Series on the Book of James Learning to Listen to God s Word Part I James 1:19-21

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1 1 Sermon Notes for February 2, 2003 Series on the Book of James Learning to Listen to God s Word Part I James 1:19-21 A.W. Tozer - There is an evil which I have seen under the sun... It is the glaring disparity between theology and practice among professing Christians. So wide is the gulf that separates theory from practice in the church that an inquiring stranger who chances upon both would scarcely dream that there was any relation between them. An intelligent observer of our human scene who heard the Sunday morning sermon and later watched the Sunday afternoon conduct of those who had heard it would conclude that he had been examining two distinct and contrary religions... It appears that too many Christians want to enjoy the thrill of feeling right but are not willing to endure the inconveniences of being right. So the divorce between theory and practice becomes permanent in fact, though in word the union is declared to be eternal. Truth sits forsaken and grieves till her professed followers come home for a brief visit, but she sees them depart again when the bills become due. In his book, Walking With Christ in the Details of Life, Patrick Morley wrote, According to Gallup surveys, and confirmed by other polls taken over the past 15 years, 33 percent of all Americans over age eighteen indicate they are evangelical or born again Christians. That translates into 59 million Christians, or one in every three adults, who made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ. While this is great news, it is also very scary, because this means the greatest revival in history has thus far been impotent to change society. We ve had revival without transformation. It s a change in belief without a corresponding change in behavior. Introduction A. The CHURCH S VIEW Of The Bible ,000 clergy from various denominations were asked if they believed that God s Word was inspired and inerrant (without error). a. 95% of Episcopalian Priests said no. b. 87% of Methodist ministers said no. c. 82% of Presbyterian ministers said no. d. 77% of American Lutherans said no. e. 67% of American Baptists said no. 2. THAT IS EXACTLY WHY OUR DENOMINATION, THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN AMERICA (PCA) WAS FORMED. a. EVERY minister, elder and deacon must subscribe to the doctrine of inerrancy. 1. That God s Word was written through men BY GOD. 2. Without error in ALL of its parts. b. I don t understand any other position. 1. WHY would you base your life on a document that you DIDN T believe?

2 2. If you ever move from Knoxville and visit another church, THE FIRST QUESTION that you should ask a Pastor is: WHAT IS YOUR VIEW OF THE BIBLE? a. IF HE WAFFLES AT ALL, KEEP LOOKING! b. The meaning and history of the word infallible. 1. Infallible used to be a good, accurate word until the liberal European seminaries redefined it. 2. Francis Schaeffer coined the word inerrant to be more specific. B. The BIBLE S VIEW Of The Bible. 1. Look at how the Bible sees itself. a. II Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 1. God-breathed Theopneustos 2. Look at Genesis 2:7 The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. b. II Peter 1:20-21 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2. Look at how Jesus saw the Bible. a. John 5:37-40 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. b. Jesus was speaking DIRECTLY at those who studied the Scriptures but did not actually practice them. c. While studying the Holy Land, a seminary professor of mine met a man who claimed to have memorized the Old Testament in Hebrew! Needless to say, the astonished professor asked for a demonstration. A few days later they sat together in the man s home. Where shall we begin? asked the man. Psalm 1, replied my professor, who was an avid student of the Psalms. Beginning with Psalm 1:1, the man began to recite from memory, while my professor followed along in his Hebrew Bible. For two hours the man continued word for word without a mistake as the professor sat in stunned silence. When the demonstration was over, my professor discovered something even more astonishing about the man he was an atheist. Here was someone who knew the Scriptures better than most Christians ever will, and yet he didn t even believe in God. (Taking the Guesswork Out of Applying the Bible, Jack Kuhatschek) 2

