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[0:00] From James chapter 1, verse 21. It's like unto a man, beholding his natural face in a glass.

[0:36] For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he be not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work.

[0:54] This man shall be blessed in his deed. The Word of God. And being a doer of the Word of God.

[1:05] Being a doer. God wants us to not only be a hearer, but to be a doer of the Word. Some things we can take to heart, I trust, from this passage.

[1:17] Firstly, hear the Word. Hear the Word. Remove the blockages. I know there's some people with hearing impairments in our midst today. I know my dad's got a hearing impairment.

[1:28] And sometimes I've got selective deafness when Julie's telling me things too. And we can be selectively deaf, can't we? We can have a blockage in our hearing. We can fail to hear.

[1:39] And in verse 21 it tells us here, lay apart, or put aside, put away. Get rid of all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness.

[1:50] Now, that means an overflowing of wickedness. That superfluity, that abundance of naughtiness, of wickedness, of that which is wicked, that which is filthy.

[2:00] That can block our hearing, our spiritual hearing. That which is unclean, that which is filthy, that which is wicked. And we want to have ears open. Amen?

[2:11] Ears open to hear God's Word. But not to block it with the abundance of wickedness, of naughtiness, as it were. In Matthew 11, 15, and there's many like verses in the Word.

[2:22] It says, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. The Lord Jesus said that numbers of times in the Gospels and elsewhere, and says the same.

[2:38] Have we ears to hear? Or have we a hearing block, a hearing impairment? Friends, sin will block your hearing. Sin will stop you from hearing the Word of God, from hearing this book, from hearing it, from heeding it.

[2:56] It'll dullen your hearing. It'll darken. It'll deaden your conscience, so that you cannot hear from God. You know, some, as we know, hear all kinds of voices.

[3:09] Latter-day prophets that they followed instead of the Word of God. And no wonder they're lacking a hearing of the Word of God. They end up in all kinds of trouble.

[3:20] And it was read earlier, that winds of doctrine. It's when you don't have the hearing right. If you don't hear the Word of God, you get off track. You get blown off course.

[3:31] What will you do with the Word? Will you hear it? Will you hearken it? Will you heed it? Check out your spiritual hearing level.

[3:42] People need to go down and get their hearing check, to make sure everything's okay. Maybe we need to get our spiritual hearing check. What kind of hearer are you?

[3:53] Are you a superficial hearer? In the context here, it talks about a forgetful hearer. In verse 23, it says, If one is like unto a man, beholding his natural face in a glass, looking in the mirror, looking at his face, verse 24, for he beholdeth himself, and he goeth his way, and straightway forgets of what manner of man he was.

[4:15] It's like if you were to get up in the morning, and, you know, I've heard it said, we've got relatives in our family, and the lady of the house sometimes says, Oh, don't visit me.

[4:28] I've not got my make-up on. You know, you don't want to see her without her make-up. And it was quite a shock when I first saw Julie without her make-up on. And friends, you know, you've got to look in the mirror and see what kind of man you are.

[4:42] And, you know, of course, when those guys look in the mirror, everything looks just right, you know. But, you know, sometimes you can get up in the morning and look at yourself in the mirror, and you don't take a very close look, and something's out of place, and you forget what...

[4:57] And then you get to work, or wherever you're going, and you realise that you didn't fix up whatever was wrong about your face. And this is the picture here. I'm just being a bit kind of light-hearted here, but this is the kind of picture that James is painting, isn't it?

[5:12] You can look in the mirror, think, Oh, I've got to fix that, and maybe have a shave. You can see I don't do that very often. And you can miss that that you need to do, and then before you head off to work or whatever you're doing, and you miss the whole thing that you should have done.

[5:29] And James paints the picture here of what someone can be with the Word of God, that you take the Word of God, but you're not taking heed of it. You're not taking note of it, and you're missing what God is telling you to do.

[5:41] And when God prompts you with the Word, just like the mirror points to your face, when the Word of God points to your life and says things need correction, don't be a forgetful hearer. Listen to what he says.

[5:52] Will you be a hearer? Make an effort to hear it, to be where you can hear it, to go where you can hear it. And I thank the Lord for people who commute some distance to come and fellowship here.

[6:04] They're interested in the Word of God such that they want to come and hear it. They want to go the extra mile. They want to take the effort. They want to take pains to hear the Word of God. And come and hear it as often as they can make their plans to.

[6:17] And we need to be where the Word is. We need to be where we can hear it, where we can read it, where we can study it, where it can be faithfully preached. And friends, the Word counts.

[6:28] The Word counts. I was blessed today of late to hear of a family looking for a house, and what counts to them is having a place where they can open the Word of God together and meditate on it as a family.

[6:39] That's a blessing to me. They count the Word of God that precious and that important that they want to meditate on the Word. They want to study the Word. They want to get in the Word and have the family altar time around the Word of God.

