Verse 19.
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this.
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.
Because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent,
and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says.
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says
is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror
and after looking at himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom
and continues in it, not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it,
they will be blessed in what they do.
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues
deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this,
to look after orphans and widows in their distress,
and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
So just as Sam comes up to hopefully open up that passage to us,
let me just pray for him and pray for us as we listen,
that we'd be able to concentrate and take it in.
Father God, thank you for the privilege of being able to come here,
as Jonathan prayed and mentioned already,
without distress, without the fear of being persecuted.
We can do it here in the open in a community center.
Thank you for those wonderful blessings.
We pray your Holy Spirit here among us.
We pray that he would be active,
helping us to concentrate on what Sam is saying,
concentrate on what you are trying to say to us this morning through Sam.
And that as the passage said,
we would not merely just listen to it this morning,
and then go away and forget what we heard,
but that throughout the week, throughout the rest of today,
and throughout the rest of the week,
we would be doing what we hear today.
We pray specifically for Sam.
Please fill him with your Holy Spirit.
Thank you for him.
Thank you for the wonderful gifts that you've given him,
that he can teach us, to enable us,
to learn more about you, your word,
and how we can please you throughout our daily lives.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Thanks, Sam.
Good morning, everybody.
Well, I'm going to start with a story.
So one day, a man named Jer decided to go to the doctor,
complaining that his wife wasn't listening to him as well recently,
and that perhaps she had a hearing problem.
The doctor said,
Well, Jer, I have something to diagnose this.
It's very easy.
All you have to do is just go home this evening,
and I want you to stand 15 feet behind your wife,
and she has her back turned.
I just want you to ask her a question,
and see if she responds.
Jer said,
That's grand.
So he went on home,
and that night he came across his wife in the kitchen making the dinner.
So he stood 15 feet behind her,
and he asked,
Darling, what's for dinner?
She didn't reply.
He was like,
Well, this is interesting.
So he moved five feet closer again,
and he asked,
Darling, what's for dinner?
Still no reply.
He moved five feet closer again,
asked the same question,
still to no avail,
until finally he was right behind her,
like as close as he could possibly be behind her without touching her.
And he said,
Darling, what's for dinner?
To which she frantically swung around and cried,
For the fourth time, Jer,
it's roast chicken.
In that little story,
we all know who actually had the hearing problem.
He just didn't realize it, right?
And you know what?
It's kind of similar to us.
We may have a hearing problem,
but most of us just don't realize it.
And it's not a physical hearing problem.
No, it's our spiritual hearing that's faulty.
In our passage today,
James, the half-brother of Jesus,
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
calls out those of us who think we listen well to God's word,
but actually we aren't listening at all.
God's standard of listening,
as described through the passage today,
is summed up perfectly in verse 22.
Do not merely listen to the word
and so deceive yourself.
Do what it says.
Listening accompanied by action
is the type of listening that God requires of us.
This brings me back to the days of my youth at home.
Picture a scene where my mum,
running out the door to the shops,
asked me to unload the dishwasher
by the time she gets home.
I said, yep, absolutely, grand, I'll do that.
But she arrives back two hours later
and I'm still in the same horizontal position on the couch
and no dishwasher done.
And you can hear her walk in and say,
you didn't listen to me.
And I was like, oh, but it was just a good match
and I completely forgot about it.
I'm sorry.
And then, in the way that only a mum can,
she just, she brings in the sucker punch.
If you were really listening to me,
you would have done what I had asked.
Ouch.
And you know, while we all know the importance
of listening to and heeding our parents' instructions,
there is an ultimately higher voice of authority
in the life of a Christian,
and that is God's word.
And like my mother rebuked me
for a false form of listening,
James, in this passage,
he rebukes us for listening that lacks action.
In God's eyes, being a good listener to his word
means you don't just hear his word,
but you do it.
You put it into practice in your life
and you don't wait.
And that's the main theme of today's passage,
which we're going to explore first
in verses 22 to 25.
And then kind of before and after that section,
there are three practical implications
of this kind of listening for our lives.
