James:Hearing and Doing
Preached on 9.20.09 by Dustin Neeley
Sermon Notes
“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 hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” James 1:22-25 ESV
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James is building upon his previous comments about the Word. ‘deceiving’ a mathematical term referring to a miscalculation. Thinking that hearing the Word without taking action is self-deception.
“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.” “looks” is a strong Greek word meaning to stoop down and observe carefully. First century mirrors were not glass, but metallic—polished bronze, silver or gold. “…at once forgets…” This is a picture of forgetful ‘insanity.’
Why Do We Do This?
- Our sin—Hearing is easy, doing is hard. Comfort idol.
- Our culture—Information overload. Education. Work. We have been trained to simply hear and not have to act on what we have heard.
- Church culture—We have been trained to be consumers.
- The point is not for us to ‘enjoy the message’ but to be changed by it!
P: Hearing the Word is not about information but transformation.
In what areas of my life am I hearing and not doing? What needs to change?
“But the one who looks into the perfect law…” Not just a portion of OT but all of Scripture.
“…the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
P: Obedience to the Scriptures leads to freedom and blessing.
Is this how I approach the Bible? Where do I not see freedom in my life?
How Do We Do What God is Telling Us to Do?
- Hearing the Word must become a priority.
- Sundays. Group. Personal Study.
- I will do what I am hearing. I will allow my friends to encourage me and hold me accountable in it.
- When I don’t, I will repent quickly and apply the Gospel to my life.
- Carefully consider the alternative. -
- Look back. Look forward.
- Look to Jesus as your pattern, payment, and power.
- There was never a single moment where Jesus didn’t ‘do the Word.’
- Because of His obedience, His sacrifice for our sin was enough.
- He empowers us through His Spirit to obey His Word.
Where are you simply hearing and not doing the Word today?
What is standing in the way?
Works Consulted : Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ESV Study Bible, MacArthur Study Bible, Message by Darrin Patrick