does. In all he does, he will prosper.

That God's word. This is not my word. I wish I could make this up and I don't like you that much and make you prosper and everything cuz I want some more for me. That's why John Fenton says, the thief comes to only to steal into kill into destroy. I came that day might that you might have life and have it to the fool. Is he the mirror of the word leads to a clear examination of our heart? That means like when I messed up 1st, John 1:9, what does it say? If you confess your sin God is faithful. And just to forgive you all your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. God never cares about yesterday.

You can't mess it yesterday is yesterday. Leave it exactly where it is. Now guys, I'm doing a new thing darts today. You confess it and now I start walking. So the mirror means you examine, so you look, okay, you looking at the mirror this or this is how I look, you examine yourself. Okay, then as you examine yourself, God is not doing that. To put you down. God is doing it. Why?

Can be because God doesn't want you to be alone. Blessed, Christian, God, never brings things to just destroy. You remember God cannot tempt. You only the devil can tempt you and he text you or cording to your own sinful desires. When God show you the mirror of his word is due for you to examine. Its got like you come face-to-face. Okay. What needs to change Year and God restores, you seen 2nd Samuel, 12 13, David sinned with Bathsheba But when Nathan came, the prophet that the prophet didn't just come to confront him with sin, but the prophet also came to restore him. Look at 2nd, Samuel 12:30. And it says David said too late, then I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said, to David, what the Lord also has put away your sin, you shall not die.

Is it simple? I hate you. Messed up. You turn to God. Did you hear that this or anything else? I just hate you. You repair it. There you go. The Lord has put away your sin. Awesome. If you repent, or turn your back on that guy, that's turn your. But his back on you, listen to You with me. So when you look at that mirror, you examine yourself. As you examine yourself, God will restore you, and I've got to restore you. The goal is what Friends formation. The goal is transformation. 2nd. Corinthians 3:18 says and we all with unveiled face beholding, the glory of the Lord are being how transformed into the same image. You know, your neighbor is not your competition. Hey hey, you need to look like God. Nothing. Oh I'm text. You better Christian than the Kia? Dana, the measures K. What is the measure Jesus Christ? Being transformed into the same. That means the exact image from one degree of Glory to another for this comes from the Lord, who is the spirit you know, where the spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom. Amen. Father, thank you for your grace this morning. Thank you, Father for continuing to teach us. Through your word and father, it is out for a year, then we would be doors of your words. And that he was only. I'll make you be magnified. Oh God, may you be glorified. Help us to live according to your way, may. We be Lord God. A different congregation, may we be Lord, God.

The church that everybody listens to your word. And do it.

Not just a few.

The father may you give each one of us the strength that we need the desire. Do your word? Live. According to your ways? And that according to yours. Father, I know it's a hard word. Makes us uncomfortable.

but we have to speak your word just the way that It is written. And help each one of us look guide to take your word as is.

I was not to be defensive. Apple's, not to try to make excuses. The father help us to live out your word. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.