Hearing and Doing
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2015-08-02 (am) Hearing and Doing
Last week, we looked at the reality of life. Life isn’t all apple pie and ice cream. It is messy, difficult, and full of trials and tests. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, our natural inclinations have been to do what we think is right; usually in opposition to what God says is right. What has happened is we’ve built an identity, a world view which says, “I know what’s best for me. I’m right.”
We know this is true, from raising or watching people raise children. Children demonstrate, most clearly, our natural or sinful natures. Children are self centred, self involved. This serves them well, for a time, it gives them the attention they need, it helps them learn, explore, try and experience.
Eventually, though, parents have to teach children that their identity is more than just they themselves. They are part of a family. They have roles and responsibilities. They are part of a church family, part of a neighbourhood, part of a community, town, city etc
If we didn’t teach them this, then, well, then they’d look like most of the world today. We are living in quite possibly the most narcissistic age in history. The rise of social media comes at a time when people tell others about what they eat for breakfast, what they did yesterday, and what they’re going to do today. Everyone believes the world revolves around them.
God gives us a new identity. We are defined by God. We are defined by Christ. We are saved and are being sanctified. We are being transformed. The picture of God bringing an end to all pain, all suffering, all trials and tests, all of it is a process, a working in each one of us. This is your identity. We didn’t get to touch on it too much last time, but we are a first fruits. That is, we are a picture, an image of what the hope we have in Christ is. We are to live differently, experience life differently. We are not self focussed any longer. We’re God focussed; we’re brother and sister focussed. We used to be self focussed, but we died to that identity, and we’re made new in Christ into a new identity.
Now, before we dive into our text, I just want to read Jesus’ conclusion to his sermon on the mount. Matthew records this sermon in his gospel, in chapters 5-7. The conclusion is 7:24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
This is serious stuff. Jesus just preached a sermon where he turned everything on its head. He showed how we are truly supposed to show our love first for God, second for neighbor. I challenge you to read the Sermon on the Mount this afternoon.
But don’t just read it. Do it.
James’ letter really is the practical application of the Sermon on the Mount. If you do what Jesus says, you will be wise, like the man who built his house on rock. But if you merely listen, you’ll be building, but it will be on sand. The storms of life will come and tear apart everything you’ve built. But this happens, right? We see this, don’t we? We all know people who have appeared to be strong Christians, but who walk away from the faith. They built their house on the sand. Then the storms of life or the pressures of the world, or whatever came along and tore it apart. Build on Christ; build your life on Him.
So starting with our identity, our Christ-centred focus, we realise that God calls us to act on this new identity. For ages past, we’ve tried going about this the wrong way. We’ve tried to get good behaviour out of people through rules and regulations. But it doesn’t work. An example of this not working, and a successful solution comes from the state of Texas. At one time, Texas had a major problem with littering. They tried fines, they tried enforcing rules and regulations, they tried everything, but nothing worked. So, finally, they created a campaign with the slogan, “Don’t mess with Texas.” In other words, don’t make Texas a mess. Don’t litter, because Texans don’t litter. It worked. People stopped littering, because they realised that it didn’t fit the identity of a Texan. Texans don’t litter.
Now James is going to list a number of things to do, or not do. Keep this in mind. “Don’t mess with Texas.” Or, “Don’t mess with Christians.” In other words, don’t treat make Christians a mess. And by that I mean yourself, not just others! Christians don’t make messes of other Christians.
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How many of us are quick to listen? How many of us are slow to speak? How many wait to get all the information, wait to finish listening to what the other person has to say before we either, stop listening to what they are saying before we start thinking about what we want to say, or interrupt what they’re saying before they are done speaking?
Or how about, “everyone should be slow to read email, slow to respond to email, and slow to become angry. Why do we become angry? It is because; we battle against the evil desire within us, to be right, to be first, and to be the best. We get angry when we perceive we are not getting our way, we’re not getting what we think is right, or that we simply can’t see how what another person is doing or saying, could possibly be correct.
Verse 20 is such a powerful statement. Man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. How many of us have become angry in church, or with regard to church related things? How many? How many were angry about music? About the elements of communion? About changes to the order of worship, the bulletin, the color of the paint?
Think about anything in your life, inside the church, outside the church family. Think about all the times when you’ve been angry—poorly behaved children, poorly behaved drivers on the road, annoying classmates, co-workers, teachers, anything. According to this verse, anytime we get angry, remember, it doesn’t bring about the righteous life that God desires.
