We're going to begin our worship now. We're singing firstly today from Psalm 122.
Psalm 122, that is in the Scottish Psalter version on page 416 of Tunis St. Paul.
I joyed when to the house of God go up, they said to me, Jerusalem within thy gates our feet
shall standing be. Words that people of Israel sang long ago when they made their way up to
the temple to worship the Lord and express their joy in going as well as in arriving.
And it's our great privilege as well to come together, together as they did, as we come
together today. Let's express our joy and thankfulness to God with these great words.
Tunis St. Paul, when we stand to sing, I joyed when to the house of God.
I joyed when to the house of God, O what is said to me?
Jerusalem within thy gates, how ye shall stand in thee?
Within thy walls remain
And never may thy promises
Prosperity retain
Thou, for my friends and brethren, say
Peace be heavy and safe
And for the hands of Father Lord
And seek thy good away
Let's now join together in prayer briefly
Praying especially for the children and the young folks at the moment
Lord our God, we give thanks again that we are able to gather as we have been singing
In this place of worship
A place that has been used for so many years
To seek to glorify the Lord and to give thanks for all his goodness
And we pray today, Lord, for our children, young folks
We pray for them whether they be in creche or tweenies or Sunday school or Bible class
We ask your blessing for them all
You know their circumstances
You know their different capacities of age
We commend them to you, O Lord
And we pray for them
For it is the desire of our hearts to see them following in the ways of the Lord
And we pray today that what they receive in teaching
And in ways in which your word is explained to them
We pray that that will continue to be beneficial to them
And a blessing to them
And indeed to their parents and loved ones as well
Bless the teachers, we pray
And the carers and all who look after
Our young folk in creche and tweenies
Who teach in the Sunday school and the Bible class
We thank you for them
And we pray that they may know your blessing
As they seek to impart that teaching to the young folk
And help us to be thankful as a congregation
When we have so many young families
And so many children and young people who belong to us
And Lord, we ask that your blessing will be with us
To provide for us in regard to all of these needs
Hear us now, we pray
And pardon our sin
For Jesus' sake
Amen
Well, today I'm following what the syllabus is for the Sunday school
And the Sunday school syllabus today
At least on the sheet that I've got
Has to do with Saul
King Saul in the Old Testament
Being rejected by God as king
There are two chapters in the Old Testament
In 1 Samuel chapter 13
And 1 Samuel 15
Where we find God saying that he had rejected Saul
From being king
Now something serious must have really happened
Before God would have rejected him
From being king
Having already had him anointed as king over the people
And that's true
When you read these two passages in 1 Samuel
You'll discover why it was that God rejected him
The first passage really was
God having said through Samuel
To Saul to wait in a certain place for seven days
Until Samuel had come back
And then he would actually go from there
To somewhere else
And Saul waited for the seven days
Samuel hadn't yet appeared
So Saul decided
I'll just do the sacrifice myself
And so that's what he did
And before he was finished
Samuel appeared
And Samuel told him
That he had done wrong
That he was actually disobeying the Lord
And the ways that the Lord
Had set out for his worship
And for sacrifice
He should have waited for Samuel
Even though he thought
Well he's late
So I'll just do it myself
That was the problem with Saul there
That's the problem with Saul also
In 1 Samuel 15
What Saul was really doing
In both cases
Was doing what he thought was best
Instead of following God's direction
He actually decided to do it his way
And to do it in a way that was different
To the way God had specified
And that means
In each of these cases
He was being disobedient to God
And that was really serious
And it's still a serious thing for us as well
Because obedience to God
Is one of the marks
Of a genuine Christian
Obedience to God is important
In the life of a Christian
It doesn't matter what age we're at
Even when we are actually older
We're still, as Christians
Required to obey God
To obey him in everything
That he sets out
We need to do and be for him
So it's an important mark
Of a Christian
To have obedience to God
And when Saul was being disobedient
God saw that as being very serious
Especially for a man
Who had been made king
Over Israel
And also that's why God
Rejected him
And afterwards
David took Saul's place
As king over Israel
So for you as young folk today
It's important for yourselves
That whenever we don't do
What God says we should do
We're being disobedient
And whenever we do
What God said we don't do
That's also being disobedient
And when we're disobedient to God
Well that is something that God
Is not pleased with
God is pleased with
Our obedience to him
And we show our obedience to him
When we accept him
When we love him
When we serve him
When we want him
To be the most important person
In our lives
This is what Jesus said
In John chapter 3
And verse 36
And I want you to notice
How Jesus combined together
Faith, believing
And also obeying
This is what he said
Whoever believes in the Son
That's Jesus himself
Whoever believes in the Son
Has eternal life
Whoever does not obey the Son
Shall not see life
But the wrath of God
Remains on him
