Sermon Tone Analysis

I’m a King…but not really.

Charles Spurgeon once wrote of an actor who played his role so well that he convinced himself he was the actual character of the play.

Spurgeon writes,

There was a certain actor who had acted the part of Richard III so admirably, and had thrown his whole soul into it so thoroughly, that he imbibed the idea that he was actually a king, and became so extravagant in his living—and in addition so haughty in his behavior—that he brought himself first to contempt and next to beggary.”

What is so striking about this story is how the actor deceived his own heart.

He convinced himself he was a king but he had no kingdom, no subjects, and no authority.

Moreover, his deception led to his ruin.

Unfortunately, there are too many actors in the church.

They act the part of a Christian, and even throw their whole soul into religion, that they imbibe the idea that they are actually a believer, and put forth a type of piety that hears the word of God, but does not express love for Jesus through obedience.

In the end, they die and stand before God in contempt and eternal ruin.

They hear Jesus say, “Depart from Me, for I never knew you.”

Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit speaks to those who have recieved the implanted word of God, that is those who have accepted the gospel-Christians.

In speaking to the church he says to them they are not to be inconsistent with their faith.

He exhorts believers to not be mere actors who play the role of a Christian by just hearing God’s words.

They prove their religion is genuine when they express their love for Jesus in both hearing and bearing fruit, or working their religion out in real time.

In other words,

Christian, your love for Jesus will prove itself with a true religion that works to bear fruit from faith.

There are four works from faith James speaks of that display a right response to God’s implanted word.

These are four works of true religion or right religion.

The Work of remembrance (James 1:22-25)

There are two notable ideas James makes clear in verses 22-27; remembering and forgetting.

He uses a metaphor of a man looking at himself to in a mirror.

The one who does not do the word of God is like a man who forgets what he looks like.

The one who obeys is one who remembers.

In verse 25, he says

James 1:25 (ESV)

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.

The one who perseveres, who hears and acts all signify that the person has remembered God’s word because they are moving, acting, and doing something.

Why is James concerned about remembering?

James is concerned with remembering and forgetting because of the severe consequences of forgetting.

James says,

James 1:22 (ESV)

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

The word for deceive means to delude yourself, or to be deceived by false reasoning, or to draw false conclusions.

The word is in the present tense, so it implies a continual deception.

What is the deception?

The deception is being convinced you are a true believer even though your religion does not prove itself with faithful works; just like the actor who believed he was a king, when in fact he was nothing of the sort.

Those who forget God’s word deceive themselves and suffer his judgment.

You see the warnings to not forget in the Old Testament, particularly with Moses warning Israel.

Moses pleaded with Israel to not forget God’s covenant or his commands.

He says to them,

and

again

Moses goes on to repeat this warning in chapter 9, 12, 16, 18, 23, and 31.

He pounds and pounds into Israel’s ethos as a nation, “Do not forget God’s covenant and his commands.

There are over 55 warnings about forgetting God’s covenant and commands in the Old Testament.

The reality is, to forget God is to forsake God.

To forsake God is to invite his catastrophe on you.

God warned Israel through His prophet Isaiah,

Isaiah 65:11–12 (ESV)

But you who forsake the Lord, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,

I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in.”

Those who forget God forsake him through disobedience.

He calls, you do not answer.

He speaks, you do not listen.

He’s given you the way of righteousness and you choose to do what is evil in His eyes.

Israel was God’s chosen people who were given his law, land , and blessing, and yet they forgot his covenant and commands.

Yes they were religious, but they were not obedient.

They were hearers of the word, but not doers of the word.

And because they did not obey him, he judged them with exile and slaughter.

Hear the warning, church.

There are no hypocrites in heaven.

Those who forget God’s commands and covenant, though they have piety, they do not have genuine saving faith.

True Religion remembers God’s word by keeping his word.

One of Jesus’ biggest problems with the Pharisees of his day was that they knew God’s commands, his covenant, hey heard it, but did not keep it.

They played the part of priest so well that they truly believed, with their whole soul, that they were right before God.

Jesus, however, warned the people,

The Pharisee was one who heard God’s word, but did not put it into practice.

You may say, “But wait a minute.

I mean, their whole life was practical.

They were a works oriented bunch of men.

How can you say they were hearers of the word and not doers or the word?”

John Flavel gets to the heart of the issue when he describes the one who forgets.

He said,

“Sin, in the reign and power of it, may cohabit with the most excellent natural gifts under the same roof—I mean in the same heart.

A man may have the tongue of an angel and the heart of a devil.…

The learned Pharisees were but painted sepulchers.”

John Flavel

The problem with the Pharisees was the same problem with Israel as is the same problem with us.

It is a matter of the heart.

The Pharisees and Israel had hearts of stone (Ezekiel 36:24-27).

Therefore their spiritual eyes were blind and they could not see themselves through God’s perfect law.

I’m reminded of a story I read of a missionary in the bush among tribal people.

He hung a small mirror on a tree so use to shave in the morning.

A local witch doctor walked by one day and saw her reflection in the mirror.

Immediately she began to bargain with the missionary for the mirror.

After wearing him out a bit, he finally gave her the mirror-whereupon she threw it to the ground, breaking it into pieces, shouting, “There…it won’t be making ugly faces at me anymore.”

She had no idea that was her face in the mirror, and until God opens our hearts with is implanted word, we cannot see our reflection in the mirror of his perfect law.

We need faith.

We need faith that opens our eyes to see and ears to hear and our hearts to respond with loving obedience.

James describes this person in

James describes the doer as one who looks into the perfect law, perseveres, and obeys.

What is the perfect law?

This is God’s commands, his word, his way of life.

The law is the Torah.

The torah was taught to Israel to instruct them on how to truly live as worshipers of the one true God, the Jews loved the Tora.

They always speak of it in superlatives, like it is the greatest gift every given to Israel.

David describes the law like James, as “perfect” Psalm 19:7.

The difference between David and James, however, is that James sees the law as fulfilled in Christ.

He hints at this by the way he uses the “word”in verse James 1:22-23 and the “law” in v25 almost synonymously.