And those three implications are this.
Number one, how we speak.
Two, how we interact with the world.
And three, how we serve those in need.
So we'll look at those each in turn a little later.
But first, let's jump into the main theme of the passage
of verse 22.
And I've entitled this Man in the Mirror.
I don't know if anyone's heard that Michael Jackson song.
But yeah, it's kind of appropriate.
Anyway, let's listen.
Let's actually read verse 22 and 23 now.
Do not merely listen to the word
and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says.
Anyone who listens to the word
but does not do what it says
is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror
and after looking at himself,
goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
In Jane's analogy,
the person looking in the mirror
doesn't do anything about what they see.
They just forget about it.
It's kind of like me the other week.
I paid money to go to a foot consultant
because I needed advice
on how to fix the problem I have with how I walk.
Now, the fact that I went to the foot consultant
made me feel like I was really doing something about a problem
which I've, to be honest,
I've ignored for the last five years of my life.
But the reality is I'm deceiving myself
if I think that just listening to that consultant
is going to solve my problem.
No, I have to go
and I have to fork out 400 euro
for those insoles he told me to buy
or else I'm still going to walk a bit funny.
You see, it's like that with God's word.
The very act of listening
can fool us into thinking that we're doing something,
if you know what I mean.
And we listen a lot here in Ireland.
We think that we're being a really good Christian
because we stopped to read the words today.
Not that we did anything about it.
Or because we went to church
and we listened to a sermon.
Not that we thought about it again since.
You know what James says,
that is as useless
as the man who looked in the mirror
and immediately forgot
that he really needed to shave
and that his face was covered in Nutella from breakfast.
He failed to act on what he saw
and so looking in the mirror
was worthless to him.
Likewise, when we look into the word,
we need to do what it says
or else it's absolutely worthless to us.
And James pulls no punches here.
Look in verse 22.
He says,
we deceive ourselves
if we think that we are followers of Jesus
without taking his word seriously
or putting it into practice in our lives.
You know what?
As Jesus very simply says in John 14,
and it's on the screen here.
You can see it with me.
Anyone who loves me
will obey my teaching.
My Father will love them
and we will come to them
and make our home with them.
But anyone who does not love me
will not obey my teaching.
It's that simple.
Now at this point,
I think we need to press pause
because maybe you are beginning to question,
as I did,
well, does this mean I am doomed
unless I live a flawless life
of perfect obedience to God's word
as James is saying here?
I mean, what hope is there for me,
a man who feels time and time again
though I want to obey?
Well,
Romans chapter 3,
verses 23 and 24
gives us the incredible answer
to that question.
For all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God.
We definitely know that much.
And all are justified freely
by his grace
through the redemption
that came by Christ Jesus.
God knew that we couldn't live
a perfect life of obedience to him.
And that is why he sent his son
to do it in our place.
And that person is Jesus
and his salvation is a free gift
to all who would believe.
He lived the perfect life
we could never live.
And on the cross,
he died the death
that we deserved for our rebellion.
And now he frees us
to live a life of obedience
that glorifies the Father.
A life that strives to listen to
his word and obey.
Not that it's earning our salvation,
but because we love him.
Because we can say,
as the author of Psalm 119 said,
how sweet are your words
to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth.
So, now we can rest assured
that our hearing of God's word
and doing what it says
is not something that earns
our salvation.
Rather, it's the proof
that we have been saved.
And that we do love the Lord.
So, in that light,
let's return to our passage now.
Where James continues
in verse 25
to give us four steps
for putting God's word
into practice.
And in turn,
being blessed
in the Christian life.
And like the rest
of James' letter,
this verse is absolutely
filled with down-to-earth
practical instructions
for the believer.
So, let's pay attention
and learn how to put
God's word into practice.
Read verse 25 with me.
But whoever looks intently
into the perfect law
that gives freedom
and continues in it,
not forgetting what they have heard,
but doing it,
they will be blessed
in what they do.
So, let's take each
of these four steps
in turn.
And I found it kind of helpful
to parallel this
with Psalm 1.