How many times have we spoken in anger, in defense of what we believe God desires? It simply is not true. God’s desires are so much more than mere buildings, paper announcements, songs, or whatever. God is in the process of saving lost people. God is saving souls from everlasting death and damnation. God is in the process of turning sinners into saints. He’s in the process of turning sick people into healthy people. Our mission: “Springdale CRC strives to nurture faithful followers of Jesus Christ through gospel-centred worship, fellowship, service, discipleship, and outreach.” Our vision: where people are deeply connected to God and neighbour.” Why do we spend so much time focussing on stuff other than God, Gospel and faithfully following Christ?
This is what I imagine all our anger-fuelled arguing is like: imagine we’re all standing around a boat, on an island. The climatologists are right, the sea-levels are rising, and soon, the island will be submerged under 20 feet of water. The anger-fuelled church, the self-identifying, self centred, narcissistic church is standing around, arguing about what color to paint the boat. Instead, we should be getting people onto it! As long as it floats, as long as it can carry everyone, nothing else matters.
That’s what we’re for. This church isn’t about the building, though it is very nice. It is about the people, and getting more people to know about Jesus, the ark, who saves us from the flood of death on account of sin. So, are we bringing people to church, or to Christ? We’re bringing them to Christ.
Let’s get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, humbly accepting the word planted in you, which can save you. Do you get that verse? It isn’t about you. It isn’t. It is about Christ, and what he’s done in you. That’s it. That’s what it’s about! When we argue about music, etc. we’re making it about us, not God. Oh, we try to make it sound like we’re doing it for God, but let’s be honest, we’re doing it for ourselves.
The word is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Glory, again, is God’s perfect moral character. It is the good news! Receive Christ. But don’t just take him in and do nothing. Let him work in and through you. You have to strip off all the filth, like when you’ve been working hard in the field, or around the house, or playing in the mud, you have to take off your clothes, even before you get in the house, hop in the shower, and get clean. Clean off the filth.
It is possible to deceive ourselves. You might think you have a lot of friends, because you have 500 connections on Facebook. But don’t be deceived. Jesus is your friend. But are you Jesus’ friend? Do you call on him to help you? Do you talk to him every day? Do you invite him into your life, your activities, your computer time, your reading time, and your watching television time? Do you say, do or act in a way that you know would make Jesus happy, or would he cringe to be around you? You can’t live a life that is in opposition to the way Christ lived. Christ lived in perfect obedience to the law.
Now, when we read the law, when we hear what God expects from us, our sinful natures naturally rebel. We have to fight against those desires. We have to look at the law, see God’s perfect character there, and see that the law gives freedom, it breathes power into life.
So, when we go about our days, we can look at something and say, “I don’t need to go there, that’s a temptation to do the opposite of what God desires for me. That’s something that is dead to me. That’s not me. Don’t mess with Christians.”
Watch what you say and do. Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. Want to know what your heart is really like? Look at how you speak. How do you speak of others? How do you speak of yourself? How do you speak when you’re angry or frustrated? Do you swear and curse? What does that reveal about your true heart’s condition? Is it demonstrating a heart that is being transformed by Christ?
I tell you, I’m struggling so hard with this. I get easily frustrated, and I can easily lose my cool. I can storm around and be angry. It is silly, looking back. But I need to remember who I am in Christ, who he’s making me become. I need to recognise when I’m getting frustrated, to stop, calm down, pray and ask Christ to transform me. I’m trying. It’s hard. But the Holy Spirit won’t give up on me, or you.
Let us be very careful. Verse 26 says that we can be very good at faking it. We can become very good at looking like we’ve got it all together, spiritually. But then, our mouths give us away. We can make ourselves religious. Go to church, twice. Dress in good clothes. Give our tithe. Go through all the motions, for all kinds of reasons, but never really have our hearts in it.
Think about our actions and words the rest of the week. Are we looking after widows and orphans? Are we keeping ourselves from being polluted by the world? We’ll look into that more in the coming weeks. In the mean time, think about your life. Think about the major influences. Are they from the Holy Spirit? Or are they from the world.
Remember who you are! Christ chose you. Christ gave up his life for you. Christ brought you to life. Christ has given you a new identity, himself. Live Christ. Don’t just hear, do. Don’t mess with Christians. Don’t make a mess of the Christians around you; don’t make a mess of yourself. That’s not who Christ is making you to be! You’re a new creation! Amen.