The Book of James – Part 4:
Christian Living
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
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SERMON INTRODUCTION
The
Apostle James, brother of Jesus, and leader of the Jerusalem council, writes to
us, and the Twelve Tribes in the Book of James, a description of what it looks
like to be a true spiritual follower of
Jesus Christ.
We
have already spoke about victory over temptations, receiving blessings from God
for our endurance, faith and being humble as well as God’s goodness, all within
the first 18 verses of James!
Now
James has a question for you in today’s verses...
Are
you living like a true spiritual follower of Jesus Christ?
LAST WEEKS SERMON
Part 1 - Faith and Wisdom
Part 2 - Poverty and Riches
Part 3 - Endurance
TODAY’S SERMON
Part 4 - Christian Living
SCRIPTURE READING
James
1:19-27
My
dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to
listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because
human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.21 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.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone
who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks
at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and
immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 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.
26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not
keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion
is worthless.27 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.
I.
SWIFT TO LISTEN,
SLOW TO SPEAK AND SLOW TO BECOME ANGRY
a.
Swift to listen...to
what? (James is speaking of the Word of God)
i.
Verses 2-8 tells us we have “Victory
over temptation through knowledge of the Word of God”
ii.
Verses 17-18 “Every good and perfect gift is from above” speaking of Jesus, the
Word that came down.
iii.
Previous verses are speaking of the Word of God, and
following verses are also speaking of being “doers” of the Word of God, so we
can know that James is speaking about
the Word of God.
b.
Slow to speak
(control of the tongue)
i.
James tells us that a follower of Jesus Christ minds
his tongue and what he says.
1.
This includes filthy or immoral speech, gossip,
slander, lying, bragging or prideful boasting, empty words about yourself,
etc...
a.
Scripture tells us to “build up” and “edify”
others...not ourselves!
b.
When you brag and boast, you are sinning.
c.
When you “tear down” and “slander” you are doing the
exact opposite of what the Word tells us to do!
d.
But remember, James is speaking of, The Word of God!
i.
Do
not be in a hurry to tell someone about things you do not understand.
ii.
Slow
to give advice, instruction, teaching on the Word of God.
iii.
If
we lack understanding, and are quick to give “godly” advice, we may do more
harm than good.
iv.
Be
slow to speak, allowing understanding before instruction.
c.
Slow to wrath (be
led by the Spirit instead)
i.
James tells us not to fall prey to wrath, because man’s
wrath does not produce righteousness!
1.
Furthermore, we
are to be “led” by the Spirit of God, not our feelings and emotions or wrath
under the guise of righteousness.
a.
This is what Paul did as a Zealot using his wrath
against followers of Christ thinking he was serving God in righteous behavior.
2.
Wrath, anger or any response from your natural heart
will not produce ANYTHING God accepts as righteous!
3.
Do not be led around like a dog on a leash by your
emotions and feelings!
a.
If you do, you will appear as a double-minded,
wishy-washy, indecisive, an unstable mess...because that is what our feelings
and emotions usually are.
d.
What saves your
soul? (the Word)
i.
James goes on to tell us what saves our souls...
1.
“21 Therefore, get rid of all moral
filth and the evil that is so prevalent and receive with meekness the engrafted
word, which is able to save your souls.”
a.
rid your life of moral
filth
b.
and evil
that is so prevalent
c.
receive the engrafted
Word (put into us)
d.
with meekness
(humility)
e.
This is what is able to save your souls!
II.
BEING DOERS OF THE
WORD
a.
Be doers...do not
just sit there listening to it!
i.
To many think that surrounding themselves with the Word
of God is as good as having it “grafted into our hearts”
ii.
Reading, memorizing, listening to the Word, are all
good things if followed by
ACTION!
ILLUSTRATION:
You take your family out for a long
needed dinner and movie night in town.
You arrive at the restaurant and are seated at the last table available.
While awaiting the waiter you notice
a poster on the wall near the kitchen with the instructions on how to help a
choking victim. Out of boredom and too
much time on your hands awaiting the waiter you read it, and read it again.
Moments later the man at the table
next to you begins choking.