And it's going to come up
on the screen
beside each point.
So, let's start
with the first one.
Step 1.
To put the word
into practice,
we need to look
intently into it.
Okay?
Not just a fleeting glance
every day for five minutes.
Oh, that's that done.
No, I'm going to get on
with the rest of my
busy life today.
No.
We must linger,
dwell on,
wrestle over God's word.
Which does take time.
But as James says,
it's the perfect law
that gives freedom.
Like, these words
free us.
And how do they do that?
Well,
because within the pages
of this book,
we find a true God
who frees us
from all our false gods
and we find a love
which satisfies
and surpasses
all lesser loves
we look to in life.
Why would we stay away
from such a fountain?
A river of life and truth?
We need to check
our attitude
to God's word.
Is it a chore
to open it up?
Or do we recognize
that these words
are the words
of eternal,
overflowing life
that all of us
long for?
Listen to the author
of Psalm 1
who shows us
how to do this one,
right?
It's up there
on the screen as well.
Blessed is the one
who does not walk
in step with the wicked
or stand in the way
that sinners take
or sit in the company
of mockers,
but whose delight
is in the law
of the Lord
and who meditates
on his law
day and night.
Is the word
really our delight?
Do we long for it?
Do we meditate on it?
Do we take time
every day
to still ourselves,
open up the word
and soak in it?
So firstly,
we must look intently
into the word
and secondly,
James says,
we must continue
in it.
In the psalm
that I just read,
the author spoke
of meditating
day and night
on the word.
Now,
if we're really
seeking to fill
our hearts
with God's word,
we can't live off
sporadic,
irregular visits.
We need to be
continually looking
intently into God's word.
We need to get
into rhythms
and habits
of stilling ourselves
and allowing God
a chance to speak
to us daily.
And let's be careful
not to get legalistic
about this either,
but thinking that
those who read
God's word
more often,
that they somehow
have more favour
with God
and they're earning
brownie points
with God
and those who do
it less,
that they're
less holy or something.
No,
that's not what
the psalmist here
is saying,
or James.
They're actually
saying instead
that it is
your joy
that you get
to read the word.
What an incredible
privilege it is
to drink from
this river
of life and truth.
And as Sam
once says,
such a man
is like a tree
planted
by streams
of water.
God's words
are a river
of life.
Drink it up
continually,
daily,
and let his word
flow through
every part of you
and then just
watch as that
tree flourishes
and you find
yourself
becoming more
like Jesus.
Third step.
we must not
forget what
we have heard,
but do it.
So here James
is telling us,
look,
we need to take
some practical
steps to aid
our memory,
or else we're
going to forget
what we've heard.
My wife will
tell you how
shocking a
short-term
memory I have.
You know,
so much so that
I actually have
a list of alarms
on my phone
set to come on
at different times
for the simplest
of everyday tasks.
so let me
tell you one
thing that I
do to
counteract my
own shortcomings.
Firstly,
I take notes
on a Sunday
whenever I'm
listening to
the sermon.
Now,
if I didn't
do this,
I'd have
forgotten most
of the sermon
by Sunday
night,
and good luck
trying to get
it into my
life the next
week.
But by
writing it
down,
I can then
whip out my
notes the
morning after,
Monday morning,
when I'm having
my time with
God.
And at that
stage,
I'm praying,
Father,
show me how
to get this
word into my
life.
And so I
read the
scripture passage
again,
and I
meditate on it.
I look at my
notes,
and I see,
right,
how am I going
to get this
into my life
this week?
And it's great
then,
because I can
go back to
my notes
later in the
week,
Thursday or
Friday,
and see,
right,
how am I
doing on
this?
Have I
really put
the word
into practice
in my
life or
not?
Some other
methods,
though,
are to
listen back
to the
sermon during
the week,
perhaps.
You can do
that on the
church website
here.
Also,
I know
people who
have a
journal open
as they
read the
word at
home,
and they
write down
their learning
in a way
to solidify
it in
their minds.
