Sermon

James 1:19-26

IPC Ealing Sermon Podcast

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  1. Well, I guess it was in the days when Steve was still somewhat young in the mission, well that's not quite true.

  2. About 25 years ago, I don't know if Steve was not yet halfway through, where they finally ended up,

  3. a church gathered a bit like this, not too many miles from here,

  4. and I don't know all the details, thankfully, but halfway through the, I think it was the evening service,

  5. an argument broke out.

  6. Clearly some tensions had been under the surface for a long time,

  7. and the argument was between the two main families in this relatively small church, about 40, 45 people.

  8. Now what happened as a result of that argument?

  9. I don't know the details.

  10. But what happened was that more or less overnight, a church of 40 to 45 went down to a church of 5.

  11. And some of those people have never been back to church since.

  12. Others have gone to other churches, some have never been back.

  13. And whatever witness the church did have in the neighbouring community was completely blown.

  14. You can imagine it primarily, all the neighbours saying,

  15. did you hear about that church?

  16. What a bunch of hypocrites.

  17. Christians are just hypocrites, aren't they?

  18. And I suspect here tonight, there are some of us who've had that experience, haven't we?

  19. Christians are just hypocrites.

  20. Maybe you've been winded by it.

  21. Maybe, like me, you've been one of those hypocrites.

  22. And maybe for others, you've been hurt by tensions in churches in the past.

  23. I've not been in this church long enough to know some of the tensions that may have been in the past.

  24. Or maybe you're sitting here thinking, this could never happen to us.

  25. We're not a basket case like that other church you talked about, Stuart.

  26. Well, that other church was a Bible-believing, reformed church.

  27. So James has something to say for all of us.

  28. Whether we think it could happen or not, whether it's happened to us or not.

  29. And in these verses we're looking at, we hear how such rows can come about.

  30. Why it's wrong.

  31. And what we need to do to stop this happening to us.

  32. What we need to do to ensure we don't demolish the witness of a church somewhere.

  33. So how do these rows happen?

  34. Well, look at James' command here in verse 19.

  35. Know this, my beloved brothers.

  36. Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

  37. Why do these rows happen?

  38. They happen because people are not quick to hear and slow to speak, but the other way around.

  39. They're quick to speak, quick to anger, and very slow to listen indeed.

  40. Now why is it that we get angry?

  41. What is it that makes you angry?

  42. What is it that makes me angry?

  43. Isn't it usually that something's getting in the way of what we want?

  44. So a car cuts us up on the roundabout.

  45. We get frustrated.

  46. What makes us quick to speak is the fact that we love our own voice.

  47. We think our point of view is right.

  48. When was the last time you got really angry about something?

  49. Let me tell you about what makes me angry.

  50. It's in the mornings at about 8 o'clock when I want to get to do my work,

  51. and my children are still messing around,

  52. not knowing where their book bag is,

  53. not able to put their coats on,

  54. not finding their shoes,

  55. and I'm going mad.

  56. Now, of course, part of that is my self-righteous anger.

  57. What do I want to do?

  58. I want to get down to work.

  59. Especially on Monday morning,

  60. I've got to stand there for Tuesday morning.

  61. Let me get on with God's work for my life.

  62. And our anger can be even worse

  63. when we think it's somehow righteous and allowed, isn't it?

  64. I think that's what's happening here in this community

  65. that James is fighting to.

  66. People are getting angry about stuff.

  67. They're not listening to each other.

  68. Why?

  69. Because they think they want what God wants.

  70. Look at verse 20.

  71. See the warning James gives?

  72. For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

  73. The righteousness of God is the righteousness,

  74. the right relationships among his people that he wants,

  75. that is his desire that he saved people for.

  76. So it seems these Christians James is writing to

  77. are people who are arguing with each other

  78. and not listening to each other

  79. because they think the church should be how they want it.

  80. They think that's what God wants.

  81. I'm sure you've known that

  82. in communities of believers, haven't you?

  83. I know I have.

  84. How many times have you heard it said

  85. or how many times have you said?

  86. I'm guilty of a number of these.

  87. This church would be so much better

  88. if only the marriage would look out for the single people

  89. and actually invite us around for dinner occasionally.

  90. This church would be so much better

  91. if only the elders actually knew what was going on

  92. and took time to listen to people.

  93. That's the problem.

  94. This church would be so much better

  95. if only we sang some of the songs that I really like.

  96. If only we knew what Sovereign Grace were up to.

  97. This church would be so much better if the sermons were shorter.

  98. My gifts were recognised.

  99. If those people over there actually got off their chairs and served

  100. instead of letting me do all the work.