3 C. YOUR VIEW Of The Bible. 1. Even though this country was founded on Biblical principles, we don t actually practice our beliefs. George Barna, A Christian pollster, in a given week, about 37% of Americans will read their Bibles, but 85% will pray. 2. WITHOUT A DOUBT, your reading of the Bible represents your true depth of spirituality. a. After all, God wrote the Bible by His Holy Spirit. b. And if God s Holy Spirit truly lives in you, then HE will draw you to His Word. c. If you have no interest at all in God s Word, and never read it, then you have every reason to doubt that you are even a Christian! d. John MacArthur Belief in God s Word and belief in Jesus Christ are inseparable. To believe in one is to believe in the other; and to disbelieve one is to disbelieve the other. e. Notice James 1:18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created. 3. Today, we will look at our relationship to God s Word and steps to take so that it can truly impact our spiritual lives. I. STEPS In Allowing God s Word Into Your MIND. A. Your Need For A QUICK EAR Slow Down. Vs. 19a My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen. 1. Our problem with listening a. At first glance, you would think that James is simply saying that we are bad listeners. 1. Our problem with listening. a. And that would be true b. In his book Stress Fractures, Charles Swindoll gives a personal illustration: Some time back, he was in a period where he was caught in the undertow of too many commitments in too few days. It wasn t long before he was snapping at his wife and his children and choking down his food at mealtimes. All day long he was getting irritated at those unexpected interruptions that always seem to pile up. Before long, things around their home started reflecting the pattern of his hurry-up style. It was becoming unbearable. He distinctly recalls after supper one evening the words of his youngest daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell him about something important that had happened to her at school that day. She hurriedly began, Daddy-I-wanna-tellyou-somethin -and-i ll-tell-you-really-fast. Suddenly realizing her frustration, he answered, Honey, you can tell me and you don t have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly. He ll never forget her answer: Then listen slowly. 3

4 b. But this verse is actually referring to our hearing God s Word. 1. Look again at the context James 1:18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created. 2. Also look at James 1:21 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. c. So, actually, James is saying that we don t listen very well to God s Word. 2. Our perspective on listening. a. Pastor Jim Mooney uses Mark 4 and the parable of the four soils to describe four types of listeners. 1. The hard packed heart. a. The heart is unprepared to receive the Word of God. b. They may hear the Word, but it takes no root at all. 2. The initially responsive heart. a. Initially the new convert gets excited about the new discovery of the Bible. b. But he does not feed that excitement by establishing a pattern of daily reading. 3. The busy heart. a. Like the initially responsive heart, he has good intentions. b. But life seems to crowd out any time with God s Word. c. It is more important to be successful in this life than to be successful in his spiritual life. 4. The prepared heart. a. This person knows that the heart is like a garden and must be watered and fertilized. b. Weeds are constantly pulled. c. There is a daily time of feeding the soul with God s Word. b. You can gauge your spiritual maturity by the speed and quickness of your desire for God s Word. 1. Do you run to read? 2. Do you love to hear? 3. Do you find ways to spend time in God s Word? 4. John MacArthur The sincere, eager desire for such learning is one of the surest marks of a true child of God. 3. Our places of listening. a. Personal devotions. 1. The most necessary part of your life as a growing Christian is the time that you spend daily in God s Word. a. Now, let s distinguish between devotional time and study time. 1. Devotional time with God s Word is intended to feed your soul. 4