You can see from that
That believing in Jesus
Involves obeying Jesus
And obeying Jesus
Involves believing in Jesus
You can't have the one
Without the other
So today
Our obedience
Is so important
Whatever age we are at
Okay so we'll say
The Lord's Prayer now together
Our Father
Which art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth
As it is in heaven
Give us this day
Our daily bread
And forgive us our debts
As we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom
The power and the glory
Forever
Amen
I'm going to sing again now
To God's praise
In Psalm 119
Psalm 119
Again it's the Scottish Psalter
On page 407
407
June this time is Wiltshire
Thy word forever is
O Lord
In heaven settled fast
And to all generations
Thy faithfulness
Doth last
All our singings today
Refer to the word of God
Because our sermon's
Going to focus on
Our word
On the word
And our being doers
Of the word
From the epistle of James
Psalm 119
At verse 89
Thy word forever is
O Lord
In heaven settled fast
Fast
Thy word for him
But this O Lord
In heaven settled fast
Unto all generations
Thy faithfulness
The past
The earth of us
Estublish it
And it applies by thee
This day they stand
As the Lord be
For all thy servants be
Unless in thy most perfect law
My soul delights are found
I should not perish
My soul delights are found
Thy peace and sight
Will never forget
Everything to be brought
Lord I am thine
For save thou me
Thine peace set thine out
Out
For all thy
Thine peace and soul
For all thy wicked
Thine peace and soul
For all thy wicked
Thine peace and soul
Thy dead
Thy dreams
with joy.
I can
know
all
perfection.
Here
have I
see thee
O Lord.
But
else for
I commanded
it
is
exceeding
cross.
Let's turn to read God's word now.
We're reading from the epistle, the letter
of James
and chapter 1 from
the beginning. The letter of James
chapter 1
page 1215
or so in your church Bibles if you're
using these.
So James chapter 1
we'll read from the beginning.
James a servant of God
and of the Lord Jesus Christ
to the twelve tribes of 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 a 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
unstable in all his ways.
Let the lowly brother boast
in his exaltation
and 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
its flower 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 the Lord has promised
to those who love him.
Let no one say
when he is tempted
I am 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 has conceived
gives birth to sin
and sin
when it is fully grown
brings forth death.
Do not be deceived
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
or 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 creatures.
Know this
my beloved brothers
let every person
be quick to hear
slow to speak
slow to anger
for the anger of man
does not produce
the righteousness
that God requires.
Therefore put away
all filthiness
and rampant wickedness
and receive with meekness
the implanted word
which is able
to save your souls.
But 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 was like.
But the one
who looks into
the perfect law
the law of liberty
and perseveres
being no longer
one 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
and the Father
is this
to visit orphans
and widows
in their affliction
and to keep oneself
unstained
from the world.
May the Lord
add his blessing
to our reading
that portion
of his word.
Let's join together
again once more
in prayer.
Lord we thank you
today for your word.
We thank you
for all that it
contains.
We thank you
for the way
that you took
account of our
needs
as you caused
your word
to be written
down over the
centuries.
We thank you
therefore that your
word is both
authoritative
and also relevant
to our needs
that it is backed
up by your
authority
and by your
knowledge of us.
And we ask
today that your
word will be
blessed to us
and prized by us.
Help us Lord
to be like the
psalmist who
could say that
he treasured
your word in
his heart
so that he
would not sin
against you.
As we come
before you Lord
and around your
word Lord we
pray today for
your Holy Spirit
to open our
minds to give
us an understanding
of your word
and to enable
us to carry it
forward in our
lives so that
we may be as
this passage says
to us a doers
of your word
and not hearers
only.
We give thanks
Lord for each
and every one
that comes today
to gather together
with your people
everywhere throughout
the world.
We know that we
belong to a
great volume of
people,
a great multitude
of people
most of whom
we don't know
and yet they are
all known to you
and all known
to you intimately
and personally.
We thank you
that your word
assures us that
you know even
the number of
the hairs on
our head
that you are
able to deal
with every aspect
of our need
however great
or however small
it may be.
Lord we pray
today that you
bless us here
as a people,
bless us as we
gather as a
congregation,
bless us with
our individual
concerns,
with our family
concerns,
with our concerns
in the wider
sense for our
community,
for our nation,
for the world
in which we live.
we give thanks
that we are able
to express these
to you in prayer
and that we are
able as we sing
your praises also
to take account
of the words
that we are
singing and
recognize that
in so many respects
the things that
we see in our
world and in our
society are not
new but have
been features of
the world at
different times
in the way in
which human
beings have lived
and interacted
together.
We ask today
oh God that
we here may be
thankful for all
the goodness that
you keep showing
to us for the
ways in which we
know your blessing
already to have
affected and
touched our lives.
