The Word - God Said - “Hear The Word, Do The Word” - James 1

Father, I just want to praise you and thank you

for your faithfulness and for your word, Lord.

We have learned quite a bit about your word,

and we are asking that you would help us to be

doers. Show us how important it is to do what

you command, not just to hear it. and the reality

of the attitude of the heart of obedience is

seen in how we actually do your word. May you

be honored and glorified. May the full counsel

of your word be taught today, and may we as your

people rightly divide it for your glory. We do

praise you and we thank you for your faithfulness.

In Jesus' name, amen. James chapter 1. James,

James 1 · chapter mention

a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

to the twelve tribes in the dispersion. Greetings.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet

trials of various kinds, for you know that the

testing of your faith produces steadfastness,

and let steadfastness have its full effect that

you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God,

who gives generously to all without reproach,

and it will be given him. But let him ask in

faith with no doubting. For the one who doubts

is like the wave of the sea that is driven and

tossed by the wind. For that person must not

suppose that he will receive anything from the

Lord. He is a double -minded man and unstable

in all his ways. Let the lowly brother boast

in his exaltation. And let the rich in his humiliation.

Because like a flower of the grass he will pass

away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat

and withers the grass. falls and its beauty perishes

so also will the rich man fade away in the midst

of his pursuits 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. Let no

one say when he is tempted, I'm being tempted

by God, for God cannot be tempted with evil and

he himself tempts no one. But each person is

tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own

desire. Then desire, when it is conceived, gives

birth to sin and sin, when it is fully grown,

gives birth, brings forth death. Do not be deceived,

my brothers. My beloved brothers, every good

gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming

down from the Father of lights, with whom there

is no variation and no shadow due to change.

Of his own will he brought us forth by the word

of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits

of his creation. Know this, my beloved. My beloved

brothers, let every person be quick to hear,

slow to speak, slow to anger. For the anger of

a man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant

wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted

word which is able to save your souls. Be doers

of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

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. For he looks at

himself and goes away and at once forgets what

he looks like. 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. If anyone

thinks he is religious and does not bridle his

tongue, but deceives his heart, this person's

religion is worthless. 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.

There's a lot of practicality here. And the most

important part of the reality of this chapter

is verse 27. So we're going to be addressing

those things. But before we get to the heart

of the message, which is 19 through 27, I don't

want to do a disjustice by just going through,

even though we could, and expound on just 19

through 27. I think it'd be important. Do we

got a duck? I'm hearing, I'm like. It was a good

time to be funny. It was a good spot. All right.

One of the most important things we need to do

is we have to make sure that we are thinking

through these kind of practical things in here

and then really get into what James is saying.

Okay. First thing I want us to notice is in verse

one, the dispersion. This is during the time

when the Christians in Jerusalem were scattered.

James is the brother of Jesus. He is the head

of the church. He's the apostle that's overseeing

the church in Jerusalem. That's his responsibility.

And he is sending this letter out to the brothers

who were in Jerusalem. And they have been now

dispersed across the area. And how would you

encourage the brothers to hold? firm to the faith

to not let the trial and the testing that has

been placed on them to discourage them but to

hold truth to the word and do it and so what

he does is he starts it off quite frankly okay

i want you to pay attention number one notice

what it says in verse two For you know that the

testing of your faith produces. Why does God

allow suffering in your life? Why do we go through

difficulty? We go through difficulty because

he wants our faith to produce steadfastness.

The steadfastness is the willing to stand under

the pressure regardless of what's happening in

your life. That is one of the most difficult

things for American Christians to do. is when

things get difficult we have a tendency to run

away from God abandon the church not really stand

for the faith because life's too difficult we

have no idea what difficulty is when we look

at the reality of faith We have a difficulty

or an idea of what it means to live life, right?

Like we have loved ones that get sick and die

and we go through our own sufferings and pains

and stuff like that. It's everyday life. Everybody

in the world goes through that. But this is a

specific testing. Persecution. So why does God

allow or why does God test us? He is testing

our faith so that it produces steadfastness.

And notice what it says. When steadfastness has

its full effect in your life, you are perfected

and complete, lacking nothing. I kind of like

that. He's telling you what the answer to a victorious

Christian life looks like. The second is ask

in faith. with no doubting. Now, there are many

brothers and sisters, I'm sure, throughout Christendom

that would state that we can ask God for whatever

we want. As long as we don't doubt, we'll get

it. But that's not what this means. It doesn't

mean that if I want this, I can believe God and

I'll have it. And that is one of the main issues,

I think, that we've experienced quite a bit with

the prosperity gospel folks. What does it mean

that we should ask in faith with no doubting?

