To preach, and as Tyler comes up, he'll be preaching from James chapter 1, from verses 22 to 27.
So if you have a Bible, please turn to that.
And if you have a red church Bible, it's on page 1213.
Thank you, Tyler.
Well, good morning.
Good morning. As Jonathan said, if you have your Bibles, I'd ask that you go ahead and open them up to the book of James.
James chapter 1, and I'll be reading here from verse 22 in just a moment.
But before I dive in, I just want to take some time to thank Johnny and the other elders for the invitation to come and open God's word with you today.
Consider it an honor and a privilege. Super excited to be here.
And I bring you greetings from Carrick Tool Baptist Church, where my wife and I are members.
So thank you so much for having us. It's really a privilege.
Now, I haven't had the pleasure of meeting quite a few of you.
So I just want to take a little bit of time to tell you about myself.
So as you can tell from my accent, I'm originally from Donegal.
No, I'm just kidding.
I wasn't sure how that would land, but that was good.
That's good.
So no, I'm actually, me and my wife just recently relocated from North Carolina in the United States.
So down in America's Southland, I am one of four siblings.
So I have two brothers and a sister.
And were you to ask my parents, they would probably tell you that out of all their children, I was the most energetic.
Well, maybe a better word is hyper, actually.
But I don't think I was a particularly disobedient child or anything like that.
I just had loads and loads of energy.
And one example from my childhood that I feel demonstrates this fact pretty well.
It comes from a trip that my family took at the zoo when I was younger.
So I was maybe four or five years old.
So I don't have any real recollection of this event.
But my mom, she swears that it happened.
And so we're at the zoo.
We're enjoying our time together.
We're looking at all the wonderful animals.
But because of what I just told you, that I'm incredibly energetic, being the energetic child I was,
I'm running around everywhere, just back and forth, like a ping pong ball going back and forth between the paddles.
And my mom, she's a wonderful mom.
She's trying to rein me in.
She's trying to stop me from causing a scene.
And she runs after me.
And she says, as the story goes, Tyler, stop running.
And me, as I am jogging in place, I turn back to my mother and I say, I'm not running, mommy.
And as I said, I don't remember this, but I can totally see myself doing it.
It's kind of funny to think about, I'm there, this little boy, I'm hearing what my mom's saying.
I'm just doing a really poor job of the whole listening part.
And I'm sure I looked pretty ridiculous, pretty silly.
She's telling me not to run.
I'm screaming that I'm not running as I quite obviously run in place.
So it's kind of a crazy picture.
Well, James, in our passage today, he's going to paint another crazy picture.
The absurdity of hearing God's word and failing to respond to it.
And if I were to reduce the central idea of this passage down to a single sentence,
this is what I would say, that we must listen to and obey God's word,
demonstrating the genuineness of our faith by our behavior.
I'll say that one more time.
We must listen to and obey God's word,
demonstrating the genuineness of our faith by our behavior.
So for the rest of our time together, I want to unpack that idea.
And I want, by God's spirit, my prayer is that we would leave this place with a greater understanding
of what the Holy Spirit was saying to James's original audience
and what's more, what he intends to teach us today.
So look with me, begin reading with me here in chapter 1, verse 22.
James writes,
But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourself.
Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer,
he's like someone looking at his own face in a mirror.
For he looks at himself, he goes away,
and immediately forgets what kind of person he was.
But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it,
and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works,
this person will be blessed in what he does.
If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue,
his religion is useless, and he deceives himself.
Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this,
to look after orphans and widows in their distress,
and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Let's pray together as we open God's word.
Dear God, thank you so much for the opportunity to come
and open your word with these brothers and sisters.
I ask that you would, by the power of your spirit,
make clear the message that you have for us this morning.
Not a word from me, God, but a word from you to your people.
And God, help us to be receptive to the message from your word,
but would you also, by the power of your spirit,
empower us to respond appropriately.
And God, I ask all these things in the name of your son, Jesus.
Amen.
So we've already noted that the idea James is driving at for his readers
is that we must listen to and obey God's word,
demonstrating the genuineness of our faith by our behavior.
But how is it that that unfolds throughout our passage?
Well, to give a little bit of context,
James has indicated in the opening verses of his epistle
that it's primarily believers he has in mind as he writes.
And he tells these believers that it is God,
the one who's the source of every good gift
whom they have to thank for their salvation.
You can look in chapter one, verse 18.
He tells them,
by his own choice,
he gave us birth by the word of truth
so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
And now, at the outset of our text today,
he begins to describe two individuals
and their very different responses to the word of God.