  101. So you quickly think it's righteous anger, don't you?

  102. That actually we're doing, we're wanting what God wants, aren't we?

  103. James says no.

  104. The anger of man never produces the righteousness of God.

  105. So what makes us angry really is not that we want what God wants.

  106. We want God to want what we want, don't we?

  107. Everyone else wants what we want.

  108. That's why we don't stop to listen.

  109. We want to speak.

  110. That's why James is warning us here,

  111. be slow to speak.

  112. Slow to anger.

  113. Quick to listen.

  114. That's how arguments happen.

  115. That's how that church got to a stand-up fight in the middle of the service.

  116. People thought they were pursuing God's agenda, they weren't.

  117. They were pursuing their own agenda and not stopping to listen.

  118. So how can we avoid that again?

  119. How can we make sure that doesn't happen here?

  120. Well, three words James gives us.

  121. Receive, respond, submit.

  122. Receive, respond, submit.

  123. Look at receive first.

  124. Verse 21.

  125. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness

  126. and receive with meekness the implanted word

  127. which is able to save your souls.

  128. I'm not a great gardener, but I do know this much.

  129. If you want to plant something that will actually grow and take root,

  130. what do you need to do first?

  131. You need to remove all the weeds, don't you?

  132. Look at the weeds James is talking about here.

  133. The weeds are filthiness and rampant wickedness.

  134. What is filthiness and rampant wickedness?

  135. At this point we're going to get out all sorts of sins for our minds.

  136. But hasn't James already defined them?

  137. Invert the previous verse.

  138. The filthiness is being quick to speak.

  139. Quick to become angry.

  140. That's the rampant wickedness.

  141. It's being slow to actually listen to other people.

  142. That's what we have to put away.

  143. That are the weeds that have to go.

  144. And what do we have to plant in its place?

  145. What needs to be implanted in its place?

  146. Well, it's interesting what James says, isn't it?

  147. The word there in verse 19 is

  148. to put things off.

  149. I'm sorry, verse 21 rather.

  150. Therefore put away, put off all filthiness.

  151. It's the language used in taking off clothes.

  152. So you expect James then to say,

  153. you've taken off these clothes,

  154. put on this next set of clothes.

  155. But he doesn't say that, does he?

  156. He doesn't talk about clothes.

  157. He talks about something being implanted into you.

  158. Verse 21.

  159. The implanted word.

  160. Received with meekness.

  161. The implanted word.

  162. Now meekness is the absolute opposite

  163. of pursuing our own agenda, isn't it?

  164. We pursue our own agenda in forceful pride.

  165. Meekness is absolutely the opposite.

  166. Meekness is one of the characteristics of Christ.

  167. 2 Corinthians 10 verse 1.

    2 Corinthians 10:1

  168. Paul talks about speaking to the Corinthians

  169. with the meekness or the gentleness of Christ.

  170. It's the same word.

  171. It's the word he used to describe

  172. a horse that's been broken.

  173. Its strength under control.

  174. Responding to its owner.

  175. So what is to be received with meekness?

  176. It's the implanted word

  177. which is able to save your souls.

  178. Now God had promised back in the Old Testament,

  179. back through the prophet Jeremiah,

  180. that one day he would write his law

  181. on people's hearts.

  182. There's a picture of how human beings

  183. are not naturally able to do what God wants.

  184. Naturally we are not slow to become angry.

  185. But God promised that because we couldn't keep his law,

  186. he would write his law on our hearts.

  187. That would be the implanted word.

  188. The law on the wall causes us to sin, doesn't it?

  189. It provokes us.

  190. You know, there's signs on buses saying,

  191. do not put your feet on the seat.

  192. I never thought of doing that,

  193. but thank you for giving me the idea.

  194. That's how the law works for us, isn't it?

  195. So God promised to implant his word into human hearts,

  196. to write his command on our hearts.

  197. And that is what is able to save our souls.

  198. No amount of self-discipline,

  199. no amount of self-help,

  200. no amount of following rules

  201. concerning us in changes.

  202. It's only receiving with meekness

  203. God's implanted word.

  204. You see what this word is.

  205. He describes it back in verse 18,

  206. back in the other column,

  207. just a little bit up,

  208. as the word of truth.

  209. The word of truth

  210. by which God brought us forth

  211. by the word of truth.

  212. That we should be a kind of first fruits as creatures.

  213. It's this word that brings new life right within us.

  214. That God uses to make us new people.

  215. That's what we need.

  216. That's what needs to be implanted in us.

  217. So how do we receive this word?

  218. We receive it with meekness,

  219. don't we?