Also,
there's no
substitute for
good,
old-fashioned
Bible verse
memorization,
and we
shouldn't
neglect that
either.
Why not
set yourself
a target?
Maybe to
memorize a
passage a
week or
a month?
There are
lots of
ways to
do this,
but listen,
you and
I,
we just
need to
figure out
how we're
going to
do it,
and we
need to
put an
action plan
in place
for how
we're going
to remember
God's word
and not
forget it
and get
it into
our lives.
So,
James has
told us to,
number one,
look intently
into the words,
two,
continue in it,
number three,
not to forget
it,
but to do
what it
says,
and his
fourth point
is that when
we do all
this,
we will be
blessed in
what we do.
James was
writing to
persecuted
believers who
had been
scattered from
their homes
in Jerusalem
throughout the
surrounding world.
They were
often poor,
they were
often mourning
and persecuted.
I wonder,
was James
thinking about
what his
brother Jesus
said when
he said in
Matthew chapter
five,
blessed are
the poor in
spirit,
for theirs
is the
kingdom of
heaven.
Blessed are
those who
mourn,
for they
will be
comforted.
Blessed are
those who
are persecuted
because of
righteousness,
for theirs
is the
kingdom of
heaven.
Why are
God's
followers
blessed?
Even in
their grieving,
even in
their poverty
and persecution,
the reason
is we
are part of
the kingdom
of God,
both now
and in the
future in
heaven.
Ours is an
incredible
inheritance
because we
get Jesus
in part now,
fully in
heaven.
We inherit
eternal life,
free from
pain,
an eternity
of perfect
love in
God's
presence.
We are
spiritual
billionaires
in Christ.
And James
says that
this is why
we are
truly blessed.
We have
the joy
of being
in Christ's
kingdom.
A
blessedness
that comes
not by
escaping
the trials
of this
world,
but by
doing
the word
of the
Lord.
And look
and see
what the
psalmist
also says
in this.
He says
that person
is like a
tree planted
by streams
of water
which yields
its fruit
in season
and whose
leaf does
not wither
whatever
they do
prospers.
Plant your
roots deep
in the river
of God's
word and
as the
tree of
your life
grows,
produces
fruit,
provides
shade,
not only
will you
be blessed
but also
all those
around you
will be
blessed
by the
tree of
your faith.
need.
So we
have heard
James'
call to
be doers
of the
word and
not just
hearers and
he's given
us four
steps for
achieving
that in
our lives.
Now in
finishing,
we're going
to examine
the three
different
implications
of this
practice in
our lives.
Firstly,
in how we
speak,
secondly,
in how we
interact with
the world,
and thirdly,
in how we
serve those
in need.
So let's
read,
if you could
read with
me,
verses 19
to 20.
My dear
brothers and
sisters,
take note
of this.
Everyone
should be
quick to
listen,
slow to
speak,
and slow
to become
angry,
because human
anger does
not produce
the righteousness
that God
desires.
James wants
us to put
God's word
into practice
when it
comes to
our responses
to others
and how we
speak.
Look down
at verse 26.
There he
says,
those who
consider
themselves
religious,
and yet
do not
keep a
tight rein
on their
tongues,
deceive
themselves,
and their
religion is
worthless.
So we see
James is
pretty serious
about this.
Of all
the parts
of the
body,
James
accredits
the tongue
with the
most potential
for destruction.
If you
can skip
forward there
in your
Bible to
James
chapter 3
and verse
6 onwards.
And here
we can
see how
James really
does not
mince his
words when
it comes
to the
tongue.
Chapter 3
verse 6.
The tongue
also is a
fire, a
world of
evil among
the parts
of the
body.
It corrupts
the whole
body, sets
the whole
course of
one's life
on fire,
and is
itself set
on fire
by hell.
Verse 8.
So James
could not
be clearer
about the
harmful
potential
of our
words to
wreak havoc
in other
people's
lives.
And so
he gives
this practical
template to
use when
speaking to
others.
And this
is it.
Be quick
to listen,
slow to
speak, and
slow to
anger.