So let's take a look at that first individual in verses 23 and 24.
James says,
because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer,
he's like someone looking at his own face in a mirror.
For he looks at himself,
he goes away,
and immediately forgets what kind of person he was.
Here in verses 23 and 24,
James uses this very interesting analogy
to illustrate the absurdity of hearing God's word
and failing to respond to it.
He says that the one who hears it
and fails to respond to it,
it's like someone who stares at their own reflection,
they walk away,
and they forget what they've seen.
Now, when you and I read the word mirror,
we think of this really nice and crystal clear,
perfectly reflective thing
that we probably have all of us hanging in our bathrooms now.
But when James's original audience
would have heard this word mirror,
something quite different would have come to their minds.
Because mirrors in the ancient world,
they weren't made of the glass as we know it today.
They were made from metal,
which had been polished to offer a reflection.
So rather than this crystal clear likeness
and what we're used to today,
these mirrors would have provided a murky image at best.
And if you manage to see yourself adequately
in these little mirrors,
adequately enough to find any sort of cosmetic flaw,
well, then of course you would address it.
And in this passage,
James is highlighting for his readers
how absurd it is to give one's attention
to one's appearance in the mirror,
recognize that an issue needs to be addressed,
and then not do anything about it.
It's just not something that you would do.
And I think that for most of us,
this is an image that we can pretty intuitively grasp.
But just to put it in more modern terms,
I want to give you just an example here.
So imagine that you're out
for a nice Italian dinner with your friends.
And as you're eating spaghetti,
some sauce that maybe drops onto your chin,
and one of your friends notices.
And because they're a good friend,
they point it out to you.
So maybe you even head to the bathroom
and you look in the mirror
and you see you've got this massive glob
of spaghetti sauce on your chin.
But instead of seeing the sauce,
wiping it from your face,
you walk right back out,
you ignore the problem,
and you continue to eat.
This would be crazy.
It just isn't something you would do.
And in the same way,
to hear from God's word
and to recognize a problem
but fail to do anything about it,
it just doesn't make any sense.
And so after giving this example
of the one who hears and fails to respond,
James describes for his readers another individual.
So let's look again at verse 25.
Verse 25 says,
But the one who looks intently
into the perfect law of freedom
and perseveres in it
and is not a forgetful hearer
but a doer who works,
this person will be blessed in what he does.
Now there's quite a bit to unpack in this verse,
but already at first glance,
we can see the difference between this individual
and the individual described in verses 23 and 24.
This person doesn't walk away from the word,
failing to take action.
This person looks to the word
and acts appropriately in response,
and James tells us that they're blessed for it.
So let's revisit our analogy
of the fancy Italian dinner.
So remember while you're eating some spaghetti sauce,
it's dripped onto your chin
and one of your friends has noticed, right?
Then after you have been informed of this tragedy,
you went to the bathroom and you check things out.
But imagine that this time
you see the sauce on your chin
and instead of walking out
without addressing the issue,
you wipe it from your face
and you return to the table.
This makes a whole lot more sense.
Having looked into God's word
and recognized a problem,
this here that James describes for us
in verse 25
has chosen to address the issue.
Now you may have noticed
that James uses this very interesting phrase
in verse 25.
He says,
perfect law of freedom.
What does this mean?
Because I think that
if you and I are honest,
we read the word law
and we start to get a little nervous here.
Is James urging us
to adopt some sort of legalistic mentality
or encouraging us
to keep some sort of checklist of behaviors
by which we earn God's favor?
Well, I don't think that's what James
is getting at at all.
In fact, I think that these words
he chooses to use,
perfect and freedom,
I think they're intentional and significant.
Because by the use of these particular modifiers,
James helps his readers
to see the law
in light of Christ's redemptive work.
Christ's ultimate fulfillment
of the law on our behalf.
In one scholar,
he says it this way,
though the Old Testament law
was holy and righteous and good,
it had no power by itself
to enable sinful people
to conform to it.
Thus, the Old Testament law,
it did not liberate God's people,
but it enslaved them,
as Paul taught.
But the law is one of liberty
when it comes along
with the word of the gospel
and the power of the Holy Spirit
to change hearts.
Now, if you're here this morning
and you have placed your faith
and your trust in Jesus Christ,
I want to stop and take a few moments
to remind you of something
that if you're anything like me,
this is something that you know,
but you are so often tempted to forget.
As we work through James' teaching
in this text,
the idea isn't that we look
into the mirror of God's word,
we grit our teeth,
and we try harder to obey
to get on God's good side.