  220. And do you notice the contrast

  221. between verse 19 and verse 21?

  222. Verse 19 is,

  223. be slow to speak.

  224. Sorry.

  225. Every person be quick to hear,

  226. slow to speak,

  227. slow to anger.

  228. That's obviously,

  229. James' people weren't doing that,

  230. were they?

  231. They were being very quick to speak,

  232. quick to angry,

  233. and very slow to hear.

  234. James is saying,

  235. if you want to actually try

  236. and be slow to anger,

  237. and quick to listen,

  238. then you need to receive God's word.

  239. And by the way,

  240. you're not going to receive God's word with meekness,

  241. if you're not listening to one another.

  242. If you're not listening to others,

  243. if you're quick to speak,

  244. and quick to get angry,

  245. and not quick to listen,

  246. then you're not receiving anyone else's word at all,

  247. are you?

  248. If that's your attitude to other people,

  249. then you will not receive God's word with meekness either.

  250. See, all through this letter,

  251. James keeps pointing out to us,

  252. that actually the way we treat other people,

  253. is indicative of what we,

  254. the way we're really acting towards God.

  255. We may say,

  256. that we love God,

  257. and worship him,

  258. and want to hear his word,

  259. but actually if we're despising other people,

  260. not listening to them,

  261. then we're not really in a place,

  262. where we can receive with meekness,

  263. God's implanted word.

  264. So we need to receive it with meekness,

  265. that means listening to others first,

  266. so that we will actually be listening to God.

  267. But it also means,

  268. not just receiving it with meekness,

  269. it means repenting, doesn't it?

  270. It means stopping pursuing our own agendas,

  271. and instead turning,

  272. and accepting God's agenda,

  273. instead.

  274. It means coming to him for forgiveness.

  275. It means confessing our sin,

  276. and seeking the forgiveness,

  277. that is only available in the Lord Jesus.

  278. He will then send his Holy Spirit,

  279. to implant his word in us,

  280. and to write his law on our hearts,

  281. to bring us forth by the word of truth,

  282. to make us new people.

  283. But also accepting this word,

  284. can just sound like it's passive,

  285. can't it?

  286. It sounds very internal.

  287. It is internal.

  288. When we accept people's food,

  289. we take it into us,

  290. then it becomes part of us.

  291. That's what it means to have God's word

  292. implanted into us.

  293. It's taking it in.

  294. So it's part of us.

  295. But that then,

  296. is not just a passive thing,

  297. but it becomes active.

  298. So having received,

  299. the second word James gives us,

  300. is to respond.

  301. Verses 22 to 25.

  302. Here's the second step,

  303. so that we don't end up fighting each other.

  304. Receive this word,

  305. and then respond to it.

  306. Verse 25,

  307. verse 22 rather.

  308. But be doers of the word,

  309. and not hearers only,

  310. deceiving ourselves.

  311. Many years ago,

  312. we had a family holiday,

  313. driving through France at one point,

  314. and we got lost on the Paris Ring Road,

  315. which I believe is a familiar experience

  316. of people in crime negotiated,

  317. and we were looking for a campsite.

  318. So my father stopped the car,

  319. got out,

  320. asked some local lady,

  321. in his best broken French,

  322. where this particular campsite was.

  323. She just figured it wildly,

  324. gave a long series of instructions,

  325. now came back to the car,

  326. we were all telling him,

  327. in anticipation and bated breath,

  328. retired,

  329. and wanted to go to bed.

  330. He said,

  331. so where is it dad?

  332. I don't know,

  333. I didn't hear,

  334. let's just go,

  335. I'll find out,

  336. I'm sure.

  337. It was dark,

  338. by the time we reached that campsite,

  339. I was only about six at the time,

  340. my mother could give you more details,

  341. unsure.

  342. But obviously it's foolishness,

  343. they listen to something,

  344. and then not respond to it,

  345. when you are in need of help.

  346. And James says,

  347. brothers and sisters,

  348. we're in need of help.

  349. We need to respond,

  350. to what God's word is saying.

  351. And that's the whole point,

  352. James' illustration.

  353. You see the illustration,

  354. of a man with a mirror,

  355. verse 23.

  356. If anyone is a hearer of the word,

  357. and not a doer,

  358. he's like a man,

  359. who looks intently,

  360. at his natural face,

  361. in a mirror,

  362. for he looks at himself,

  363. and goes away,

  364. and at once forgets,

  365. what he is like.

