Doers of the Word
James • Sermon • Submitted
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Transcript
Big Idea of the Message: Temptation is the beginning of the sin process.
Application Point: Self-control in the midst of temptation will keep us from sin.
Intro
Intro
Grab your bibles and open up to James chapter 1. We will cover half of the chapter today.
James is a great book not only to easily understand and read but also to remind ourselves what it means to live a life worthy of Christ. James hits on many issues that not only caused those back in the day to stumble but even to this day is still relevant.
James Background
James is written around 50 A.D. Steven from the book of acts is stoned about 10 years before James writes this book. That should help you with where we are in history. Jesus is crucified and buried 20 years before this book was written as well.
The gospels are also being written around this time. Actually, most of them are completed around 60-70A.D. So a bit after James wrote this book but he does hit on some things that are taught in the Gospels so he had knowledge of the stories and teachings.
We will see that James actually quotes one of the beatitudes from Jesus’ teaching in the text that we are going to cover today.
Book Topics
Again, James is going to hit on the behavior of Christians. Both our sinful and non sinful sides. Something else that James will do extremely well is bring up the Old Testament. We may not see it clearly but he will actually quote or paraphrase a lot of old testament teachings.
This is good for us as Christians because I think we tend to get caught up on the New Testament being the primary teaching and map for our life. if you know anything about the new testament then you will see that it in facts constantly brings up the Old Testament.
James does a great job at using the Old Testament in a way that shows us a clearer picture of who God is and what his promises are built on.
This book is also full of instruction. No stories, not a narrative like Jonah. it is full of commands that will in the end help us to achieve our greatest Joy. The Old Testament is just as relevant today as it was when it was first written.
Today’s Main Point
We will walk away with seeing trials as a joyful thing. They will allow you to grow deeper in your faith and belief of God. We will understand that God does not wish or will evil upon us but rather our very own desires are what cause us to stumble and depart further from the wisdom of God.
Then we will explore what it is to be doers of the word. One can only be doers of the word with the understanding of trials and temptations first.
Book
Book
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Faith for wisdom - James 1:2-8
God uses trials in believers lives in order to accomplish his purpose. The issues is not unbelief but in active faith. For James, joy is not the product of circumstances but rather the most fundamental expression of faith. Faith allows a believer to become open to the wisdom of God.
James 1:2-4 Joy for Maturity
James encouraged them to embrace their trials not for what they were but for what God could accomplish through them. Trials serve as a test for guanine faith. Trials are a part of God's plan. The God who will save us from the fate of the world will sustain us with joy in the midst of it. One could see the book of James as Joy in serving God. In every trial the people of God should see their preparation for greater things God has planned for them. John 15:8 is a great verse to use in this moment of teaching. By persevering, we gain faith, faith that when its fullest sense is ready to stand before God in the judgment, which is faith's goal.
James 1:5-8 Faith without Doubt
Wisdom is required because the faithful do not always know how to persevere nor do they easily find the will to rejoice in future blessings while enduring present trials. Wisdom must come from God. It must be sought. Wisdom is given out of God's generosity and gentleness. To request wisdom in the midst of trial is precisely what God intends for his people. Growth in wisdom is to understand that everything of faith is from God. Prayer asks for the means to work out that faith through the gift of wisdom. Since faith is always a matter of personal trust in God, to doubt God in any way is to call his character into question. Lacking confidant trust in god, how can the believer make a request of God? The way of true faith in God is with the whole heart mind and soul. There is no safe middle ground between faith and unbelief.
James 1:9-11 The boast of the Poor - The reduction of the Rich
A poor man can easily find faith and wisdom in God. A rich man takes some time. His life can be so busy that once he has achieved all that he wants in this world, just like a flower it withers away. In the end, all must be humbled before God like the poor man seek his counsel. Continue to be steadfast in faith.