Yes, we should desire
to follow God's commands,
and if you are in Christ,
you will want to do so.
But here's the thing.
You don't do this
to earn God's favor.
Believers have been made right
before God
by placing their faith
and their trust
in the only one
who ever kept God's law perfectly,
Jesus Christ.
And now we desire
to keep God's commands
because we've been given
an incredible gift.
We've been made right with God
and adopted into his family.
And what's more,
we've been given
the Holy Spirit
who is day to day
working to make us
more like Jesus.
Paul,
as he's writing
to the church in Philippi
in chapter 2,
verse 13,
he says it this way.
It is God
who is working in you
both to will
and to work
according to his good purpose.
We aren't doing this
in reliance
on our own strength.
Now at this point,
I want to pause briefly again
because I know
that there are likely
some here today
who have been trying
to earn God's favor.
They've been relying
on their own strength
to get on God's good side.
You've worked so hard
to do all of the right things,
to follow all of the rules,
to get yourself
into God's good graces,
to tilt the scales.
If you find yourself
in that camp this morning,
please hear me.
You will never do enough.
You can't do it.
Because as James goes on
to tell us
in chapter 2,
verse 10,
if you've broken
just one of God's commands,
it's as if you've broken
the whole lot.
You cannot keep
God's laws perfectly.
You cannot do it.
But there is one who did.
Jesus lived
a sinless life
in perfect obedience
to the Father.
And he died a cruel
and a painful death,
a death that you
and I deserved.
But he didn't stay dead.
After three days,
he walked out
of the tomb alive.
And now,
for those who would
turn to him
in faith,
he offers
forgiveness
and restored
relationship
with God.
He received
sin's penalty
on our behalf
so we can now
receive his righteousness.
Praise God.
God.
So having
explained
to his readers
that the word
of God
needs to be acted on
and not just heard
and forgotten
through the example
of these two hearers
in verses 22
to 25,
James gets
really,
really practical.
He provides
for his readers
an example
both of a hearer
of the word
and a doer
of the word.
Let's look again
at verses 26
and 27.
James states,
if anyone thinks
he is religious
without controlling
his tongue,
his religion
is useless
and he deceives
himself.
Pure
and undefiled
religion
before God
the Father
is this.
To look
after orphans
and widows
in their distress
and to keep
oneself
unstained
from the world.
In these verses,
James contrasts
for us
the one
who has
a legitimate
and a God-honoring
religion
and the one
whose religion
is simply
counterfeit.
And how is it
that you and I
can tell the difference?
We can tell
the difference
by examining
behavior.
So let's take
a look at that
example of
counterfeit
religion first.
James uses
some pretty
strong imagery
in this passage
to get his
point across
here in verse
26.
He says that
the one who
claims to be
religious,
but they can't
get a hold
of their tongue,
that person
demonstrates that
their religion
isn't the real
deal.
people.
Now,
if you're like
me,
it may strike
you as a
bit strange
that an
inability to
control one's
tongue is the
example James
chooses to use
in this passage.
But throughout
his epistle,
he's reminded
us of the
importance of
the human
tongue and
its great
power both
for good
and evil.
people.
for example,
in James
chapter 3
verse 2,
he tells us
that one's
ability to
control the
tongue is an
indicator of
their ability
to control the
rest of their
body in a way
that's honoring
to God.
God.
He says,
for we all
stumble in
many ways.
If anyone
does not
stumble in
what he
says,
he's mature,
able also
to control
the whole
body.
And in
James chapter
3,
verses 9
to 12,
this is how
he puts
it.
That with
the tongue
we bless
our Lord
and Father
and with
it we curse
people who
are made
in God's
likeness.
Blessing
and cursing
come out
of the same
mouth,
my brothers
and sisters.
These things
should not
be this way.
Does a
spring pour
out sweet
and bitter
water from
the same
opening?
And of
course,
the obvious
answer to
James'
rhetorical
question is
no,
it does
not.
Jesus
himself in
Matthew
chapter 15
verse 18,
he tells
us that
what comes
out of
the mouth
comes from
the heart
and this
defiles a
person.
So we
see that
the tongue,
though it's
seemingly
small and
insignificant,
it's actually
incredibly
powerful and
what's more,
it reveals the
condition of
one's heart.
So that's the
counterfeit
religion.
So how is
true and
legitimate
religion
manifested?
Well,
according to
James,
it's manifested
by care for
the widows and
orphans of the
world in
moral purity.
If you look
again with me
at verse
27, this is
what James
says.