We pray today
that that will be
added to as we
seek further
blessing here Lord
from you at this
time.
We give thanks
again for all
that we can reflect
on that you have
done for us and
you continue to do
for us as a
people.
We pray today Lord
that your work
amongst us will
continue that we
will see much
fruit for the
way in which the
gospel is presented
and your people
serve you that we
will see many
others coming to
be joined to you
and to walk in
your ways and to
give themselves to
the work of the
gospel in the
different ways in
which we would
seek oh Lord to
serve you and to
hold forth the
word of life in
our community.
Remember us in
all our activities.
Remember us in
everything Lord that
we seek to do in
conjunction with your
worship and the
preaching of your
word.
We pray that today
Lord we may follow
with our own
prayers everything
that's happening
already in regard to
our young people
in regard to the
various ways in
which we anticipate
this week meetings
to take place
associated with
your truth and
with the gospel and
with your people.
And grant Lord to
continue to remember
us and to provide
for us.
Remember us in
terms of the
practical and
financial needs of
the congregation
too.
Lord we recognize in
your providence that
we live in difficult
and testing times
even in regard to
these things even
though we know that
they are not as
hard and testing as
they are for many
others throughout the
nation and even
throughout the world.
Nevertheless Lord
give us we pray to
be dedicated to the
upholding of your
cause and we thank
you for the measure
in which this is
already the place
with us as a
people.
Remember now those
who are ill of our
number we pray for
them today oh Lord
and ask that you'd
bless them whether
at home or in
hospital or in
care homes receiving
treatment or looking
forward to such.
Lord we pray for
them and ask that
your healing hand
will be upon them
where that is
pleasing to you.
We pray for those
who mourn over
loved ones gone
and the death of
loved ones Lord is
something that
features in our
congregational life
from week to week
and we commend to
you today those
families those
individuals who have
lost loved ones in
recent days in
recent weeks and
months and even in
past years we Lord
commend them to you
for we know that
bereavement and the
sorrow and the
absence of loved ones
is something that
remains with us all
our days and we
pray oh Lord as
you are the one who
promises to be a
father to the
fatherless and the
widow stay we pray
that you would prove
yourself oh Lord to be
for us one who is
dependable at all
times and consistent
in the way in which
you keep your
promises.
Remember the world
in which we live
we bring before you
today Lord all the
troubles of the
world and the
troubled parts of the
world and we pray
that you would bless
where there is war and
conflict and we know
that there are many
places Lord where this
is the case throughout
the world even in
addition to the ones
we regularly have
featured on our news
reports.
Be merciful to us
Lord we pray
throughout our human
society and turn us
into your ways and be
pleased to bring the
quickening effects of
the gospel to bear
upon our world as we
pray as we have
already read in the
Lord's prayer that
your will be done on
earth as it is in
heaven.
And we ask Lord today
that you would also
be pleased to bless us
as a nation.
Lord we are so
concerned from week
to week at the
ways in which we
find violence and
protest turned into
violence and ideologies
that are contrary to
the gospel upheld and
exalted and praised.
Be merciful to us
Lord we pray as a
people and turn us
into your ways and
help us to value again
the gospel and its
message and the
testimony of your
church throughout the
ages that there is no
other name given under
heaven but the name of
Jesus by which we must
be saved.
Be merciful to those
who are over us in
power and authority in
our governments and
with the king and all
others Lord who have
places of authority and
influence and importance
throughout our land.
You have called upon us
Lord to pray for those
in authority and to
pray that we may live
peaceable lives and that
we might have a society
where the gospel will
flourish.
And so we do pray for
these things today.
We ask now that you'd
bless us and further
guide us in our praise
and in our thoughts upon
your word and as we
seek to set it forth in
the preaching of your
word.
Be with us Lord we pray
in all aspects of this.
Forgive our sins and
cleanse us for Jesus'
sake.
Amen.
Well we'll sing once again
before we turn to the
scriptures singing this
time in Psalm 19.
This time it's in the
Sing Psalms version.
You'll find that on page
23 of the psalm books.
Page 23 and we're singing
verses 7 to 11.
The tune is St.
John.
The perfect law of God
revives the soul of man.
The statutes which are
sure make wise the
simple one.
The precepts of the Lord
are right and fill the
heart with great delight.
Words again which
celebrate the word of God
and the effects of God's
word when it's blessed to
us and how it brings to
our hearts such joy when
we rejoice in the Lord
through it.
These verses then 7 to 11.
The perfect law of God
revives the soul of man.
The perfect law of God
revives the soul of man.
His statutes which are sure
make wise the simple one.
The perfect law of God.
And fill the heart with great delight.
God with great delight.
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Check light on what we see.
