The Book of James Chapter 1:19-27
James 1: [19] Wherefore,
my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to
wrath: [20] For the wrath of man
worketh not the righteousness of God. [21] Wherefore lay apart all filthiness
and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word,
which is able to save your souls.
1) A Proper Reception of the Word (19-21)
“Wherefore”
since we have testings, temptations and trials we
must be swift to hear the truth
A. Committed Ear (19)
–
“swift to hear” ready to listen, hear
Most folk just want someone to listen OR Do others think that I value their input?
Don’t
be a poor listener. David would not hear Absalom & Absalom burnt the
barley field
Heb 5:11
[11]Of
whom we have many things to say, and hard to be
uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Sluggishness
laziness in hearing is the reason Christians don’t grow.
2
Tim 4:3,4
[3] For the time will come when they will not
endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves
teachers, having itching ears; [4] And they shall turn away their
ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables
B. Controlled Tongue (19)-
“slow to speak” don’t be thinking about what
you want to say, listen
Someone
who is quick to speak was considered unwise and foolish
Prov 10:19
[19]
In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but
he that refraineth his lips is wise.
Prov 13:3
[3]
He that keepeth his mouth keepeth
his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall
have destruction.
Prov 15:2
[2]
The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but
the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness
Prov 17:27
[27]
He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man
of understanding is of an excellent spirit.
God
reminds you of this truth daily in that HE gave you 2 ears & 1 mouth.
Therefore you should listen
twice as
much as you should speak
One
man wanted to hire an orator to teach him how to speak BUT the orator quickly
said for you I’ll have to charge you double. WHY? First I must teach you to be quiet, then teach you how to speak
Be
careful when it is time to speak HOW you speak
One
foolish comment can do a lot of harm. Let your words be thought out
Ecc 10:1
[1]Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary
to send forth a stinking savour
Jms 3:1
[1]
My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater
condemnation.
Teachers of the word are given a double judgment
C. Calm Spirit-
(19)
“slow to wrath” is an explosive outrage
Lady
came to Billy Sunday about her temper and said “at least when its over I’m done”
He
replied “Yes, but so is a shotgun, pull the trigger and look at all the damage
it does”
“slow to wrath” is an inner resentment that
smolders, unnoticed by others
(20)“the wrath of man worketh not
the righteousness of God”
James
is writing to this crowd
James 3:14, James 4:1
Now
when I preach I am not trying to aim at you.
One
lady said to me “ I don’t feel good when you preach,
you just make me sick”
Throw a rock into a pack of dogs and the dog that yelps
got hit
(ill- A man stealing apples, the Amish farmer had a shotgun
pointed at his head. The man said I thought
the Amish
were peaceful. I would not harm thee, but thou art standing where I am about to
shoot)
That’s
the way it is when I am preaching, you may be standing where I am shooting
Gal 4:16
[16]Am
I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
D. Clean Heart-(21)
“lay apart all filthiness” – to put off
OR to strip off dirty clothes
“receive with meekness the engrafted word”
– Put on clean clothes (rcv the truth)
“put off the old man and put on the
new man” Col 3:8-10
To
Lazarus Jesus said John 11:44 Loose him and let
him go.
(Put
off those graveclothes put on graceclothes)
Get rid of the wrong in our lives and be humbly glad for
the salvation message we have received
He that hath an ear let him, hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches
James 1: [22]
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. [23] For if any be a hearer of the
word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a
glass:
[24] For he beholdeth
himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. [25] But whoso looketh
into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth
therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man
shall be blessed in his deed. [26]
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth
his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
[27] Pure religion and undefiled
before God and the Father is this, To visit the
fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from
the world.
2) A Proper Reaction to the Word (22-27)
If you just come and hear, and don’t apply the truth OR
obey the truth, you have deceived yourself
A. Exhortation-(22)
“Be
doers and not hearers only” Don’t just be an auditor-
It is important to know what Gods Word says BUT it is
more important to obey it
Genuine
faith will become a doer of the word
1
Jn 2: 3
[3] And
hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth
not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
Matt
7: 22 -27
[22]Many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and
in thy name done many wonderful works? [23] And then will I
profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. [24] Therefore whosoever heareth
these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which
built his house upon a rock: [25] And the rain descended, and the floods came,
and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was
founded upon a rock. [26] And every one that heareth
these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man,
which built his house upon the sand: [27] And the rain descended, and the floods came,
and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the
fall of it.
B.
Illustration-(23,24)
“beholding his
natural face in a glass”
The
Word of God is like a mirror
Physical
mirror shows the outer man, our appearance. A quick Look
and walk away. You are a mess
The
Word of God is a mirror that shows our inner man. A quick
Look and walk away. A Real mess
What
is your value of scripture, Gods Word?
(25)
“whoso looketh
into the perfect law of liberty” -
“to bend over and carefully examine”
DL Moody was asked “Teach us the power of your teaching”
– apply the Word, obey it)
C. Application- Three Indicators of the faith
(26)
“if any man seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue”. What words do you speak?
What
comes out of your mouth? It shows what’s in your heart!
“This man’s religion is vain” Devoid of truth. The heart is not controlled by God
Mt
12:37
[37]For
by thy words thou shalt be
justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned .
2-The
Widows I Serve
(27)
“visit the fatherless and widows in their
affliction”
Many
were reduced to begging, selling themselves as slaves or starving to death.
By
caring for the powerless the early church put Gods Word into practice
If
your religion is not contaminated and defiled then you will be serving the
needy
3-
The Wickedness I Shun
(27)-
“keep himself unspotted from the world”
You
do not compromise who you are. (Money, power and pleasure are not our desire)
A Pastor
visited the coal mine. He noticed a pure white flower sitting amongst the dark
coal dust. The Pastor wondering how this could be, sprinkled dust on the flower
but the flower had a gloss over it and the dirt fell right off.
Concl:4 scholars talking.
#1 I like the KJV and the majesty of its words. #2 I
like the 1560 Geneva #3 I like the 1525
Tyndale #4 I like my mother’s translation.
Did your mother translate it? Oh yes, she translated it everyday in her actions
by the way she lived.
Are folks convinced of your testimony by your translation
of the scripture?