What does it say in verse 5? If any of you lacks

wisdom, what is wisdom? It is the knowledge and

the truth of God applied. If anyone is lacking

wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously

to all without reproach. If you want the wisdom

of God, God will give it to you. What else is

the reality of this issue concerning faith? But

let him ask in faith. What is faith? Being sure

of what you hope for and the evidence of what

you don't see. What do we know? We know that

the word of God is God's promises in writing.

His name is on his promises. His word is truth.

What do we ask in faith? Faith is not believing

that I will receive something. Faith is knowing

the truth of the word of God and not doubting

that God's word is true. Can you imagine how

much more effective as believers we would be

if we literally walked in the truth of the word

and believed what God said is true, not what

we think God will give me. God has promised that

if I walk by faith, live in faith, that my faith

will produce steadfastness. And when it is completed

and as it reaches full effect, I will lack nothing.

And so if I need the wisdom of God, that's the

application of the knowledge of God lived in

life, then I can ask him and I will live rightly,

even under pressure. Number three, look what

he says here. Why does he deal with these Two

particular types of people in the church. I want

you to notice something. In the church, there's

no middle class. He just calls the lowly and

the rich. Because everyone who's not rich is

lowly. It's kind of interesting, I just say.

And I'll be like, where's the middle class in

that, whether it's not one? So most countries

don't have middle class. Most countries just

have lowly, poor, and rich. We're the only, we're

one of very few countries that has middle class.

So just saying on a modern day term. Anyway,

what is he saying here? Let the lowly brother

boast in his exaltation. What does God promise

the poor? Blessed are the poor for they shall,

what? Inherit the kingdom of God. Is there any

kingdom, anything greater than that? No. We are

receiving an inheritance as the children of God,

of a kingdom that the world would probably do

anything to get, but it can't. That's the reality.

So we boast in our exaltation. We've been exalted

from lowliness. To what? To kingship. We can

live as kings with the king of kings and the

Lord of lords. But look what he says to the rich.

And the rich in his humiliation. Because why?

What does the rich pursue on earth? What happens

when the rich die? Do they take what they pursued

with them? And that's exactly what he says here.

So also will the rich man fade away in the midst

of his pursuits. It doesn't mean that you can't

want or it can't work to be wealthy here, but

that your pursuits aren't defining you. What's

the opposite of reaching out for your pursuits?

Live in humility. Live as a slave. Not as a person

who owns slaves. That's really what he's saying

here. Live in humiliation. And that's quite difficult

to be a doer. As a poor man, to live in our exaltation

is not to live in bragging like we've done something,

but to live in such a way that we exude. Or we

show, reflect the goodness of our God because

now I am in the same position as everyone else

when it comes to the kingdom. But to the rich,

in the same way that the poor serve and slave

and work for the rich, the rich should be serving

and slaving to take care of the poor. We read

this later on. Number four. But each person is

tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own

desire. So here's, I was watching, my wife and

I were watching a little thing on TV where a

gentleman stated that Satan is the ruler of the

world and he is controlling everything. That

all the bad things that happen in your life are

Satan's fault. Here's a problem. James chapter

James 1 · chapter mention

1. Is it really? What's really going on here?

Well, it's because we're selfish. Each person

is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his

own desires. The reality of sin in your life

is not Satan's fault. He didn't put anything

in your life that wasn't already there. The sinful

world knows how to tempt. It knows how to put

stuff in your face. Bulletin boards. commercials.

Lord knows today when you watch the Super Bowl,

you're going to be watching Bunny. Please don't.

That's crazy. But it's the reality. And people

will go, I want to know what that's about. And

what happens? They get lured and enticed by their

own desire of curiosity. I'm like, I'm not even

going to watch it. I'll be home watching something

else. No Super Bowl for me. Because if that's

what you're going to continue to produce and

offer to the people that watch it, especially

all the little kids, I'm really having a hard

time with them. What does it produce in the heart

and the mind of any individual? You can imagine.

So each person in reality is... tempted when

he is lured and enticed by his own desire and

desire when it gives when it is full grown gives

birth to sin and sin gives birth to death it's

no one's fault but yours is what james is saying

number five what's the reality of the work of

god The reality of the work of God. Every good

gift. The fact that we're saved. That God saves

us. That he gives us the perfect gift of heaven.

Salvation. Done perfectly through a perfect God.

Given to an imperfect people by which he will

make perfect. He has done it by his own will.

See that kind of throws a monkey wrench in the

free will argument. I could go through. A whole

mess of scripture. But the reality is, even in

James chapter 1, verse 18, he tells you, your

James 1:18

very salvation, your very being is of his own

will, which he brought forth by the word of truth.