  366. Now I sit there,

  367. don't you think,

  368. what sort of idiot would do that?

  369. Well let me tell you,

  370. what sort of idiot would do that.

  371. At breakfast the other morning,

  372. my wife turned around to me,

  373. and said,

  374. Stuart,

  375. do you know you still have

  376. a shaving foam on your ear?

  377. I don't know why it's on my ear,

  378. I don't shave my ears normally,

  379. but there you go,

  380. it was there.

  381. And I didn't know that,

  382. how did I not know that?

  383. I was standing in front of a mirror,

  384. shaving.

  385. Was it because I'm blind?

  386. Well,

  387. perhaps I'm a bit daft at times.

  388. Or was it more likely,

  389. I just kind of assumed,

  390. that I knew,

  391. what the mirror was going to tell me?

  392. And therefore didn't really

  393. pay attention?

  394. Could it be that?

  395. Could it be that I didn't really think,

  396. that the mirror was going to have

  397. anything relevant for me?

  398. Sometimes we like that in God's word,

  399. with God's word,

  400. aren't we?

  401. I think it's especially a danger

  402. in churches like this,

  403. and the other I used to serve in,

  404. where we love God's word,

  405. don't we?

  406. We say we do.

  407. We love listening to sermons.

  408. Some of you will download sermons

  409. and listen from on the way to work.

  410. That's a good thing.

  411. Some of you will read lots of books.

  412. That's a good thing.

  413. We love God's word.

  414. Yet so often,

  415. we fail to actually respond to it,

  416. don't we?

  417. When James says here

  418. that the man forgets,

  419. it doesn't necessarily mean

  420. that intellectually he couldn't

  421. remember what he saw.

  422. It means he didn't act upon it.

  423. For those of you who are in church

  424. this morning,

  425. Paul reminded us that

  426. that word remember in the Bible

  427. is never just about

  428. intellectually recalling a hand.

  429. It's like remembering a birthday,

  430. isn't it?

  431. My daughter turns seven

  432. on Tuesday

  433. when she says to me,

  434. Zoe, Daddy,

  435. have you remembered my birthday?

  436. She doesn't want me to go,

  437. yes, it's the 11th,

  438. it's the 10th of November,

  439. I need you to date,

  440. but 10th of November.

  441. She wants to know

  442. there's going to be a present

  443. for her when she gets up.

  444. And so it is.

  445. Scripture tells us

  446. to remember.

  447. It isn't just mentally

  448. recalling things.

  449. When this man forgets,

  450. not that he absentmindedly

  451. didn't have a clue

  452. what he looked like.

  453. He didn't act

  454. on what he'd seen.

  455. He acted on the fact

  456. he knew.

  457. We can be like that

  458. with God's word,

  459. can't we?

  460. And we can make

  461. very sophisticated

  462. excuses for it, too.

  463. We say,

  464. well, I'm saved by grace,

  465. I'm not under law anymore,

  466. so it's okay,

  467. I'm forgiven.

  468. In fact,

  469. somebody accused James

  470. of preaching legalism here.

  471. Martin Luther,

  472. the great reformer,

  473. had a bit of a problem

  474. with the book of James

  475. for this reason.

  476. He called it

  477. a right-strawy epistle.

  478. It seemed to be

  479. going against

  480. the gospel of grace,

  481. justification by faith.

  482. But let me ask us

  483. a couple of questions.

  484. If we're arguing

  485. with God's word,

  486. then are we

  487. receiving it meekly?

  488. Of course,

  489. we're not,

  490. are we?

  491. Let me ask another question.

  492. If God has

  493. implanted his word

  494. into us,

  495. so we want to obey,

  496. so we're ready

  497. to obey,

  498. because that is

  499. the Spirit's work

  500. in our heart,

  501. then how can we

  502. possibly say no?

  503. If we say no,

  504. isn't it evidence

  505. that the word

  506. has not been received

  507. into our hearts at all?

  508. See, this is,

  509. the danger here

  510. is we're deceived,

  511. isn't it?

  512. Do you notice how

  513. James uses that word

  514. twice?

  515. Verse 22,

  516. be doers of the word,

  517. nor hearers only,

  518. deceiving yourselves.

  519. Then down again

  520. in verse 26,

  521. talks about someone

  522. deceiving their own heart.

  523. It can so easily

  524. be deceived.

  525. That's why James says

  526. we need to respond.

  527. We need to respond.

  528. We need to be doers

  529. and not just hearers.

  530. But in case you're worried,

  531. that makes you a slave

  532. again to the law.