The fear of God is pure,
and lasts eternally.
The standards of the Lord express
His perfect truth and righteousness.
Of our worth and gold,
and what pure Lord they are,
and our money from the gold,
and our money sweeter fine.
May or the servant of the Lord
and keep in heaven's day reward.
Now let's turn together, as we wait on the Lord,
to James chapter 1.
Today we're looking at verses 22 to 25,
and I'm going to read again from verse 18,
because these verses really flow together.
So we'll read from verse 19.
Know this, my beloved brothers,
that let every person be quick to hear,
slow to speak, slow to anger,
for the anger of the man does not produce
the righteousness that God requires.
Therefore put away all filthiness,
and rampant wickedness,
and receive with meekness
the implanted word,
which is able to save your souls.
But 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's 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 was 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.
Well, when you read through the epistle of James,
you very soon realize
that this is a very practical part of Scripture,
a very practical letter.
Indeed, you could say that,
it would be true to say that James
is the most practical
of all the letters of the New Testament,
because it's more or less practiced
from beginning to end.
And James is always to the point.
As you read through his letter,
you begin to realize,
well, here's somebody
who takes no prisoners
with what he says.
He's very often sharp.
He's very often denouncing
certain ways of life.
And therefore,
he confronts us with the truth of God,
not in an unloving way,
but in a very direct way.
And that's one thing we have to
bear in mind as a distinction
that's important for ourselves
as well at all times.
For somebody to be non-compromising
in terms of the gospel,
in terms of what God himself
has set forth in his word,
to be non-compromising,
to be steadfast in keeping
to the word of God,
it's not the same thing
as to be unloving.
Yes, there are ways
in which we can present the gospel
in a way that's not tactful,
in a way that's harsh,
in a way that seems
at least to be unloving.
But that's not what James is doing.
He's being direct
because what he wants to present
to his readers is so important
in terms of their lives practically.
And I hope we come across that way
in the preaching of the gospel
because God lays that burden upon us
as preachers of the gospel
to be uncompromising
in presenting the truth
of the gospel
to all who hear it.
But we never want to be
unloving in doing that.
Being at times direct
as the word is direct.
If we're true to the word,
then we present the word
as directly speaking to us,
speaking to us
in an uncompromising way.
But we never want to do that
unlovingly.
We never want to present things
harshly or in a way
that comes across
as if we didn't really care
about those we're preaching to.
So if we come across
at times as seeming to be harsh
or overly direct,
I hope it's because
we're being true
to the word of God
and not because we're unfeeling
or unloving towards yourselves.
And so here in this passage
from chapter 1, verse 21,
we read there in verse 21,
he finishes that verse
by referring to the word of God,
the implanted word,
he calls it there,
using an agricultural term.
Or verse 18 even says
that of his own will,
God has brought us forth,
given birth to us
by the word of truth.
And he carries on that theme
of the word of God,
the word of truth that we have,
when he says,
now but be doers of the word
and not hearers only,
deceiving ourselves.
And so in verse 19,
you could say
what he's dealing with is
how we hear the word.
We have to receive the word
in a way that's quick to hear it.
Somebody has said,
God has given us
two ears and one mouth.
Just to follow what
James is saying there,
quick to hear,
slow to speak.
And that's how we find ourselves
confronted with God's word,
to be quick to hear it,
to be anxious to hear it,
but to be slow
in using our tongues.
He has a chapter
that deals with the tongue
in chapter three
and that's an important passage.
But that's taking us away
from the main passage
that we're looking at today.
How we hear the word
and then in verses 21 to 25,
you could say he's looking at
how we live out the word.
That's what we've called
our study today.
The Bible lived out.
The Bible as it's seen
in the lives of people
practically that want
to be true to God,
that live out the word
of God in their lives.
And that's really what
James is saying.
Be doers of the word
and not hearers only.
And he follows on
by giving us an illustration
as well of the mirror.
So two things he's looking.
He's giving us firstly
the imperative.
It's really in the form
of an imperative
or a command.
Be doers of the word
and not hearers only.
And he's following
that imperative
by the illustrative,
by the illustration.
If anyone is a hearer
of the word
and not a doer,
he's like a man
who looks intently
at his natural face
in a mirror
and so on.
So following that pattern,
let's look at
the points he gives us
there under these two headings.
First of all,
there's this imperative.
Be doers of the word
and not hearers only,
deceiving yourselves.
Now it's clear
from what James is saying there
that hearing the word
is not unimportant.
And how we hear the word
is not unimportant.
That's what we said
in verse 18,
going back to being quick
to hear the word.
In other words,
to hear the word
in such a way
as realizes
is the importance
of taking account
of what this word
is saying to us,
seriously reckoning with it
and what it's saying,
taking it into our minds,
thinking it through,
applying it to life,
to our behavior,
to our way of life
and all aspects of it.