[6:51] They want to hear the Word of God. That's important. That's vital. That's critical. And that's essential to be where the Word is, where we can hear it, where we can study it, where we're together as a family, wherever we go.

[7:03] And folks, sometimes you can have the Word of God as a New Testament in your pocket when you've got some spare minutes of time. You can get it out and read it and stir your heart. And I know some folks have recommended it to me, and as a young man, I learnt, thank God, there was some youth leaders that encouraged me to memorise the Word of God.

[7:24] Put it on little cards. Put it on little cards, and I used to get them out as a young man of 15 or so and took them out of my pocket and learned them. There were some hundred scriptures that we went through, and numbers of them I learnt.

[7:36] And still remember today, I memorised the Word of God. And that was something that I count as precious and valuable for me as a young man growing up. And we need to be where the Word is, to read it, to meditate on it, to faithfully hear it.

[7:51] And you must be with the Word. Be with the Word. Where the Word is preached, where the Word is taught, tune into it, hear it. And challenge it too, as the Word says, that they search the Scriptures to see if these things were so.

[8:08] You know, you might hear preaching, and it's not right. Something doesn't gel. You've got to challenge it. The Word says to challenge it, and challenge the preacher if he's off track. I need challenging.

[8:18] We need to be accountable. I need to be accountable to the Word of God, to the Spirit of God. And let it saturate your soul. Let the Word of God fill your heart. Let it penetrate your mind.

[8:29] Let it take effect in your life. It starts with hearing it. Faith cometh by hearing the Word of God. Hearing the Word of God. Faith will happen. Faith will be spring up in your life, in your heart, as you hear it.

[8:44] It's the starting point. And so we need to hear it. In Ezekiel 12.2, it says of Ezekiel that he referred to a rebellious house. This is Ezekiel 12.2.

[8:56] A rebellious house which have eyes to see and see not. They have ears to hear and hear not. For they are a rebellious house.

[9:06] Don't be a rebellious house. Don't be a rebellious Christian. Hear the Word of God. Receive the Word of God. Have your ears, but hear not. God forbid that you have ears that hear not.

[9:19] Ask the Lord to give you open ears. So firstly, hear. Hear the Word of God. And secondly, receive the Word of God. In James there it says that the Word was implanted.

[9:31] It was engrafted. It was something that was received. It says in verse 21, Receive with meekness the engrafted Word.

[9:42] You can either hear the Word of God and reject it or hear the Word of God and receive it. Receive it. God wants a receptivity, a receptive heart for us to be receptive Christians.

[9:57] That the Word can be implanted. That it can be grafted, engrafted. That we can be planted by those rivers of living water. That we can have the Word as that foundation for our life.

[10:09] As of the man, the wise man, he built his house on the rock. And that is for us the comparison with building our lives on the Scriptures, on the foundation of God's Word.

[10:21] Receive it with meekness. With meekness. We can do all kinds of things with pride. We can, all of us, be puffed up with pride.

[10:34] with, as it says, pride, knowledge puffeth up. We can be knowledgeable and be out of sorts with God, can't we?

[10:45] We can have it all up here and all up here and be totally devoid of God's grace and strength. God gives grace to the humble.

[10:58] Receive with meekness the engrafted Word. We all need to be really inadequate of ourselves as the prayer was prayed earlier. In my weakness, Lord, be glorified.

[11:10] That's what we need to be. Every one of us are totally weak. I'm totally inadequate of myself. But we need to receive with meekness the engrafted Word. Not with a pride, but with a humility of mind.

[11:24] Look through the Scriptures, I'll refer to some here, in Acts. What they did with the Word. What the Word did with the Word. what the Word did with the church. In Acts 2.41, then they that gladly received His Word were baptized and the same day were added unto them about 3,000 souls.

[11:46] They received the Word gladly. Acts 8.14, when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John.

[11:59] Acts 11.1, and the apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had received the Word of God. Acts 17.11, these were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so.

[12:21] They received the Word, they searched the Scriptures daily with all readiness of mind, with an eagerness, with a willingness to receive it. Have you that kind of receptivity? We can have reception problems.

[12:33] Amen? I know where I live, it's probably not a bad thing to have TV reception problems. It's probably not a bad thing to have that. Amen? But have you got Bible reception problems?

[12:46] Brother, Bible reception problems. We don't want to miss that, do we? Now think of the Bible. Here's what was in Billy Sunday's Bible. Billy Sunday had this found in his Bible.

[12:57] It says, 29 years ago with the Holy Spirit as my guide, I entered in at the portico of Genesis, walked down the corridor of the Old Testament art galleries where pictures of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Isaac and Jacob and Daniel hung on the wall.

