What's On The Inside?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
INTRO:
Recap of last week
Coming to God in faith, not being swayed by other things
This week:
What is on the inside of a tube of toothpaste?
(Demonstration)
How do you find out what is on the inside?
squeeze it, add pressure
same way we tell what a person is really like
when pressure is added the true character of a person is revealed
Seeing their heart
This is how God measures a person
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:
Living out a life of heart examination:
2 Corinthians 13:
5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
Two Ears One Mouth
Two Ears One Mouth
James 1:
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
- James will talk later about taming the tongue
How many of us have gotten in trouble because we acted impulsively?
Said or did things in haste
made a bad decision because we didn’t take time to think it through
God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason - if you’re going to talk be sure to listen twice as much as you speak
When speaking and listening don’t give into anger - Why?
it reflects God
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Psalm 145:
Christ-like means we live out this type of mentality
Produce what we Profess
Produce What We Profess
Produce What We Profess
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 who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
James 1:22-
Poeio - Doers:
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
Verb, an action
to produce or perform
Put into action
How would a person deceive themself?
belief that just hearing the good news and agreeing with it is what it’s all about
placing into action what has been heard
But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Luke
This is the evidence of a believer, they live out the word of God (not perfectly, but pressing forward)
This is the revealing of what’s in the tube of toothpaste
otherwise:
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
James 1:
If you question am I believer?
The litmus test - are you a doer of God’s word or just a hearer?
Has patterns in your life changed that are striving away from selfish motives to seeking to walk in holiness
Ephesians 4:22-
22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
As you face trials and difficult seasons:
arguments
illnesses
injustice
social issues
authority
etc
How you respond to those will reveal what you are believing - what’s on the inside
Are you being a doer of the word or just hearing good ideas?
Is the Spirit within you wrestling against your flesh?
Seek out Christ where you are struggling, turn to His word, pray, remove the things that pull you away from Him.
23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”