  533. Look at how,

  534. look at how James

  535. describes God's word,

  536. verse 25.

  537. The one who looks

  538. into the perfect law,

  539. the law of liberty

  540. and perseveres,

  541. being no hearer

  542. who forgets,

  543. but no doer

  544. who asks,

  545. will be blessed

  546. in all his doing.

  547. It's a law of liberty,

  548. James says.

  549. Now,

  550. naturally in our culture

  551. we hate the idea

  552. of law,

  553. don't we?

  554. We hate laws,

  555. we hate authority over us.

  556. That's the spirit

  557. of our age.

  558. James says,

  559. this is a law

  560. that is good.

  561. It brings liberty.

  562. There's actually

  563. a subtle change

  564. in James' language here.

  565. So far,

  566. he's been talking

  567. about the word of God,

  568. verse 18,

  569. verse 21,

  570. verses 22 and 23.

  571. But now he refers

  572. to God's law

  573. because he wants

  574. us to catch

  575. the authority

  576. that God's law has,

  577. God's word has.

  578. And he describes

  579. it as a perfect law.

  580. Perfect because

  581. it reflects

  582. God's character.

  583. Perfect because

  584. it's been fulfilled

  585. perfectly

  586. in the Lord Jesus Christ.

  587. Perfect because

  588. through Christ

  589. those of us

  590. who believe in him

  591. now have his spirit

  592. in us,

  593. so this law

  594. becomes something

  595. we can keep,

  596. not something

  597. that makes us slaves.

  598. And therefore,

  599. he describes it

  600. as a law of liberty,

  601. meaning the law

  602. that brings liberty

  603. and freedom,

  604. not a law that

  605. constrains and enslaves.

  606. Now,

  607. if we went out tonight

  608. and asked people,

  609. what does freedom

  610. mean for you?

  611. What does freedom

  612. mean for us?

  613. What do you think

  614. would be the response

  615. most people would give?

  616. I think most people

  617. would say that freedom

  618. is about being able

  619. to do whatever

  620. I want to do.

  621. And yet we only need

  622. to reflect on that

  623. for a minute,

  624. see that's nonsense,

  625. isn't it?

  626. You know what it's like

  627. when you get to a big

  628. roundabout,

  629. like some of these ones

  630. on the A40,

  631. you're not far from here.

  632. And if someone thinks,

  633. I'm just going to do

  634. what I want to do,

  635. and sneaks through the lights

  636. and sits on the yellow box junction,

  637. what happens to that roundabout?

  638. You could be queuing for hours,

  639. can't you?

  640. You're trying to get over it,

  641. because everyone starts doing it,

  642. everyone blocks it,

  643. you can't get anywhere.

  644. It's because everybody's doing

  645. what they want to do.

  646. We see that

  647. generally in life,

  648. don't we?

  649. As we pursue

  650. our own agendas,

  651. we hurt other people,

  652. block other people,

  653. thwart other people,

  654. and end up ruining

  655. ourselves as well.

  656. Freedom is not being free

  657. to do whatever we want,

  658. is it?

  659. True freedom

  660. is freedom

  661. from selfishness.

  662. Johnny Depp,

  663. the actor,

  664. when he talked about

  665. when his first child was born,

  666. he told the interviewer,

  667. when I was holding

  668. my first child,

  669. I felt it was

  670. a truly liberating moment.

  671. I felt free

  672. for the first time.

  673. They define that

  674. as being,

  675. as my first

  676. selfless thought ever.

  677. My first

  678. selfless thought.

  679. There,

  680. Johnny Depp

  681. in that moment

  682. got the idea

  683. of what freedom is.

  684. Freedom

  685. is being free

  686. from our selfishness,

  687. free from being

  688. turned in on ourselves.

  689. This is what God's law

  690. written on our hearts

  691. does for us.

  692. It sets us free.

  693. It's the perfect law,

  694. the law of liberty,

  695. the law that brings liberty.

  696. So you want to know

  697. what liberty looks like?

  698. You want to know

  699. what true freedom is,

  700. James says?

  701. It's not pursuing

  702. your own agenda.

  703. Rather,

  704. it's responding

  705. to God's word,

  706. responding to God's commands.

  707. So there's an obvious

  708. question for me

  709. and for you,

  710. isn't there?

  711. Are we dearers

  712. of God's word

  713. or hearers only?

  714. I have to ask myself,

  715. what's changed

  716. in my life

  717. in the last six months

  718. given what God's word

  719. has said to me?

  720. What's changed

  721. in your life?

  722. Has God been speaking

  723. to you about

  724. relationships

  725. with certain people?