James 1:12 Trials as Life Giving
Verse 12 brings us back to this idea of remaining steadfast or having endurance in the midst of trials. This leads to what James said in the first part to be important. The guiding principle of this entire chapter is the right understanding of wisdom. This right understanding means a life that puts faith and action together. Putting the promise of God ahead of the cares of this life and receive the assurance of everlasting life beyond death.
James 1:13-15 Temptation as Life Taking
James shifts to a mode of strong warning. God is not the origin of temptation for God can not be tempted. We think that Satan, being a roaring lion, is dragging off the believer into sin. In reality, we are often dragging ourselves off into sin. We must watch our own desires. Every temptation to sin is a temptation to reinvigorate the appeal of past sins. Temptation conceives sin.
James 1:16 The Element of Deception
If the great temptation of the sinner is unbelief, then the great temptation of the believer is mis-belief.
James 1:17-18 The Father and the First Fruits
Everything with God as its source is good. He is only the source of good in our lives. He is the source of the good fight within us as we try to resist temptation. The gifts of God are good because they never bring fourth evil. They are perfect because they are the fulfillment of his will for his people. Believers have faith because God gave them spiritual birth. Death birthed by sin, life is produced by God. The word of truth is the instrument by which God implants new life in the believer. It is the Gospel.
Application
The Gospel brings life and trials urge us on in faith to grow closer in relationship with God.
This text is to show us as believers that God is nothing but good and he is full of wisdom. We must not give into our desires as this leads to sin and sin leads to death. Instead, we should want to seek God's wisdom but we can only do this through faith.
In all that we do, find Joy in trials as they are put before us in order to allow us to grow deeper with God. The cross is what should spur us on.
This passage shows us that Christ can over come trials and temptation. If he can do it, with his spirit, we can too.
Hold fast to our faith and know that in God, we find wisdom to conquer sin and death.
Intro
Intro
If we had nothing to test our faith, we would then honestly start to loose our faith.
Santa Clause
As kids growing up, you probably believed in Santa Claus. Did you think much about him around March?
How about the summer?
When fall or Halloween arrive, do you think of him then?
No, we usually start to think about Santa Clause around thanksgiving and all the way up to Christmas. After that, he disappears until next year.
Now, you may have had strong faith in Santa when it was Christmas time but the rest of the year you had none.
He was out of sight and out of mind.
If we are not careful, the same thing can happen to God.
This is why we go through trials. We are always reminded of God in thee trials so long as we seek after him and do not blame him.
Self-control
Self-control
Now that we understand that our own selves are the cause of temptation, we need to be able to control that.
There is a way to do this and thank goodness for James and his direction here in our text today.
Let’s read through it first and then we will unpack it.
Slide
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. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant 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 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.
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Enduring Trials
enduring trials brings life and giving in to temptation leads to death. That was James 1:12-15.
James now does not leave us hanging going, “Hmm, how do I not get into temptation then?”
He’s a nice guy and provides a road map for us.
Spirit Lead Qualities
James gives us some spirit lead qualities if you will.
Slide
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
Listen First
James makes a great point here. We are to be quick to listen. Not in a sort of fast sense but in a default sense.
We should be listening and listening only as our default.
If something happens, listen and meditate on it first. Then common core your way through the problem.
Just kidding. Common core is stupid.
But listen first, act second.
We go through certain trials, the tension can easily cause us to react in anger, outbursts, and poor listening.
Friends try to speak to us concerning our situation, and we only listen in order to retaliate, due to our frustration.
These Christian qualities are needed when enduring trials, so that we can be sure to produce the righteousness of God.
Slide
Learning requires slowness; action requires quickness.
Requiring quickness is that which is to be learned by hearing. The required learning is in speaking because wisdom can easily be abandoned in favor of self-interest.
In the movie, Star Wars Episode III, Anakin Skywalker fights his mentor and fellow Jedi, Obi Wan Kenobi, after he caves in to the power of the dark side.
