August 7, 2022
The Ministry Of The Doer
James 1:19-27

INTRO

• TITLE: The Ministry Of The Doer
• I wish God would just tell me what to do.
• A sort of to-do-list.
• There are things to do, things to stop doing, a—to-do-list— form James. But he doesn’t stop there: he also gave them the reason; he gave them the application and the benefit.

Hearing and Doing the Word

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

• Know this, my beloved brothers:
• Section pertains to the saved.
• Three things to do:

# 1 Quick to hear

• Listen well. A skill few Christians apply themselves to.
• College: “public speaking” / no course offered for “public listening”
• But, listening is one of the core issues in failing marriages …

# 2 Slow to speak

• Our mouth is the vent for our anger.
• Often we do not have measured words / tactfulness much less love and grace!
• Often, regretful things in our lives come from things we have said.
  • When are words are sharp they are without love.
  • Cynical words–words without love and hope.
  • Words without hope are without love.
• Christians have every reason to continue to hope.
  • We have the the wisdom of God.
  • We have the words of life in any situation!
  • We ought to be better at slow speaking than the world.

# 3 slow to anger

• There is a righteous anger.
  • Generally, righteous anger has others as its source.
• But most of our anger is not righteous variety, mostly it is centered on us.
• The Reason from James … again v. 20 “for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
• James commands the Church to be slow to anger because it is common behavior.
• Common ≠ holiness
• Generally, our anger is not neutral at all!

ILLUSTRATION

At a [English] tea for officers and their wives, the commanding general of a base delivered a seemingly endless oration. A young lieutenant grumbled to the woman sitting beside him, “What a pompous and unbearable old windbag that slob is!” ¶ The woman turned to him, her face red with rage. “Excuse me, Lieutenant. Do you have any idea who I am?” ¶ “No ma’am,” the man fumbled. ¶ “I am the wife of the man you just called an unbearable old windbag.” ¶ “Oh,” said the lieutenant. “And do you have any idea who I am?” ¶ “No,” said the general’s wife. ¶ “Good” said the lieutenant, getting up from his seat and disappearing into the crowd. —Source: Unknown ¹

“We should remember that one of wisdom’s best qualities is the ability to hold the tongue.” (Chappell)

THE APPLICATION: James gave it to the Church

• Maybe you’ve heard the old saying “You have two ears and one mouth—use them proportionately.”
• Ecclesiastes 7:9, Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.
• We get angry over what the world or the Church is giving us. - One stated positively and one negatively
• NEGATIVE FIRST: look at v 21, “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness …”
  • Isaiah’s coal for the tongue: “I am a man of unclean lips.”
  • When we are mad and/or under a trial, the tongue gets to work!
  • The tongue is wicked.
  • The tongue can wag like no other body part.

  • Someone said, “The problem today is that those who know the least know it the loudest.” Indeed much of what is promoted as wisdom is actually anything but—it is the worst of foolishness displayed publicly. (Chappell)

• Reminds me of Twitter
• Watch how you use you phone.
• Something is missing if the mouth is quick to speak.
• THE POSITIVE, SECOND APPLICATION: v 21b and receive with meekness the implanted word,
  • There is a paradox here: We need to receive something we already have implanted in us.
• Notice: It is implanted, but still has to be received.
• It’s is already in the audiences’ possession, but it still has yet to be received.
• How? # 1 … v. 21 By putting away all filthiness and rampant wickedness.
• # 2 … Receive it with meekness.
  • Beautiful idea: One must stop talking if he is to receive the replacement word!
  • Meek - I am lower - submission
  • Receive, hold out your hands = in need

• [Sutcliff said,] The mind must be in a proper state in order to receive the word, and that is indicated here by a spirit of meekness, which disposes us both to believe and to obey. The import of the [word] is such that it cannot otherwise be received at all; it is utterly opposed to the pride of reason, as well as of self-righteousness … (edited for clarity)

  • One cannot think and live in two different kingdoms at the same time.
  • Philippians 4:8, Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
• God wants a harvest of His righteousness coming from our lives from His implanted word.
• “of God”—His fruit! His righteousness in us!

The Benefit … look at the end of v 21, “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

• “save your souls”
• Biggest error in Christendom fails to ask one of the most important questions: What kind of salvation are we talking about.
• Context, context, context.
• The context is clearly admonishing Christians to live at a more Christ like way in their daily lives.

• SIDEBAR:
• Every Christian has the Logos, The Word, Jesus inside them.
• All of the Bible was written by God, therefore the Word.
• Not: Need to get saved! Paul wrote about this in Romans 8:9, You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
• Context here is definitely to the saved and their lack of application of the word of God.

• If not justification due to context then what? Sanctification.
• Christians live in death or life moment by moment.
  • Life / death chart.
  • When we act on, apply the implanted word, the word of God saves our moments,
• We spend most of our lives not thinking about the world the way God does and wants us to. We must choose better. Our souls depend on it.
• The more our souls are saved the more we shall glow with the glory of God.

TRANSITION

Now that we have seen a key part of our holiness is tied directly to directing that boastful muscle in the middle of heads Let’s now look at what pure religion is.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

• Hearer of the word is important.
  • So, we have “not only hearers”
  • James does hold the idea of being around the word.
  • Devo: read it out loud, public reading of the Scriptures.
  • Charles Ryrie, in Balancing the Christian Life: Rate + Time = growing in the knowledge of God.
  • Church = more rate / Bible studies = more rate.
• The word of God brings life–potentially.
  • But application is key.
    • We must be a DOER!
    • Heard the word, cut to the heart, and said, brothers what shall we do?
  • If not a DOER we become a self-deceiver.
• The Christian life involves the head–knowledge, the heart–a change in values, and the hands–the doing!