When someone
says something
that we
disagree with,
or something
that is
offensive to
us, those
times responding
with grace and
avoiding anger is
one of the
hardest things
to do.
But James
orders us to
do it.
Now, the
author, John
Bloom, can
use this
verse to
come up with
the following
process when
we go to
speak.
And this
is his
process.
Listen,
wait, and
respond.
So A,
listen.
We are to
listen well
so that we
really do
understand where
the other
person is
coming from.
Listening well,
even when you
don't agree,
is a mark of
humility that
shows the
other person
that you are
genuinely
thinking about
them.
B, we
need to
patiently
wait.
We must
be slow
to speak.
In the
moment, we
all know our
natural impulse
to say things
that we regret
later on.
Have a look at
Proverbs 10,
verse 19 here.
It's on the
board.
Sin is not
ended by
multiplying
words, but
the prudent
hold their
tongues.
So we
must wait
before responding.
And as we
wait, let's
use that
time to
pray and
ask God
for wisdom
and discernment
and how
best to
speak.
Lastly, see,
we are to
respond with
grace.
Ephesians 4,
29 exhorts
us to speak
in a way that
gives grace to
those who
hear.
Proverbs 16,
24 says,
Gracious words
are like a
honeycomb.
Sweetness to
the soul
and health
to the body.
It may be
that our
gracious words
are still
tough to
hear, and
that's often
necessary, as
long as they
are spoken in
love, humility
and honesty.
And the
result of
all this
listening,
waiting, and
gracious
responding is
in the rest
of verse 19.
We are
consequently
slow to
anger.
We are
calmer, more
measured, less
impulsive.
We're actively
avoiding the
type of anger
that does not
please our
Father.
So listen,
wait, and
respond.
That's a godly
principle to
speak by.
And that's
James' first
implication for
the life of
a believer.
His second
is right here.
It is how we
interact with
the world.
And James is
asking us here
not to take on
the morals and
values of this
world that
are contrary
to scripture.
James continues
to say in
verse 21,
look there
with me,
therefore,
or in
light of all
these anger
avoidance
strategies,
get rid of
all moral
filth and
the evil
that is so
prevalent,
and humbly
accept the
word planted
in you,
which can
save you.
And he
also calls
us in
verse 27,
to keep
ourselves
from being
polluted by
the world.
So James
says,
watch out.
Watch out
for the
twisted morals
and the
widespread
evil that
you are
seeing and
hearing all
around you
on the
radio,
in the
newspaper,
the TV.
They don't
produce the
righteous life
that God
desires.
Don't let
them take
root in your
heart so
that they
become your
morals.
And I
don't know
which ones
you are
perceptible
to,
but these
are the
ones that
I seem
to be
constantly
fighting
against in
my own
mind.
The morals
of pursuing
wealth,
striving for
self-promotion,
living for
comfort and
pleasure,
tolerance of
every new
idea.
We need
to be careful
about this.
How are
the world's
values quietly
taking root
in our
hearts and
minds?
James has
a solution
to this.
Have a
look.
It's in
the second
half of
verse 21.
He says,
Humbly
accept the
word planted
in you,
which can
save you.
The morals
and evils
in the
world today
that are
widely
accepted,
they cannot
lead us
to the
truth that
will save
us.
That is
the gospel
of Jesus
Christ who
died for
us.
Now,
I'm not
saying that
when you
go home
from church
this afternoon
you're going
to rip
out that
skybox and
throw it
in the
bin,
and that
you're not
going to
read the
Irish Times
anymore,
and that
you're never
going to
listen to
RT News
radio again.
No,
no,
I'm not
saying any
of that.
Our aim
is not to
prevent
ourselves
from hearing
the voice
of the
world,
but instead
to take
all that we
do here
in the
world,
and put
it through
the filter
of the
word,
because only
here can
we discern
what is
good and
true.
And when
we read
what God
says to
be truth
and life
and his
word,
James says
that we
then have
to humbly
accept it.
This means
that we
have to
humbly
acknowledge
that the
maker of
life knows
what is
truly right
and wrong,
not us,
even
though there
are many
things that
are hard
to understand.