During their fight, Kenobi continues to talk and speak to Anakin about his condition.
However, Anakin displays the opposite of verse 19 by being slow to hear, quick to speak, and quick to wrath.
As a result, he ultimately loses his leg and burns his face.
In order to accomplish this, in order to listen first, James goes on to say in verse 20,
Slide
20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Filthiness & Wickedness
Anger is going to be one of those temptations that just wants to lead you into sin.
James address this here.
Slide
Human anger will inhibit the wholehearted trust necessary for the relationship between the believer and God.
Not only this but it will also wreck the relationship between not only a believer but also nonbelievers.
In 21, I love how James talks about filthiness and wickedness like clothes.
Paul did the same thing when it came to talking about himself.
This goes to show that the power of the Gospel can actually help us become better or less sinful and evil.
We have to depart from the filthiness and wickedness that our hearts honestly truly desire.
Slide
Christian obedience is never automatic. It requires a daily “putting on Christ” for its realization.
Even if you have a solid Biblical foundation, believers are always putting the righteousness of Christ and putting off the sinful selfish temptations and desires.
2. Implant the Word
This is a no brainer but here is where James provides the way to put off our selfs and how to put on the righteousness of Christ.
It is through the word. Through the Scriptures. Through the continual study of our Bible.
This is why we are going through the text the way we are today. (This is why we are going through how to study the bible in our Sunday class here at church)
It may seem basic but honestly how many of us are actually taking a deeper look into the scriptures verses just reading over them?
Going deeper is honestly the only way that the Scriptures started to not only live on our hearts and minds but also start to transform our hearts and minds.
James has more to say about the word.
Slide
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.
Doers not Hearers
Now to hear and meditate on the word is a fantastic start. You can not simply just stop there. You must put the word into action.
Jesus did not come and give all these commands and show us the way for fun.
He came to teach us and set us free from ourselves.
To know the word is one thing. To be someone who actually lives out the word is another.
Slide
3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
Those who merely just heard the word and did not act upon it struggled, died or did not stay rooted in Christ.
Those who not only recieved the word but lived it out produced fruit. They started doing things that baffled this world.
People started to take note of them.
By having the word not only on our heart but also living it out daily, we look differently to the world.
Some believers just glance into the mirror of truth without letting God’s wisdom do its work on them.
Slide
Apply yourself to the Word so you may be able to apply the Word to your life.
Everything seems extremely doable but there is one more thing that can get in our way.
Slide
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Control the Tongue
James get super bold with this statement.
No matter how religious you think you are, no matter how great you think your faith is, the use of your tongue can throw that out the window in a heartbeat.
Your tongue and what you say really is a true test of your faith.
If one is to honestly be a follower of God, slow to speak and quick to listen, meditating on God’s word day and night, you will truly see that in their character and whatever words come out of their month will be edifying not only to themselves as Christians but also to Christ.
Slide
Control of the tongue also stands for persevering under trial, praying to God for wisdom, and using the tongue, indeed the entire body, for the obedience of faith.
If you do not control your tongue, your “religion” is worthless. You can pretty much just think of it as idolatry verse an active faith.
As James states in verse 27,
Slide
Genuine religion means that everything in the believer’s life is to bear the mark of service to God.
Everything we do as Christians should have the mark of christ in it. Our actions are good and often times speak louder than words but words can really impact a person.
There is an experiment where someone took two plants.
One of the plants they did nothing but give praise and uplifting words to it. Daily they would tell the plant that they “loved it”.
This plant grew amazingly.
The second plant, they did nothing but use “evil” langue if you would. They would say they hated it, it was a waste of space, and so on.
This plant, growing side by side with the “loved” plant, withered away and died.
All within a matter of weeks.
Our words have a bigger implication than we think.
This is why controlling our tongue is so important.
Not only that but it also truly shows you who we are as Christians.
Jesus was great at listening and using his tongue for good.
We need to apply this as Christians.