  726. Has God's word

  727. altered the way

  728. you think about money?

  729. How you use it?

  730. How you think about it?

  731. How have you responded

  732. to God's word

  733. in terms of

  734. your ambitions?

  735. Your priorities?

  736. Has God's word

  737. done anything

  738. to your attitude

  739. to work?

  740. To your work

  741. or other peoples?

  742. It's hard to change,

  743. isn't it?

  744. But then God

  745. is writing his law

  746. in our hearts.

  747. So it might be hard,

  748. but it is possible.

  749. But do you notice

  750. the word James uses

  751. here in verse 25?

  752. The one who looks

  753. into the perfect law,

  754. the law of liberty,

  755. and perseveres.

  756. We've got a fine example

  757. of perseverance tonight,

  758. haven't we?

  759. Stephen Pan

  760. persevering for 41 years,

  761. six months and seven days,

  762. or whatever it was,

  763. in London City Mission.

  764. That's perseverance,

  765. isn't it?

  766. We need to persevere

  767. in God's word

  768. as he writes it

  769. on our heart

  770. that he would change us,

  771. make us more like Jesus.

  772. And then his obedience

  773. is possible

  774. because God

  775. is writing his law

  776. in our hearts.

  777. It's also desirable.

  778. See what James says

  779. there at the end

  780. of the verse?

  781. He will be blessed

  782. in his doing.

  783. Not blessed

  784. in his hearing only,

  785. but in his doing.

  786. Everyone looks

  787. for blessing,

  788. don't they?

  789. Everyone wants

  790. to be blessed,

  791. everyone wants

  792. to feel loved,

  793. respected,

  794. significant.

  795. Some people look

  796. for that in their careers,

  797. some people look

  798. for it in their families,

  799. some people look

  800. for it in their possessions.

  801. James says,

  802. this is where

  803. true blessing is.

  804. Being approved

  805. and loved

  806. and accepted

  807. by God

  808. and enjoying

  809. walking in his ways,

  810. that's true blessing.

  811. We're blessed

  812. not in our hearing,

  813. but in our doing.

  814. Receive

  815. with meekness,

  816. respond

  817. with action.

  818. And the third word,

  819. submit.

  820. Look down to verses

  821. 26 and 27.

  822. This is how we need

  823. to avoid

  824. arouse and catastrophe

  825. in the church,

  826. but also spiritual

  827. shipwreck

  828. in our own lives

  829. personally.

  830. Submit

  831. to someone else's

  832. evaluation.

  833. The company

  834. I used to work for

  835. many years ago,

  836. they had an

  837. employee welfare scheme

  838. where every two years

  839. they'd send you

  840. for a medical.

  841. And I remember

  842. going to my first

  843. employment medical

  844. thinking,

  845. this is a bit

  846. of a waste of time,

  847. isn't it?

  848. And yes,

  849. inevitably the nurse

  850. told me I should be

  851. eating less fatty food

  852. and doing more exercise

  853. and less sugar

  854. and all this kind of stuff.

  855. And then she got

  856. the blood test results

  857. and said,

  858. oh, by the way,

  859. you need to go

  860. and see your GP.

  861. There's something

  862. not right about

  863. your kidney function.

  864. I feel fine.

  865. Okay, I'd better

  866. go to your GP.

  867. So I did,

  868. and as many of you

  869. will know,

  870. what was it?

  871. About 15 years later,

  872. I had a kidney transplant.

  873. It's a good job

  874. I went to that

  875. original employment medical.

  876. It showed up a problem

  877. in the early stages,

  878. but it showed it up.

  879. I had to submit

  880. to somebody else's

  881. evaluation.

  882. And James says

  883. you need to submit

  884. to God's evaluation,

  885. not your own.

  886. Look at the contrast

  887. between verse 26

  888. and verse 27.

  889. Verse 26,

  890. if anyone thinks

  891. he is religious

  892. and does not

  893. bribe his tongue

  894. but deceives his heart,

  895. this person's

  896. religion is worthless.

  897. we can deceive

  898. ourselves

  899. into thinking

  900. we're doing

  901. all the right things

  902. and our religion

  903. be worthless.

  904. James rapidly

  905. takes us through

  906. three areas

  907. where we need

  908. to submit

  909. to God's evaluation.

  910. Now actually

  911. in the next three

  912. chapters of the book

  913. he unpacks these

  914. first.

  915. We'll only look at

  916. them very briefly.

  917. The first area

  918. is speech,

  919. verse 26.

  920. Do you think

  921. you're religious?