Who's the word of truth? Jesus. And he completes

the statement that we should be a kind of first

fruits of his creatures. The first fruits of

his creatures, the ones who reflect the righteousness

and holiness of a living God. How do we do that?

How do we reflect? How do we show that we're

the first fruits of his creatures? Number six.

To do the word requires that the word be implanted

in you. The word of God must be implanted in

you. Hebrews 10, 16. This is the covenant, which

that I make with them after those days, declares

the Lord. I will put my laws on their hearts

and write them on their minds. Who gives you

the word? God. Who puts the word in you? God.

So when he says that the word has been implanted

in you, it's because he put it there. God put

his word in you. Very interesting, isn't it?

So James 1, 19 through 21. Now, know this, my

beloved brothers. Let every person be quick to

hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. Very important.

You're going to find out that the quickest way

to know if somebody is of God and who's not of

God is their mouth. Because out of the abundance

of the heart, the mouth speaks. Anger of man

does not produce the righteousness of God. You

can see who is of God and who's not by how he

or she speaks in anger because she Or he feels

like his rights or her rights have been violated.

How dare you do that to me? My rights are violated.

And we get angry. I deserve better than that.

In some cases, that'd be true. But the reality

is, because we think our rights have been violated

or they have been violated, The Bible says that

the anger of man does not produce the righteousness

of God. Well, what does produce the righteousness

of God? The Spirit of God. So in your anger,

do not sin, the Scripture says. Not God's anger.

God's anger is good and righteous and true. That's

the reality. Ben, can you give Ronald Goetz a

call, please? Thank you. Therefore, put away

all filthiness and rampant wickedness. Put all

of that away. Why? It's the opposite. Anger produces

filthiness and rampant wickedness. Put it away,

he says. And look, what is the answer to putting

away filthiness and rampant wickedness? And receive

the meekness, the implanted word. Receive with

meekness the implanted word. It's the word of

God that keeps us right. Which is able to save

your souls. Remember the word that God put in

you? So. The seven. How do we do this? To do

the word requires that you not only hear, but

act on it. To do the word requires that you not

only hear, but act on it. You must hear the word

and do it, not just hear it. Why? Deuteronomy

8 .1. The whole commandment that I command you

today, forget the V, I forgot to delete it. That

you, not view, shall be careful to do. You shall

be careful to do that you may live and multiply

and go in and possess the land the Lord swore

to give your forefathers. Do you hear that? There's

all kinds of applications here. We're not going

to get on the tangent. The only way that God...

That the people of Israel were to receive the

land as if they were being obedient. If they

were doing the word carefully. It's his land.

Why? But he's telling you that you must be careful

to do. James 22 through 25. But be doers of the

word. Pretty simple, isn't it? Be doers. Not

hearers only. Deceiving yourself. Be doers of

the word. Be the one that is actively doing.

Not hearers only. Deceiving yourself. You hear

the word. And this happens many times in churches

every Sunday. People come in. They don't bring

their Bibles. They sit there. They hear a message.

They hear a word. From the Lord. No wonder no

one can discern what the word of the Lord is.

Because they don't know the word. They'll be

like, the preacher gave the word of the Lord

today. I'm going to hear that. Okay. No. We must

hear the word of God. Because if we just hear

only, we deceive ourselves. How is this deception?

The reality is. We deceive ourselves because

we're not living out what was given to us. 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. Oh, can you imagine what it

would be like if you woke up in the morning,

looked at your face, and were like, oh, how are

you? Walked away and go, I forgot what I look

like. Kind of weird. But that's what it's like.

For he looks at himself and goes away at once

and forgets what he looks like. He doesn't even

reflect anything of what he is naturally. So

what's the point? That we as believers naturally

should be reflecting Christ. That's what it says

in verse 25. But the one who looks into the perfect

law. The one who... digs into the law of God,

the law of liberty. The law of God is freedom

for a believer. It's not the school teacher who

whips us. It's a school teacher who whips us

when we aren't living, when we aren't saved,

when we don't know Christ. The law reveals to

us our sinfulness, but now that we are in Christ,

the law reveals to us our righteousness. Christ.

And so the law of liberty. And what does the

law do? If we persevere, being no hearer who

forgets but a doer who acts, we'll be blessed.

And that's exactly what God was saying to them.

If you carefully do what I command you, I will

bless you. You want blessings? You want to really

truly know what it means to be blessed by God?

do his word. So pure religion is to be a doer

of the word. You guys ever watch that little

video? I did this with John and Nick this week.