In a
world of
ever-evolving
morals,
one thing
stands true
throughout the
ages,
immovable,
solid,
and sure.
It's the
word of
God.
And let
us cling
to it
for dear
life as
we navigate
through this
broken world.
Finally,
and briefly,
the third
implication of
being a
doer of
God's word
is in
how we
serve
those in
need.
Look at
verse 27
with me.
Religion
that God
our Father
accepts as
pure and
faultless is
this,
to look
after orphans
and widows
in their
distress,
and to
keep oneself
from being
polluted by
the world.
So after
telling us
how worthless
our devotion
to God
is,
if we
fail to
put God's
word into
practice in
our lives,
James now
gives us an
example of
the opposite
as such.
This is the
type of
devotion that
puts his
word into
practice,
and is
entirely pure
and worthwhile.
This is the
type of
devotion that
gives him
pleasure.
So let's
look at his
example where
he studied
this.
He says,
we must
look after
orphans and
widows in
distress.
You know
what James
says?
If we're
followers of
Jesus,
we must
follow Jesus'
footsteps to
the homes of
the broken,
the weary,
the downcast,
those who in
our day are
left behind by
society.
And the
question must
be asked,
if I am so
caught up in
my busy life,
my family,
my close
circle of
friends,
but cannot
look outside of
that bubble of
mine to see a
broken,
needy world,
then how can I
claim to obey
Jesus when he
says in
Matthew 25,
and it's on the
board here,
whatever you
did for the
least of
these,
you did for
me.
For I was
hungry,
you gave me
something to
eat.
I was thirsty,
and you gave
me something to
drink.
I was a
stranger,
and you
invited me
in.
I needed
clothes,
and you
clothed me.
I was sick,
and you
looked after
me.
I was in
prison,
and you
came to
visit me.
This was
Jesus'
approach to
serving others.
He says,
go out,
find the
lowest of
the low,
and meet
their needs
in my name,
for my
sake.
Whatever you
do for them,
you're doing
for me.
I have to
admit,
this has been
a huge
challenge to
me this
week,
in my own
application of
these words
to my life.
As I think,
well, do I
actually have
time for
those who
are suffering?
The orphans,
the widows,
the sick,
the elderly,
the weary,
the mourning.
Are you and
I giving
freely out of
the abundance
that we have
received from
the Father?
To be a
doer of the
word, we
need to be
actively seeking
out opportunities
to do this.
And this
requires serious
action.
In
finishing,
let me just
summarize what
we've learned
from God's
word today.
Let us
not just
listen to
the word,
and like a
man who
walks away
from the
mirror,
forget
everything we
have heard.
Instead,
let us look
intently and
continually into
the word,
not forgetting
what we have
heard, but
doing it,
and in
turn,
experiencing
the blessedness
that comes,
not from
conforming to
the world,
but from
acting on
every word
of God.
let us
listen,
wait,
and respond
with grace
when we
speak.
Let us
put everything
we hear in
the world
through the
filter of
the word,
and let us
reach out in
love to
those who
are in need
around us.
Let's be
doers of the
word,
in
carigaline
and around.
Let's be
like trees
planted by
streams of
water,
which yield
its fruit
in season,
and whose
leaves do
not wither,
whatever they
do prospers.
Amen.
I think
that we
should take
a practical
step right
now to
do what
we've heard
in the
word today,
so I'm
just going
to leave
a time
of reflection
for all
of us
to talk
to the
Lord and
to ask
him what
do we
need to
change in
our lives
as a result
of this.
So I'm
going to
play a
song in
the
background.
If you
know it,
feel free
to join
in and
sing,
but you
can just
stay in
your seats
and meditate
and really
ask the
Lord where
to go from
here.
So Lord,
we just
ask for
your help
now.
We ask
for your
help not
just to
listen to
your word,
but to
do what
it says.
Right
now,
Holy Spirit,
please show
us what
needs to
be changed
in our
lives.
We ask
for your
power to
change and
to become
more like
Christ.
Amen.