We are to hear the word
in such a way
that really hears it intently,
that hears it seriously,
that regards it
as God speaking to us
through the written word
that he's given us.
Romans chapter 10,
verse 17,
you remember that
that context has to do
with preaching
and how God has sent people
to preach the word,
but he also says
that faith comes by hearing
and hearing the word of God
or the word of Christ.
In other words,
the faith that we want to have
as a feature of our lives
by which we live,
faith in God,
trust in God,
how does that come about?
Well, it comes about largely,
Paul was saying in Romans 10,
by the hearing of the gospel,
by the hearing of the word preached.
And that has its own implications,
which I'm not going to spend time on
at the moment to add to that,
to amplify that,
but the word preached,
seeing it's such an important feature
of how faith is produced
and how faith is fed by God,
it's so vital to us
to be under the preaching of the word
as you are here today,
whether you're online
or here in person.
We're under the word preached,
and the word preached,
God has specified,
is his way,
one of his main ways
of dealing with our needs
as human beings.
Preaching is an agency
that God has set up.
Agency in the sense of a means
or a method,
but you could say
preaching is the agency
for person building,
for building us up
in our person.
So that fits into
what James is actually saying
in being doers of the word
and not hearers only.
When he says not hearers only,
obviously means
but you are still hearers also.
And the hearing comes
ahead of the doing.
We can only be doers of the word,
put it into practice
in our lives
by first of all hearing it
and hearing it
in a way that intends
the doing of it,
in a way that regards it
as an important feature
of what God's gifts to us are,
the preaching of the word
being a primary means
of faith
and of producing faith.
So James has emphasis
on being not hearers only,
being doers
as well as hearers.
In other words,
we really have to be careful
that we come to be doers
of God's word
and not be satisfied
with simply hearing it.
It's a great thing
to be hearers of God's word
and we've said
how important a feature it is
in the method
that God uses
to feed our souls.
But you know,
we could go away
from here today,
I could be away
from here today
and congratulate myself
that I had preached
the word of God,
that I had kept to the text
that I had chosen
or God had laid on my heart
to preach from.
You could go away
from here today
and say,
well, I heard the word of God,
I really listened
while I was there
and then go away
and congratulate yourself
and congratulate myself
in doing that.
But have I put it
into practice?
Have I become
the things
that God itself
in his word
tells me I need to be?
Have I done the things
or have I avoided
doing the things
that God's word
sets before me
I should be doing
or not be doing?
Remember John
in chapter 5
and verses 39 to 40,
Jesus speaking there
to the crowd there,
he's speaking to those people
that were at that time
gathered around him
and he's finding fault
with them
for one thing especially,
he's finding fault
with them
not for searching
the scriptures
because that's what
they were doing.
You are searching
the scriptures,
he said,
for they are they
which testify about me
and in them
you do think
you have eternal life
and they weren't wrong
in that.
But you will not
come to me
that you might have life.
See,
you can be a hearer
of the word,
I have never come
to Christ.
You can be a hearer
of the word today
and satisfy yourself
that you've heard
the word,
that you've been
attentive to the word,
that you've gone
to where the word
is preached
and then you go home
unsaved.
And that means
you haven't really
done the word.
You haven't been through
to what God is saying
to you,
to come to Jesus,
to repent of sin,
to place your trust
in Christ,
to give your life
over to him.
So many ways
in which we can
be hearers of the word
and be hearers only.
And then James
adds something
very significantly
to that.
He said,
Be doers of the word
and not hearers only,
deceiving yourselves.
Now this is something
that James frequently
mentions,
deceiving yourselves.
We saw it earlier
in the chapter
where he mentioned
deceiving,
being deceived
in verse 16.
Do not be deceived,
my beloved brothers.
Every good gift,
every perfect gift
is from above.
And he mentions
throughout the letter
different times
that we can deceive ourselves.
And the word
that's used here
is very interesting.
It really means
to be led astray
by false reasoning.
To be led away
by false reasoning.
In other words,
you can hear the word,
you can in a measure
accept what it's saying
and listen to it
in such a way
that you're actually
careful at the time.
And we'll see that
in a minute
in the illustration used.
But then you don't do
what the word is saying.
And you know,
you can end up
very easily
persuading yourself,
well,
I don't really need
that part of
a Christian character.
I can leave that out.
I can be happy
with what I've got.
I don't really need
actually seriously
to take communion,
to go to the Lord's table,
though I know
God's word
is telling me that.
But I can just leave that.
I'm not really thinking
of that as so important.
You can deceive yourself
so easily.
I can deceive myself
so easily
by persuading ourselves,
by false reasoning,
that there are certain features
of what the Bible describes
as a Christian life
that are not applicable to me.