  922. Yet what are you

  923. actually saying?

  924. What words

  925. are you using?

  926. How are you speaking

  927. to other people?

  928. What do you say

  929. when that guy

  930. calls you up

  931. on the road?

  932. What do you say

  933. when your children

  934. are cheating?

  935. What do you say

  936. whatever the situation

  937. is for you?

  938. Now why does James

  939. focus on speech?

  940. Doesn't it go back

  941. to what Jesus said?

  942. It's out of the

  943. overflow of our hearts

  944. that the mouth speaks.

  945. Do you want to know

  946. what's really going

  947. on our hearts?

  948. Yeah, take yourself

  949. for the day.

  950. James points

  951. to our speech.

  952. And secondly

  953. he points to

  954. how we relate

  955. to what we do

  956. with the need.

  957. Look at verse 27.

  958. Religion that is

  959. pure and under

  960. far before God

  961. the Father

  962. is this.

  963. To have great theology

  964. no, that's not

  965. what he says, is it?

  966. Is this.

  967. To listen to all

  968. the servants

  969. no, it's not that either.

  970. To visit orphans

  971. and widows

  972. and their affliction

  973. and to keep oneself

  974. unstained from the world.

  975. Now to visit orphans

  976. and widows

  977. and their affliction

  978. orphans and widows

  979. are two great categories

  980. of needy people

  981. in the Old Testament

  982. and the Roman world

  983. of James' day.

  984. So really it's saying

  985. how you respond

  986. to those in need

  987. around you.

  988. And when he says visit

  989. doesn't this mean

  990. pop your head

  991. round the door

  992. and say hi to them.

  993. A visit is a word

  994. in the Old Testament

  995. loaded with meaning.

  996. God visited the people

  997. in Egypt

  998. as he came to rescue

  999. them from slavery.

  1000. Exodus chapter 4

    Exodus 4:31

  1001. verse 31.

  1002. It's the word Zechariah

  1003. uses in Luke chapter 1

    Luke 1 chapter mention

  1004. as he looks forward

  1005. to the birth

  1006. of the Lord Jesus.

  1007. Blessed be the Lord

  1008. God of Israel

  1009. for he has visited

  1010. and redeemed his people.

  1011. For God to visit

  1012. like God remembering

  1013. means God taking action.

  1014. So the kind of religion

  1015. that appeals to God

  1016. that pleases God

  1017. is to take action

  1018. for those in need.

  1019. Widows and orphans

  1020. refugees and immigrants.

  1021. people in the church

  1022. family primarily

  1023. to then beyond that

  1024. especially in the

  1025. global church family.

  1026. That's what God

  1027. approves of

  1028. because that's what

  1029. God is like.

  1030. We don't do this

  1031. so God will love us

  1032. but because God

  1033. has loved us

  1034. and visited us

  1035. in our need

  1036. in the Lord Jesus Christ.

  1037. So the first two tests

  1038. how do we control

  1039. our tongues?

  1040. Secondly

  1041. how do we help

  1042. the needy

  1043. especially the needy

  1044. among God's people?

  1045. And the third little test

  1046. there.

  1047. Little test.

  1048. Verse 27 at the end.

  1049. And to keep oneself

  1050. unstained from the world.

  1051. The world constantly

  1052. pursues its own agenda

  1053. around us doesn't it?

  1054. It's the mark of the world

  1055. going its own way

  1056. leaving God out of the picture.

  1057. We can so easily

  1058. be sullied by that.

  1059. Our attitudes and our desires

  1060. are so easily

  1061. influenced by them.

  1062. As we read on

  1063. through this letter

  1064. we'll see how James'

  1065. audience were influenced.

  1066. James talks about

  1067. their selfish ambition

  1068. their boasting

  1069. their covering up

  1070. their sin

  1071. chapter 3 verse 14

  1072. their coveting

  1073. fighting and quarreling

  1074. chapter 4 verse 1.

  1075. See don't deceive yourself

  1076. James says.

  1077. Don't deceive yourself.

  1078. Check your attitudes.

  1079. Are you being

  1080. affected

  1081. stained

  1082. by the world around?

  1083. See for those of us

  1084. who profess

  1085. faith in Christ

  1086. we need to receive

  1087. that word

  1088. implanted into us.

  1089. We need to respond

  1090. to that word.

  1091. And we need to submit

  1092. ourselves to God's

  1093. evaluation.

  1094. And not deceive

  1095. ourselves in thinking

  1096. we're in a good church

  1097. we're in a good place

  1098. we must be alright.