James ILLUSTRATES for us what a hearer, but not a doer is like v23.

23 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. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 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.

• Not good = forgets what he looks like (NIV, NLT, et al.)
  • Good translation = “forgets what he was like” (ESV, Hart; good translation)
  • lit.: of what sort or quality (LSJ) he is … [it 's a positive quality here] i.e. how great or excellent quality (Strong)
  • Clearer translation is from NASB = immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
  • not doing = forsaking the kind of quality of the person you are! In Christ.
  • Here: Mirror is a metaphor for the perfect law, the law of liberty. (2x in James only)
  • The mirror of the law of liberty seems to be an idiom for self examination in relationship to the word?
  • Today’s idiom: Go look in the mirror!
• law of liberty = the gospel of God, the word of God = the teaching of the love of God.
• Not: Skydiving, race-car driving, mountain climbing, watch funny cat videos! No problem.
  • But: teaching that teaches us away from sin
    • Sin is not freedom. It’s bondage and leads to death.
    • Sin is the opposite of freedom for the believer.
  • Law of liberty is where freedom is.
  • Freedom to love = Christian liberty (cf. 1 Cor. 13)

APPLICATION

AGAIN 25 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.

• Want to be blessed in what your are doing?
  • # 1: looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty.
  • # 2: Perseveres in the perfect law, the law of liberty.
    • Perseverance = pressure from the world.
    • The world will hate a devout Christian.
    • The world will constantly give you common advice. and put its pressure on you to accept it.
  • But the righteous person is not dissuaded by the pressure.
  • This describes being not just a hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts.
    • When a man stops receiving the perfect law of liberty, he starts slipping in his application of the word. He become self-deceptive.
• OUTCOME: That person misses on on being–look at the end of v25–blessed in what they do. COMMENT

James continues to elaborate on these points: v. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

• Self is the source of the unbridled tongue.
  • I been offended.
  • I don’t like this.
  • Let me tell you what I think about this situation!
  • Words of anger, cynicism, impatientness involves self being the center of my attention. COMMENT
• Basically James said, "What is your tongue doing? That is the indicator of your devoutness.
• James warns of self deception again: he calls it “worthless religion” = devoutness is destroyed.
• Look again v26: We may be convinced–in our heart–deep down of a lie.
• Deception of heart
• “His heart” >> this speaks to a person who truly believes they are living Christ well.
• Deceived heart = darkened heart = Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
• The Scriptures have much to say about opening one’s self up to deception, being deceived by our old nature, and being deceitful to one’s own self–around 49 verses in the NT! (click here for those verses).
• Produce: worldly words produces worthless religion.
• The wagging tongue is the truth teller of where we are at.

APPLICATION

• How many words do we speak that we would need to hide in a crowds over if they were heard by others.
• What if I were to record every conversation we had with everyone for a month and played it in church. What would it say about our application of the law of liberty?
• I have news, there is a recorder recording us. Jesus said, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak." (Matthew 12:36).
• Therefore we need to heed Ephesians 4:29, Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
  • Forget self expression >> what do others need!
  • Wholesome talk … nurturing talk.

Now that we see that the unbridled tongue is the measure of a person’s spiritual life, let’s now turn our attention to the contrast of deceptive devoutness. Look at the contrast!

v. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

• The v 26, unbridled, lying tongue is contrasted with truth: pure, undefiled religion
  • # 1 Helpless women and children.
  • = In other words: Stop worrying about yourself and get your mind on the helpless!
  • # 2 … Keep oneself unstained from the world = devout = stop sinning.

ILLUSTRATION

Industrialist Charles Schwab was a key figure in Andrew Carnegie’s steel empire. Frustrated with his inability to get everything done, he once reluctantly agreed to meet with a consultant named Ivy Lee, who was recommended to him by John D. Rockefeller. Schwab had little use for consultants, but since Rockefeller recommended Lee so highly, he scheduled the meeting. Lee’s proposal was elegantly simple. ¶ He told Schwab to make a list of the six most important things he could do the next day to further the overall health and function of U.S. Steel. At the end of the day, Schwab was to review the list, move anything that had not been finished to the top of the next day’s list, and then add enough items to make a total of six again. Within fifteen minutes, the meeting concluded. Lee told Schwab to follow this practice for thirty days, and then send him a payment based on how much Schwab thought the advice was worth. After the month ended, Schwab sent Lee a check for $25,000! [That amount of money is equivalent to over three-quarters of a million dollars today.²] (Watson)

• Why this illustration of these rich people?

APPLICATION

• As Christians we are constantly overlooking the best things God has told us to focus on in pursuit of lesser.
• Micah 6:8, He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
• Our to do list from James:
  • Get your mind off of self and its “expression.”
  • Find orphans and widows to help.
  • Keep oneself unstained from the world = “stop sinning” (1 Corinthians 15:34b, NIV)
• Our whole lives are supposed to be lived in the love and service of others in a world that does not love us or the helpless!
  …

Bibliography and Works Cited

NOTE: Please see the following web-page for most of the works cited: https://insidecrosspoint.org/sermons/2022/july/bibliography.html. Most works cited on that web-page correspond to the verses they are are grouped or outlined with, or in the case of general references (e.g., author information, book background information, etc.), one would usually find citation material with the Bible books the citations are associated with.

Scripture quotations [unless otherwise noted] are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Other Works Cited

Chappell, Paul. “The Wisdom of Silence.” Ministry 127, https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/the-wisdom-of-silence-0.

Watson, Charles E. and Thomas A. Idinopulos. Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?. Praeger, 2007. As quoted by Ministry 127, https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/do-the-most-important-things-first.

Note

¹ From Ministry 127, https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/do-you-know-who-i-am.

² Calculated from 1913-2022 from using the “US Inflation Calculator,” https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/.