After we went through line by line, they were

like, yeah, that's a really bad video. That is

a really bad video. You ever seen that video

where it says Jesus is greater than religion

or Jesus hates religion video? You guys ever

watch that on YouTube? I should play it for you.

I really am not. I can't. It's totally heretical.

I can do it on Wednesday because then I can teach

you why it's so bad. You can't even get past

the first five words. And you go, whoa. It's

extremely deceptive. That being said. God doesn't

hate religion. That's a lie. God loves religion.

God loves his religion. God hates man's religion.

But Christianity is not man's religion. It's

God's religion. Christianity or religion is not

some man -made institution. Religion in reality,

God's religion, Is what we should be living.

But man has corrupted God's religion. And as

a result of a corrupted religion. We come up

with all kinds of other ideas. James chapter

James 4:17

4 verse 17. So whoever knows the right thing

to do. And fails to do it. For him it is sin.

It is sin. God loves. His religion. And Christianity

is a religion. It's a life practice. It's what

we do. So if anyone thinks he is religious and

does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart,

this person's religion is worthless. Remember

I told you earlier that the quickest way to know

if someone is truly a believer is to listen to

their language. listen to what they say now that

doesn't mean that we're not going to mess up

i mess up we all mess up but the reality of consistent

christian living is that we are putting a bridle

we are we are being careful about what we say

not going and destroying everyone and everyone

and everything that disagrees with me because

my truth is my truth and your truth is your truth

and after all You don't have a right to mess

with my truth. But as I said before, God could

care less about your truth. And he really doesn't

care about your opinion. You're like, oh, that's

harsh. But that's true. Because if God was worried

about everybody's opinion, he'd never get anything

done. After all, I'm not going to say everybody

has an opinion. All right. But notice what James

says here. Religion. Life practice. Doing. That's

what this word religion means. A doer of the

faith. Religion that is pure and undefiled before

God the Father is this. Visit the orphans and

widows in their affliction. And to keep oneself

unstained from the world. Now. Interesting enough,

I was watching another interview this week of

an Anglican bishop. Oh, thank God I remembered

it in second service because the first service

I totally forgot. It's the bishop. I was in Bible

study. An Anglican bishop. And he is the bishop

of the Anglican church in all of Jerusalem. He

is the top -notch guy in the Anglican church.

And what he shared concerning the Christians

there would absolutely horrify you. They are

going hungry in Israel. And his statement is,

why are the Christians so quick to give money

to Israel but not give money to their own family?

Who's suffering and hurting. Why hasn't... Anybody

talked about this? Because the Christian will

always be hated. If they hated me, they will

hate you also. Why do I say that? Because here,

what we see in James' statement, and the same

thing was happening then that's happening now,

is that the real religion that is pure and undefiled

of God the Father is to visit the orphans and

widows in their affliction and to keep oneself

unstained from the world. It is to take care

of the marginalized family. He's speaking to

the brothers and sisters that have been dispersed

who now don't have children, who now don't have

parents and women who now don't have husbands

who can take care of them. This isn't the orphans

and widows in all of Jerusalem because not all

of the children and all of the widows have lost

their loved ones. These are the persecuted Christians

who have lost parents and husbands. And we know

this to be true because Jesus says, they will

know you are my disciples if you have love one

for another. And we know this also because Jesus

tells us again what the reality of good, true

biblical religion looks like. Lord, when did

we see you hungry and feed you and thirsty and

give you drink and naked and clothe you and sick

and care for you? When you did it for the least

of these, you did it for me. Good, true biblical

Christianity is taking care of the marginalized

in God's house so that we can then go outside

of the house to take care of the marginalized

there. We're quick to take care of those outside

of the house, but very slow to take care of those

in. I can tell you, and I'm very thankful for

our church, that we do work at this. We take

good care of our family. And I give you all kudos

for that. I am grateful for you. In that you

are reflecting this truth. You are living pure

religion. The hardest though, for all Christians,

is holiness. To keep oneself unstained from the

world. Care for those who cannot care for themselves

and live rightly. That's the hardest. But that's

real what true biblical pure religion looks like.

So God doesn't hate religion. Jesus doesn't hate

religion. He commands you to live it. And that

is his expectation of you and his imperative

for you. To do the word. Care for the marginalized.

Live holy. Father, I want to thank you so much

for your goodness. Thank you for your word. Thank

you for your faithfulness. Thank you that you,

Holy Spirit, live in us and that we can be guided

through the truth as you illuminate us to the

truth of the word by the very work and ministry

you do in our lives, sanctifying us and conforming

us into the image of your son, Lord Jesus. We

thank you that you have given your life as a

ransom for many. Bless your people and bless

us as we learn to live your word. In Jesus' name,

amen.