Sermon Tone Analysis

*Mirror, Mirror*

*A Refection that can*

*Change your Life*

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*April 1, 2007*

 

 

 

 

*Pastor Michael Mehring*

*Full** Gospel Church*

 

 

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Mirror, Mirror

 

CHOICES ??

                                    Life and death

                                    Blessing and cursing

                                    Joy and sadness

                                    Peace and despair

                                   

 

The most famous mirror  -     mirror mirror on the wall

 

 

 

1 John 4.17

….As he is, so are we in this world 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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James 1:21-25 (NKJV)

*21 **Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues /in it/, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.*

!! Notes for Verse 22

*22 **But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.*

Qualification of the precept, "Be swift to /hear/": "Be ye doers . . .

not hearers only"; not merely "/Do/ the word,"

but "/Be/ doers" systematically and continually, as if this was your regular business.

Mt 7:21-29

 

/Deceiving your own selves/.

It is implied here, that by merely /hearing/ the word but not /doing/ it, they would deceive their own souls.

The nature of this deception was this,

that they would imagine that that was all which was required, whereas the main thing was that they should be obedient.

!! Notes for Verse 23

*23 **For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;*

 

http:~/~/www.crossbooks.com~/book.asp?Ref=Jas+1%3A23*For* -- the logical self-deceit (Jas 1:22) illustrated.

*not a doer* -- more literally, " The true disciple, say the rabbis, learns in order that he may do, not in order that he may merely know or teach.

*his natural face* -- literally, "the countenance of his birth": the face he was born with.

As a man may behold his /natural face/ in a mirror, so the hearer may perceive his /moral/ visage in God's Word.

This faithful portraiture of man's soul in Scripture, is the strongest proof of the truth of the latter.

In it, too, we see mirrored God's glory, as well as our natural vileness.

/For if any be/, etc.

The ground of the comparison in these verses is obvious.

The apostle refers to what all persons experience, the fact that we do not retain a distinct impression of ourselves after we have looked in a mirror.

While actually looking in the mirror, we see all our features, and can trace them distinctly; when we turn away, the image and the impression both vanish.

When looking in the mirror, we can see all the defects and blemishes of our person; if there is a scar, a deformity, a feature of ugliness, it is distinctly before the mind; but when we turn away, that is "out of sight, and out of mind."

When unseen it gives no uneasiness, and, even if capable of correction, we take no pains to remove it.

So when we hear the word of God.

It is like a mirror held up before us.

In the perfect precepts of the law, and the perfect requirements of the gospel, we see our own short-comings and defects, and perhaps think that we will correct them.

But we turn away immediately, and forget it all.

If, however, we were "/doers/ of the word," we should endeavour to remove all those defects and blemishes in our moral character, and to bring our whole souls into conformity with what the law and the gospel require.

!!  Notes for Verse 24

*24 **for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.*

*beholdeth* -- more literally, "he /contemplated/ himself and hath /gone/ his way," that is, no sooner has he contemplated his image than he is gone his way (Jas 1:11).

"Contemplate" answers to hearing the word:

 

"goeth his way," to relaxing the attention after hearing -- letting the mind go elsewhere, and the interest of the thing heard pass away: then /forgetfulness/ follows

 

 

 

!! Notes for Verse 25

*25 **But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues /in it/, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.*

*looketh into* -- literally, "stoopeth down to take a close look into."

Peers into: stronger than "beholdeth," or "contemplated,"

 

*perfect law of liberty* -- the Gospel rule of life, perfect and perfecting, and making us truly walk at liberty

 

Christians are to aim at a higher standard of holiness than was generally understood under the law.

The /principle/ of love takes the place of the letter of the law, so that by the Spirit they are free from the yoke of sin, and free to obey by spontaneous instinct 

 

 /The perfect law of liberty/.

Referring to the law of God, or his will, however made known, as the correct standard of conduct.

It is called the /perfect/ law, as being wholly free from all defects; being just such as a law /ought/ to be.

It is called the /law of liberty/, or freedom, because it is a law producing freedom from the servitude of sinful passions and lusts.

*continueth therein* --        to stay beside; stand by; stand fast

contrasted with "goeth his way,"

 continues both /looking into/ the mirror of God's word,

and doing its precepts.

The idea is taken from women spending much time at the mirror decorating themselves to the greatest advantage, not leaving one hair or the smallest ornament out of place.

Thus, if one will be as careful to take every advantage of the Word of God to keep his soul and his life conformed to the gospel, he will "be blessed in his deed."

—Dake's Study Notes

 

 /And continueth therein/.

He must not merely /look/ at the law, or see what he is by comparing himself with its requirements, but he must yield steady obedience to it.

John 14:21.

*doer of the work* -- rather, "a doer of work", an actual worker.

*blessed in his deed* -- rather, "in his /doing/"; in the very doing there is blessedness

 

*If he gets away from the Bible, a man soon forgets the real picture of himself, "what manner of man he was.

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*—Dake's Study Notes*

 

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

 We are now free to obey God.              

 —Life Application Bible Notes

 

*The Word -- A Mirror *

 

He sees his blemishes and imperfections and is moved by what he sees.

As long as he sees his deformities, spots, and ugliness he tries to do something about them.

But when he turns away from the mirror, he forgets and his imperfections no longer bother him.

So it is with the Bible.

As long as one studies it, he sees himself as he really is and constantly seeks to improve himself and conform to its teaching (v.

25).

Who is this -------US?

He is like the person who looks in a mirror to see if he needs to do anything to his appearance, then walks away and thinks of something else and forgets the rustled hair that needed to be cared for.

*Thought 1*.

How much like what happens so often.

We hear the Word and are convicted of some defect, some shortcoming, some failure that we need to clean up.

But as soon as we walk out from under the Word, we are distracted by the world and its affairs and we soon forget to do what the Word of God told us to do.

—Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/"There is a story of a missionary in Korea who had a visit from a native convert who lived a hundred miles away, and who walked four days to reach the mission station.

The pilgrim recited proudly, without a single mistake, the whole of the Sermon on the Mount.

The missionary was delighted, but he felt that he ought to warn the man that memorizing was not enough—that it was necessary to practice the words as well as to memorize them./

/"The Korean's face lit up with happy smiles.