  1099. Now for those of us

  1100. who are not yet

  1101. followers of Jesus

  1102. this is an important

  1103. message for us too.

  1104. For you too.

  1105. I've heard people say

  1106. if there is a God

  1107. out there

  1108. and if there is a judgement

  1109. I'm sure I'll be alright

  1110. because I'm a nice

  1111. person.

  1112. I'm hinting to my

  1113. neighbours

  1114. I try and tell the

  1115. truth

  1116. I'm pretty honest

  1117. I'm not a bad

  1118. person.

  1119. I do my best.

  1120. How often do you

  1121. think that?

  1122. I do my best.

  1123. But is that what

  1124. God wants?

  1125. Look at these tests

  1126. here.

  1127. How do we control

  1128. our tongues?

  1129. How do you deal

  1130. with the needy people

  1131. around you?

  1132. Are you unstained

  1133. by the world?

  1134. The truth is

  1135. none of us are

  1136. actually like that.

  1137. God wants something

  1138. bigger and better

  1139. for us.

  1140. Here's a look back

  1141. to verse 18

  1142. for a second.

  1143. Of his own will

  1144. of God's own will

  1145. he brought us

  1146. forth by the

  1147. word of truth

  1148. that we should be

  1149. kind of first

  1150. fruits of his

  1151. creatures.

  1152. See God's will

  1153. ultimately

  1154. is to make us

  1155. new.

  1156. To make us into

  1157. the people he

  1158. originally intended

  1159. us to be

  1160. before we rebelled

  1161. against him as a

  1162. race

  1163. and went our

  1164. own way and

  1165. pursued our own

  1166. agenda.

  1167. The only way

  1168. to have that

  1169. is not through

  1170. our own effort

  1171. we cannot change

  1172. our own hearts

  1173. but through

  1174. receiving amidst

  1175. this implanted

  1176. word.

  1177. This message

  1178. of the Lord

  1179. Jesus Christ.

  1180. This message

  1181. of the one

  1182. whose speech

  1183. was perfect.

  1184. Who Peter says

  1185. of him

  1186. 1 Peter 2

    1 Peter 2:22

  1187. verse 22

  1188. he committed

  1189. no sin

  1190. neither was

  1191. deceit found

  1192. in his mouth.

  1193. This Lord

  1194. Jesus

  1195. his tongue

  1196. was always

  1197. under control.

  1198. Did he help

  1199. the poor and

  1200. needy?

  1201. Oh he certainly

  1202. did.

  1203. He gave his

  1204. life to rescue

  1205. us from the

  1206. deep need

  1207. to escape

  1208. God's judgment.

  1209. Was he

  1210. unstained by

  1211. the world?

  1212. Oh he certainly

  1213. was.

  1214. He was a lamb

  1215. without blemish.

  1216. He committed

  1217. no sin and

  1218. no deceit

  1219. was found in

  1220. his mouth.

  1221. It's only to

  1222. accept the

  1223. message of the

  1224. Lord Jesus

  1225. with meekness.

  1226. Coming to him

  1227. seeking the

  1228. forgiveness only

  1229. available through

  1230. the one who

  1231. died on the

  1232. cross for us.

  1233. Only through

  1234. accepting him as

  1235. our Lord and

  1236. Savior do we

  1237. have that word

  1238. implanted in us

  1239. written on our

  1240. hearts to change

  1241. us and make us

  1242. new people.

  1243. That is the

  1244. offer that is

  1245. here for us

  1246. tonight.

  1247. Not merely

  1248. be hearers of

  1249. the word but

  1250. doers also.

  1251. Now they

  1252. mean for some

  1253. who have never

  1254. come to Christ

  1255. for forgiveness

  1256. before.

  1257. There's a

  1258. chance for you

  1259. to do that

  1260. tonight.

  1261. Receive the

  1262. word implanted.

  1263. Respond to

  1264. his word.

  1265. Submit to

  1266. his evaluation.

  1267. Let us not

  1268. deceive ourselves

  1269. but come to

  1270. him for

  1271. salvation and

  1272. forgiveness.

  1273. let's pray.

  1274. ready.

  1275. CONGRATIST

  1276. CONGRATIST

  1277. CONGRATIST

  1278. CONGRATIST

  1279. CONGRATIST

  1280. CONGRATIST

  1281. CONGRATIST

  1282. CONGRATIST

  1283. CONGRATIST

  1284. CONGRATIST

  1285. CONGRATIST

  1286. CONGRATIST

  1287. CONGRATIST

  1288. CONGRATIST

  1289. CONGRATIST

  1290. CONGRATIST