[13:15] I passed into the music room of the Psalms where the Spirit sweeps the keyboard of nature until it seems that every reed and pipe in God's great organ responds to the heart of David, the sweet singer of Israel.

[13:30] I entered the chamber of Ecclesiastes where the voice of the preacher is heard and into the conservatory of Sharon and the lily of the valley where sweet spices filled and perfumed my life.

[13:44] I entered the business office of Proverbs and on into the observatory of the prophets where I saw telescopes of various sizes pointing to far off events concentrating on the bright and morning star which was to rise above the moonlit hills of Judea for our salvation and redemption.

[14:05] I entered the audience room of the King of Kings catching a vision written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John thence into the correspondence room with Paul, Peter, James and John writing their letters.

[14:18] I stepped into the throne room of revelation where tower the glittering peaks where sits the King of Kings upon His throne of glory with the healing of nations in His hand and I cried out all hail the power of Jesus' name let angels prostrate fall bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all.

[14:43] the word the word it's life to us it's life for us friends today the word we need to receive the word it says in Jeremiah 15 16 thy words were found and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart now I don't know if you've ever eaten your bible but I know as a young man I used to I used to eat paper at one time I didn't make a habit of it but of course this isn't talking literally of that but it talks of feasting on it doesn't it of feeding your soul of feeding that soul man that inner man with the word with the truth not just taking it but eating it taking it receiving it but eating on it meditating on it having that receptivity to the word of God getting rid of anything that you can use as an excuse we can all have excuses why we don't take the word and receive it and apply it all your excuses and all your hindrances put them aside all those blockages be where the word is something happens when the word is heard faith comes by hearing and the word is able to save the soul it tells us in James there this word it's able to save your souls verse 21

[16:10] James 1 something happens when we receive the word when people receive it it's able as a powerful agent it's got the word dunamis underlying it powerful dynamite an active agent an active agency in our lives and truth received makes an eternal difference will you as I say you can hear it will you receive it or reject it hear it and receive it with meekness and thirdly verse 22 not just hear it and receive it but do it do the word do the word verse 22 but be ye doers of the word and not hear us only deceiving your own selves think of how you can do the word of God think of how you can put it into your life and live it here's a familiar account that someone wrote testifying to the truth of the word of God it's familiar to many I'm sure but there's much truth here let's listen as the writer says the bible reveals the mind of God the state of man the way to salvation the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers its doctrine is holy its precepts are binding its histories are true its prophecies are certainties and its decisions are immutable unchangeable read it to be wise believe it to be safe and practice it to be holy it contains light to direct you an armour to protect you food to sustain you and comfort to cheer you it is the traveller's map the pilgrim's star the builder's blueprint the soldier's sword the shepherd's rod the sailor's anchor and the Christian's character here paradise is restored heaven is open and the gates of hell disclosed

[18:28] Christ is its grand subject our good its design redemption its plan and the glory of God its end it should fill the memory rule the heart and guide the feet come to it with awe read it with reverence frequently slowly prayerfully it is given to you here in this life will be opened in the judgement and it is established forever it involves the highest responsibility will reward the greatest labour and condemns all who trifle with its sacred contents it is a mine of wealth a storehouse of food a paradise of glory a rose of rare fragrance a river of pleasure a fountain divine a wheel with 66 spokes each leading to Christ its centre and hub these 66 books form a splendid library all in one cover which can be carried in the pocket it is the masterpiece of all literature it is published in more languages loved and read by more people than any other book the bible the bible the bible hear it receive it do it do it how do you do the word of God what are you saying today creature if you're a hearer and not a doer you are deceiving yourselves you can hear it morning noon and night and mid week and miss heaven if you don't apply the word of God if you don't obey the word of God if you don't do what the word of God says to do

[20:09] God wants his word to be applied in your life acted upon lived out faith worketh by love faith is something that is alive it's living it's acted upon faith is meant to be evident lived out demonstrated we're meant to practice what we preach faith without works is dead now I'm not preaching works this morning but the word says that this will work the word will work in your heart the word will work by faith in the heart that is receptive to it the word will work faith it's been said faith is a verb it's a doing word in fact that's the case I'm told in both the Greek and Hebrew that faith the word underlying our English word when it says faith is a doing word it's an action word it's a doing word a light to our word trust the sense where trust has got a response faith has got a response it's got an active it's an active not a passive word think of the men and women of God through scripture in the whole of faith of Hebrews 11 for example listen to what they did just some extracts from Hebrews 11 and read it in full later for your edification