Pure and
undefiled
religion before
God the
Father is
this, that
we look
after orphans
and widows
in their
distress and
to keep
oneself unstained
from the
world.
Widows and
orphans had
an incredibly
difficult life
in the
ancient world.
They were
hard-pressed
in almost
every way,
politically,
socially,
economically.
And God,
throughout the
scriptures,
he demonstrates
the importance
that he places
on their
care.
So it's not
really surprising
that James
highlights the
importance of
their care
here.
I think it's
important to
remember,
though, that
James' intention
isn't to give
an exhaustive
list of the
ways a
legitimate and
a God-honoring
religion is
presented.
This can be
thought of
sort of a
summary statement
which gives
some examples
of behavior
that's characteristic
of a true and
vibrant faith,
but there are,
of course,
other ways.
And it could
be that James'
focus on
serving the
downtrodden
here,
it sort of
anticipates his
teaching that
he'll go on
to do on
favoritism in
chapter 2,
verses 1 to
9,
because in
that text
there are
indications
that James'
readers,
they may have
been giving
preferential
treatment to
the wealthy.
So here,
James,
in presenting
service to
widows and
orphans as
evidence of
true and
God-honoring
religion,
he might be
pushing back
on that
tendency
among his
readers.
But at
any rate,
what's clear
from James'
comments here
in verses
26 and
27 is that
one's behavior
is an indication
of the
genuineness of
their faith.
God-nosed
So as we
begin to
bring our
time in
the word
to a
close,
I want to
leave you
with a few
more points
of application.
And one
of the
things I
love about
this passage
is you
don't have
to dig
very deep
to discover
the application.
What I
mean to
say is that
you do not
have to
look very
long and
very hard
at this
passage before
you start to
get a pretty
good idea of
the response
that James
wanted from
his original
readers and
the response
that God
wants from
us.
And I
mentioned at
the very
beginning of
our time the
central idea
and we must
listen to and
obey God's
word.
Demonstrating the
genuineness of
our faith by
our behavior.
And brothers
and sisters,
this sounds so
incredibly simple,
but if we're
honest with
ourselves,
this is
incredibly
difficult.
It's a battle
that we fight
every single
day, a
constant struggle
for each
and every
one of us.
In verses
22 to 25,
we see that
merely hearing
the word of
God and not
doing what it
says is
foolish.
It's as
foolish as
looking in a
mirror, seeing
that spaghetti
sauce on
your chin
and choosing
not to wipe
it away,
going right
back to the
table without
taking any
steps to
address the
problem.
But the
person who
acts appropriately
to God's
word, responds
and does what
it says, that
person will be
blessed.
Friends, our
desire should be
not to just
listen to the
word of God,
but to actually
do what it
says, to
listen to the
word and
respond appropriately,
demonstrating our
faith to a
watching world.
So how does
this play out
in our daily
life?
Well, let's
say that you're
at work, you're
reading your
Bible, maybe on
your lunch
break, and you
come across a
portion of
scripture that
talks about having
a quick temper.
Maybe you're in
James 1, verses
19 to 21.
You read the
passage and you
recognize that
your tendency to
blow up and
lash out against
your coworkers in
anger is sinful.
It's not God
honoring.
It's not
appropriate in
the sight of
God.
Well, you have
two choices.
You can close
your Bible and
ignore the
teaching of God's
word on this
issue, or you
can, by the
power of the
Holy Spirit, take
steps to address
your anger.
In our passage,
James makes
clear which one
of those is the
appropriate response
to God's word.
And if we
consider verses
26 to 27 of
our passage, where
James, he teaches
us that our
behavior, it
demonstrates the
genuineness of
our faith.
I think that
James' instruction
in these verses,
it highlights the
need for self-reflection
in our Christian
lives.
Because let's
return just for a
moment to that
individual with an
anger issue.
What that person
and every one of
us needs to ask
ourselves is,
am I demonstrating
that my faith is
the real deal in
the way I am
living my life?
Does my behavior
indicate that I
possess a genuine
faith?
Friends, let us
strive by God's
grace and the
power of the
Holy Spirit to
be able to
answer yes.
Let's pray
together.
Dear God, would
you confront us
with the truth
that we have met
in this passage?
Would you
forgive us for
the many times
when we've acted
like this man who
looks into your
word and immediately
forgets what it
says?
God, forgive us
for the times when
our words indicated
that our faith was
genuine, but our
actions told another
story altogether.
God, would you, by
your grace, continue
to sanctify us,
making us more like
Jesus every day?
We ask all these
things in his name.
Amen.
Thank you.