But you’re not afraid...you read the
chart, you know what to do, and you know exactly how to do it. In fact, you
read it many times over.
You sit there, fearless, watching as
the life slips from the man at the next table, knowing that you know everything
you need to know about saving someone who is choking.
Confident of your knowledge, you
look about the room for the waiter to make your order as the man passes away at
the next table.
James 1:22 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says.”
Those who hear the Word and do not
“do it” are deceived into thinking they have received something which they have
not.
And like the choking man, all the
hearing in the world cannot save him without action.
Do not just hear...do.
iii.
You can listen to instruction all day long, but if you
do not follow it with action...it has been rendered useless, and you are
deceiving yourself into thinking it has done you good.
b.
However, those who see the perfect law of liberty and continues in that direction, NOT forgetting what he heard, but doing
it...his deeds will be blessed!
i.
If you are missing blessings in your life, the Word
says it is because you are not being a “doer” of God’s Holy Word.
1.
Far too many listeners “expect” to receive from God
III.
SO YOU SAY YOU ARE
SPIRITUAL.
a.
Over spiritualized,
religious people abound
i.
Some are so “religious” or “Spiritual” they forget the
Word of God and deceive themselves as well, not being doers of the Word,
rather, doers of their own vain imaginations
ii.
Romans 1:21-23 “For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in
unrighteousness;
(they heard the Word, but do not do it as God commands) 19 because that
which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the
invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen (Spiritual matters, i.e. Holy Spirit, Spiritual
Fruit, Whole Armor of God, Spiritual Gifts),
being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are
without excuse:
21 because that, when they knew God, they
glorified him not as God,
neither were thankful; but became vain
in their imaginations, (they made up their own way of worship, their own way of
serving, their own definition of obedience)
and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to
be wise, they became fools
iii.
Those who consider themselves “religious”...
“spiritual”
1.
Those who consider
themselves religious (or spiritual), are either the type who
“over-spiritualize” everything forgetting the Word and its limitations God has
placed on the Spirit, as James is speaking of, simply hear the Truth, but never
apply it or live it in their lives.
b.
They are deceiving themselves; and are not spiritual at
all.
c.
This type of
behavior is defiled and unacceptable before God.
i.
The Pharisees fell into this trap...and so do many
today!
d.
Pure spirituality (religion)
which is not defiled before God is this:
i.
Look after (care for) orphans
and widows in their affliction (suffering,
difficulties, burdens, hardships, pain, trouble, misery...or rather, in their
time of need!)
1.
Pure and acceptable behavior of a true spiritual
follower of Jesus Christ is someone who helps the orphans and widows when he
sees them in need!
2.
Jesus had love and compassion on those imprisoned in
sin, as well as those who faced afflictions in life...and so must we!
ii.
and to keep yourself
from being polluted by the world.
1.
Are you truly separate from the world?
a.
or do you look just like the world?
b.
act like the world?
c.
talk like the world?
d.
live in sin like the world?
e.
live life like someone who has never heard the Word?
iii.
James 4:3-4
3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask
with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means
enmity against God? Therefore,
anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
iv.
Are you an enemy of God?
CONCLUSION
The
Apostle James, brother of Jesus, and leader of the Jerusalem council, writes to
us, and the Twelve Tribes in the Book of James, a description of what it looks
like to be a true spiritual follower of
Jesus Christ.
This
Word is a measuring stick, a plum line for us to take, and measure ourselves
here today.
A True Spiritual (religious)
Follower of Jesus Christ;
†
Is
swift to listen to the Word of God
†
Slow
to speak, controlling his tongue
†
Slow
to wrath, allowing the Holy Spirit, NOT his emotions and feelings to guide and
lead him
†
He
not only is swift to hear the Word, but is a DOER of that Word!
†
He
is not prideful in consideration of his own spirituality, but receives the Word
of God humbly.
†
Finally, are you a light in this world...or
has the world and what it offers become your friend?
†
If
you live as part of the world...you will also die with it...do not make
yourself an enemy of God by living in the world.
Next
week we will look at what the Book of James says about Brotherly Love.
Want to learn more about
Salvation and Getting Saved?
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