[21:30] Hebrews 11 from verse 4 it says by faith Abel offered up to God a more acceptable sacrifice by faith Abel offered up a more acceptable sacrifice Hebrews 11 7 by faith Noah he prepared an ark for the saving of his family verse 8 by faith Abraham obeyed verse 27 by faith Moses left Egypt verse 29 by faith they passed through the Red Sea as through dry land verse 31 by faith Rahab the harlot received the spies with peace verse 32 it says of many others we could spend much time here but verse 32 it says the writer of Hebrews 11 32 what shall I more say for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barak and Samson and Jephthah of David also and Samuel and also of the prophets that through faith subdued kingdoms wrought righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the armies of the aliens women received their dead raised to life again others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings yame are over of bonds and imprisonment they were stoned they were sawn asunder they were tempted slain with a sword wandered about in sheepskins and goats skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandered in deserts and in mountains in dens and caves of the earth and these all having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise god having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect friends it's saying there by faith by faith

[23:34] Moses by faith Rahab by faith Noah by faith by faith by faith by faith they did something wasn't that they were working for their salvation but their salvation was working for them amen their saviour was working in them the word was working in them god's people are meant to live by faith it's meant to be evident in our life to faith our way through life faith is an action to be taken faith causes action faith takes action don't just hear the word and receive the word but do the word live it out make an application of it make it live in your day by day in the workplace!

[24:17] in the home place in the school place wherever you spend your time shopping going about your every day let faith live the just shall live by faith there's an activating spark a light that goes on our strength is not enough I know I was talking to someone this week and asking their advice on encouraging someone who wants to get up smoking for example and the man said to me they can't do it by themselves they can't do it by themselves but we can trust in the Lord and think about it if you can trust in the Lord is anything too hard for God you can trust in the Lord to give up smoking or whatever it might be is your hang up amen and smoking is just one of many that other people can have friends today trust in the

[25:23] Lord when we trust in him when we have faith in him it'll work he will work it he will do the work we can let go of our own trying and start trusting start trusting apply it when it comes to making decisions about your use of time of money of friendships of what you will do with your life how you will apply your life do the word do the word let the word rule your life let the word guide your way and this word in verse 25 it's called the perfect law of liberty this is not a bondage this is a perfect law of liberty of freedom it'll set you free the truth will make you free our lord says and friends today could close the doing is not a work to save but a work of the saved we're not saying this morning god forbid that you should think of what i'm saying that you work your way to heaven there's absolutely nothing you can do zilch nada nothing nix absolutely zilch zero that you can do to merit heaven nothing you can do but it's everything he has done and it's trusting his blessed work of calvary and it's a perfect law of liberty there's not a bondage there's not a burden he's the one who takes the burdens away he gives us absolute freedom absolute liberty in christ it's not a burdensome service it's a privilege that we have and i'm blessed by focus saying i'd like to get busier i'd like to get busier for god and of course we can make the mistake of being busy and not effective i know that too that's so true but we can have an active christian life an active and there's joy and there's a joy in serving him whatever it might be that he gives us to do whether it's something that seems insignificant this man shall be blessed in his work james says the one who is the hearer the receiver and the doer of the word this man shall be blessed in his work there's going to be a joy there there's a joy to serving him there's a joy of our lord when we receive him and we can apply the word we can stand on it we can live it we can spread it we can share it we can learn it we can hide it in our heart we can make it live make it apply to our life and use it as a tool against the enemy as our saviour did when he was tempted there's a blessedness there's a liberty friends today our lord expects us to act on the word to do the word to obey the word as god's people we're meant to be living by the book wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness lay apart those blockages of wickedness of uncleanness that are trying to block your ears from hearing it and receive receive receive the word take every opportunity to receive it there's tapes there's videos there's opportunity there's studies there's fellowship times all manner of times that you can receive receive receive the word receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls but be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves verse 25 but whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his work god promises his blessing as we hear it receive it and put it into action let us pray lord we thank you for your precious book that it is the word of god in truth and know lord we know that we can trust in every dot and tittle of this book every dot and comma and apostrophe lord every detail of this

[29:24] book we know is true and it is true forever and it is forever settled in heaven your word and you have lifted it up above your very name the precious word that we hold in our hands we thank you for it we thank you for the men and women of god who bled and died who suffered the flames and torture that we can hold it in our english tongue today and we thank you lord that we can have the privilege to take it hear it receive it and live it let it be lived out in our shoes this week lord let it be walked out in our lives we pray help us lord to be messengers of it to those who haven't heard it yet that they might have the gospel truth to their soul lord we pray that soul saving truth lord we thank you we pray lord for every soul gathered for every heart every home every family different needs different hurts different longings different issues lord yet lord you are the great burden bearer and we can come and cast our care upon you for your care for us and lord pray that each one will leave this place with an encouragement with an edifying with a lifted heart and with a spring in their step lord that they can face this week and whatever challenges whatever storms may come that they can know that they're surely founded on that rock and on that foundation of your word they can build a life that will last lord we thank you in jesus name amen amen amen a

[30:56] Thank you.