That are not applicable
or necessary for me
to follow out.
That's for other folks.
Other folks who want to
go that far
with their religious life
or their spiritual life,
their Christian life,
that's fine,
that's for them,
but I'm quite happy with them.
I'm a hearer of the word.
I go to church.
I do that.
That'll do for me.
Well, James is saying,
be careful.
You could be deceiving yourself.
Be a doer of the word
and not a hearer only,
deceiving yourself.
People tell us that
if you have a stretch of water
or an area of water
that has a stream flowing into it
but no outlet,
what happens to that stretch of water
or to that area of water?
Something like the Dead Sea,
for example.
Other areas as well you can see.
But what happens to that area of water
if there's a lovely,
fresh, flowing stream
going into it
but nothing coming out of it?
Well, it becomes stagnant.
It putrefies.
It becomes stinking.
And it becomes useless.
You know, a human life
can be like that.
And if we're through
to what James is saying
and giving place
to his pointedness
and to his directness,
your life and my life
could very easily be that
if we're deceiving ourselves
that being a hearer of the word
is sufficient,
if you like,
the water of the gospel
is going into us.
But there's no outflow
and our life becomes
like stagnant water
if we take the hearer's only approach.
So, be a doer of the word
and not a hearer only.
That's the imperative
that James is beginning with.
But he moves on
to the illustrative
because he wants to illustrate that
to give us something
by which we can
have that
greater focus
upon what he's saying.
And when he says
in the illustration here,
he is using
the illustration
of a mirror.
If anyone is a hearer
of the word
and not a doer,
in other words,
a hearer only,
he's 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 was like.
But the one
who looks into
the perfect law,
the law of liberty,
we'll see what that means
in a minute.
It means really
the whole of the word of God,
not just the law part of it.
If he looks into that,
he being not a hearer
who forgets
but a doer who acts,
he will be blessed
in his doing.
In other words,
he's still focusing
on the difference
between being a hearer only
and somebody
who's a hearer
and a doer.
Now look at the illustration.
Somebody who looks
at himself
in a mirror
and then goes away
and forgets.
Now the difference,
the distinction
James is making
is not
between somebody
who just glances
casually at himself
and somebody
who really,
in looking into
the law of liberty,
looks seriously
at himself.
Because you'll notice
that both
use words
that show
the looking
as that looking intently.
Here's a man
who's looking intently
at his natural face
in a mirror.
He doesn't just go out
in the morning,
have a look at his
face in the mirror
before he goes,
just a casual glance
and he says,
okay,
my hair's okay
and I don't need
to shave today
so off I'll go.
It's not that kind
of casual glance
he's talking about
at all.
He looks at himself
intently
in this mirror.
He looks at
what his face
is like
as he sees himself
in the mirror
but then he goes away
and at once
forgets what he was like.
In other words,
James is telling us
that it's so,
so possible
to look at yourself
in the word of God
as the mirror
by which it tells you
about yourself
and what you're like
and then all too soon
be distracted.
Something happens
in your life
and you actually
don't find that image
of what the mirror
gave you,
the word of God
gave you,
abiding with you
so you forget it
and you just carry on
as things were.
He looks at himself
intently
and he forgets
what he's like.
We're so very easily
distracted,
aren't we,
from the image
of ourselves
that the Bible
gives us
and we allow
so many things
to interfere
with that image
of ourselves
as God shows us
what we're like
and what our needs are
and whether
we're unsaved still
and the Bible
tells us
you need to repent
and to place your trust
in Jesus
and then something happens
as you leave church
and interacts
and interferes
with your thinking
and you go the rest
of the week
and there's all
of these distractions
and before the next
Lord's Day comes
you've lost
the image of yourself
the Bible gave you
or you might be
a Christian today
and you might say
well the Bible
showed me today
what I need to do
I need to attend
to my life
in a way that
prays regularly
in a way that
values company
with other Christians
I need to attend
to my life
by regular reading
of the word of God
so that I do
that aspect of it
faithfully as well
but then throughout
the week
so many things
happen don't they
that distract us
myself included
from all of these
aspects of
what's essential
to a Christian life
and a Christian character
and he's saying
don't
be like that
otherwise we're like
somebody
looks intently
at himself
in a mirror
sees there
what he sees
takes stock of it
but then just
forgets it
and goes on his way
as if he'd seen
nothing at all
and then maybe
a good long time
after that
he realizes
that's not good enough
I need to go back
to the mirror
but he contrasts that
with the one
who looks into
the perfect law
the law
of liberty
the perfect law
the law of liberty
is a reference
to the whole
word of God
I'll come to
the actual phrase
in a minute
but just keep
the contrast here
and the way
in which they're
compared
the person
who looks
at himself
intently
but then forgets
and here's the person
who looks into
and it really means
to stoop down
to look into
so it's the same idea
of
well it's a different word
James uses
the same idea
of looking
seriously
into the word
of God
who looks into
the perfect law
the law of liberty
but being no hearer
who forgets
but a doer
who acts
in other words
this person
unlike the one
who looked in the mirror
and then went away
and was distracted
this person
looked into the mirror
of God's word
saw himself
or herself
in God's word
and then what
well they went away
and carried that mirror
with them
they remained
in the company
of the word of God
they let the word
of God
actually travel
with them
into the various
aspects of the day
that they were
involved with
and I know that's
hugely challenging
to myself
and it's challenging
to you as well
because I'm sure
if you're like me
there are times
throughout each day
when you realize
I haven't really
let the word of God
influence how I see that
or how I spoke
or how I related
to such and such
a person
we're all guilty
of that
but here is
the way that James
reminds us
how important it is
to look into
the perfect law
of liberty
the mirror
of God's word
but actually
carry that with us
he being not
a forgetful hearer
but a doer
who acts
he will be blessed
in his doing
in other words
he perseveres
in the company
of the word
of God
that he looked into
and saw himself in
so if you carry that
contrast with you
you can see that
this is how he puts
it into practice
now that means that
we today need to give
not just a hearing
to this word of God
but to be hearing
in such a way
that says
I must let this word
remain with me
throughout this week
I've begun this week
in a good way
I've been in church
I've heard the word of God
I've heard it preached
I've been under the word
by which faith comes
so now I must attend
every day to this
that I keep that word
in my company
and keep company with it
that I'm not a forgetful
person who just looked
on one occasion
and then forget
for the rest of the week
I must carry it with me
I must be in its companionship
it must be my constant companion
must feed my mind
my thinking
my reactions
my speech
that's what we
need to put to ourselves
today friends
isn't it
because we want to be
productive
fruitful Christians
we want to be people
who have some sort of
impact or influence
in the society
in which we live
we will not do that
by being hearers
only
of the word of God
we must be hearers
and doers
some people think
that
this passage
really has to do
with us
practically being
as fully involved
as possible
with things like
the church's outreach
evangelism
evangelistic activities
whatever they might be
and of course
that's included in it
absolutely
but you mustn't think
that being a doer
of the word
is just those
sort of things
where you're seen
practically to be
active Christians
to be a doer
of the word
means you pray
faithfully
it means you read
your Bible
faithfully
it means you take
your relationships
faithfully
it means every
single thing
of a practical
Christian life
that you put
into action
as a doing
of the word
of God
so every aspect
of life
privately
relationships
publicly
whatever they are
they have to be
by the
they have to be
in a way
that's fed
by the word
of God
so become
doers
of the word
of God
and being
faithful
to God
involves being
a doer
of the word
of God
but let's look
at why he calls
this the perfect
law
the law
of liberty
whoever
looks into
the perfect
law
the law
of liberty
and perseveres
well you carry
the imagery
with you
of the word
of God
being a mirror
in which you
see yourself
and you're
looking into it
into peering
into it
as he says
in verse 25
looking into it
in terms of
stooping down
humbling yourself
to say
this word
is the word
that must direct
my mind
not the other
way about
and as you do
that
it is the
perfect law
the law
of liberty
sometimes we think
that God's
law
is at odds
with the gospel
sometimes we think
that God's law
is something
very rigid
and it is
something of course
which is
itself set
by God
in which the
character of God
is set forth
and that remains
the case
whatever we make
of it
but
James is actually
here describing
the whole
of scripture
the whole of
the word of God
and describing it
as the law
of liberty
why does he do
that
how can he link
the idea of
law
with liberty
or with freedom
because sometimes
the Bible does
speak about
the works of the
law
being bondage
if we're trying
to please God
by keeping the
law ourselves
instead of
turning to Jesus
and accepting
Jesus as one
who kept the
law perfectly
then we're in
the position
of legalism
and trying to
do something
ourselves
which has been
done for us
in Jesus
that's not the
idea that's
behind this at
all
the law
the perfect
law
the law
of liberty
let me just
think about
Israel for a
moment as they
came out of
Egypt
came through
the wilderness
and a part
of the journey
and then they
arrived at
Mount Sinai
well what
happened at
Mount Sinai
why was
Mount Sinai
so important
to them
and so much
a feature
of their life
afterwards
because what
happened at
Mount Sinai
was that God
gave them
his law
he gave them
not just the
Ten Commandments
but other
laws as well
but the Ten
Commandments
especially
he gave them
that as their
moral code
as the way
by which their
life was to be
directed
and their
lifestyle
was to be
directed
he gave them
that law
as the
lifestyle required
by God
was set forth
in it
but who
were they
what was their
position on
Mount Sinai
he didn't
bring them
to Mount
Sinai
so as to
say
if you
keep
this
law
then
I'll
treat
you
as
deserving
of my
redemption
he had
already
redeemed
them
they had
come out
of Egypt
by the
power
of God
they were
God's
redeemed
covenant
people
in that
sense
and they
had come
out of
that bondage
of Egypt
the slavery
of Egypt
they had
been kept
in that
for many
years
hundreds
of years
and here
they were
released
by God's
power
by God's
grace
by God's
love
from that
bondage
of Egypt
and here
they were
as a
redeemed
freed
people
given
the law
of God
for their
direction
that's
really what
the Christian
life
is about
God
has
released
you
has given
you liberty
from sin
from the
guilt of sin
from the
grip of
Satan
and he's
brought you
to present
you with
his word
as your
safeguard
if you like
as your
directions
for life
and as
he's done
that
you come
to this
word of
God
even the
parts of
it that
are actually
laws
and you
don't regard
them as
being
burdensome
as somehow
or other
being
inappropriate
for a
Christian
life
you rejoice
that
they keep
you safe
that
they tell
you what
God
is like
as well
as other
aspects
of his
word
let me
just
read
from one
of the
Psalms
Psalm 119
which is
all about
the word
of God
sometimes
called
statutes
testimonies
precepts
word
but this
is what
he says
in
verse 97
oh how
I love
your law
it is my
meditation
all the
day
your
commandment
makes me
wiser
than my
enemies
for it
is ever
with me
verse 103
have a
similar
emphasis
there
how sweet
are your
words
to my
taste
sweeter
than honey
to my
mouth
through your
precepts
I get
understanding
therefore I
hate
every
false
way
and verse
162
just picking
up some
verses from
the whole
Psalm here
but 162
I rejoice
at your
word
like one
who finds
great spoil
I hate
and abhor
falsehood
but I
love
your law
seven times
a day
I praise
you for
your righteous
rules
great peace
have those
who love
your law
nothing can
make them
stumble
see how
important
how precious
how central
how foundational
how liberating
if you like
the word
of God
the law
of God
as he calls
it
was to
him
that's why
he relished
it
that's why
he wanted
to live
it out
to be
a doer
of that
law
of that
word
and not
a hearer
only
and this
is really
what
James is
setting
before us
today
the one
who looks
into the
perfect
law
the law
of liberty
we're taking
the whole
of scripture
and saying
this is
God's
regulating
word
for us
and it's
not burdensome
though it
places certain
restrictions
on us
whoever
looks into
the law
of liberty
and perseveres
who remains
in its
company
being no
hearer who
forgets
but a
doer who
acts
he will
be blessed
in his
doing
and when
James'
companion
John
wrote his
small but
important
third letter
this is what
he said
in verse
four
I have
no
greater
joy
and to
hear that
my children
walk
in the
truth
in the
ways of
truth
because friends
that's what
this word
is
it is
God's
truth
it's
God's
infallible
truth
God's
authoritative
truth
and it's
in his
kindness
that he
has given
it to
us
we are
not to be
hearers
only
though we
are to be
intent
hearers
we are
to be
doers of
the word
and not
hearers
only
we are
to let
the word
be our
constant
companion
so that
by living
fruitful
lives
and this
is James
O'er
writing
concern
as it
is
with
all
epistles
we will
bring
glory
and
honour
and
praise
to our
God
may these
words be
blessed to
us
we're going
to conclude
now by
singing
once again
to God's
praise
in Psalm
119
this time
it's from
the Scottish
Psalter
on page
167
verses
beginning
at 161
and that's
section 4
verses
to tune
Rockingham
though rulers
hound me
without cause
my heart
fears nothing
but your
word
for in your
promise I
rejoice
like one
who finds
great spoil
O Lord
all false
who die
a poor
and hate
with all
my heart
I love
your law
I praise
you seven
times a
day
for your
commands
I hold
in all
so these
four verses
from verse
161
on page
167
though rulers
hound me
without cause
for you
that
have
me
with
that
thoughts
my heart
fears
nothing
but
your
word
for in
your
promise
I
rejoice
like
one
who
finds
this
spoil
O Lord
out
What
Ham
I am old and late, with all my heart I love you all.
I praise you seven times a day, for your commands I hold in all.
If he stands for those who love her, they will not stumble in the way.
I pray for you, salvation Lord, and you commands I will obey.
I will, old Savior's statue's heart, my love for them is great and true.
Through the lost and peace, I obey, for all my ways I hold to you.
I'll go to the main door after the benediction.
Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you now and evermore.
Amen.