5 2. Study time is intended to feed your mind. a. Me seminary the driest time in my life. b. J. White I m always in the Word. b. If you do not have a daily, consistent, devotional time with God and His Word, you are limping at best in your Christian life. c. Try missing a few days of food to feel the same impact. 2. Are you quick to listen to God in the quietness of your heart? a. I especially speak to those of you who are teachers. DON T SPEAK TO OTHERS ABOUT GOD UNTIL YOU HAVE SPOKEN TO GOD ABOUT OTHERS! b. In our fast paced world we must slow down to hear from God. c. As Chuck Swindoll said, We are not hard of hearing, but hard of listening. d. Bats fly by echolocation. They rapidly emit from their mouths high-pitched and high-frequency sounds. Bats tell how close they are flying to objects by the rapidity with which the sounds fly back. Experimenters have tried to confuse bats by making other sounds louder than the sounds the bats produce. No one yet knows how it is done, but a bat continues to pick out his own echoes. Even when the man-made sounds are 2000 times louder than those a bat makes, the flying mammal recognizes the right ones and stays on course. Could Christianity profit by the example of the bat? With all the loud voices clamoring for attention in our world today... don t we need this sensitivity to line up with the right sounds on God s course? Even the bats aren t batty enough to get off course by trying to listen to all the sounds of all their traveling companions on the evening flights. If we want to keep ourselves on course in life, we need to let our hearts and minds feel the echoes from God. Gary Bagley, Bayshore World. b. Study time. 1. THERE IS A TIME TO STUDY GOD S WORD! a. Get out the commentaries. b. Study the original language. c. Prepare to teach. 2. But know that this is to learn, to prepare, to teach. 3. Don t miss this: Study of God s Word is hard work. a. Work that very often feeds the mind but DOES NOT feed the soul. b. Comments from Preachers: 5

6 1. John MacArthur After many years of preaching and teaching the Word, I must confess that, although the exercise of preaching is the manifestation of my spiritual gift and certainly brings rich satisfaction, I cannot honestly say that I relish preaching and teaching or bask in the light of it. I do not rush into the pulpit with any sort of personal exhilaration or joy. There is always a certain reluctance in my heart, not a reluctance to fulfill my calling but a reluctance based on the great weight of responsibility to handle accurately and proclaim the truth of God (II Tim. 2:15). 2. According to one of his biographers, when the great Scottish Reformer and theologian John Knox was first called to preach, He burst forth in most abundant tears, and withdrew himself to his chamber. His countenance and behavior from that day until the day he was compelled to present himself to the public place of preaching, did sufficiently declare the trouble of his heart. 3. Me IT IS WORK! c. Are you quick to listen to what God has to say so that you can teach others? c. Corporate worship. 1. Are you quick to listen as you enter the worship service? 2. Or, are you like so many people who are simply in the habit of coming to church? a. I have to admit recently when I was not preaching how I approached morning worship. 1. I wasn t spiritually prepared. 2. I wasn t expectant of hearing God s Word. 3. I didn t even take my Bible! b. Does this describe you in morning worship? 3. Let me help you become quick to listen in morning worship. a. First Begin to look toward the Lord s Day the entire week before. 1. Spend time daily in your own personal devotions. 2. Pray for the preaching of the Word on the coming Sunday. b. Second - Be reading the text that I will be preaching on that week. c. Third - Structure your Saturday so that you don t go to bed so late that you will be asleep in the service the next day. 6

7 d. Fourth - Get up Sunday morning to prepare your heart; ready and praying for the morning service. e. Fifth - Get to church early; sit down and pray for your self, the hearers and the preacher. f. Sixth - Pray throughout the service that you and others will be ministered to. g. Seventh - Play an active part in worship. B. Your Need For A QUIET TONGUE Calm Down. Vs. 19b Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak. 1. The nobility of being quiet. a. Why does James mention slow to speak relative to the Word of God? 1. We must understand the context and the actual setting of the local church. 2. We must see that church was not conducted like our church services today. a. We meet in a building; they met in homes. b. We have a formal, planned service. They had no plan at all, except that a person would speak. c. The tendency would be to talk or interrupt the speaker. b. But James is also saying that there is a time to be quiet: c. Other Scriptures CERTAINLY agrees with this. 1. Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. 2. Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin. 3. Proverbs 17:28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue. 2. The necessity of being quiet. a. Classical writer Zeno said: We have two ears, but only one mouth, that we may hear more and speak less. b. The rabbis put it even better Men have two ears but one tongue, that they should hear more than they speak. The ears are always open, even ready to receive instructions; but the tongue is surrounded with a double row of teeth to hedge it in, and keep it within proper bounds. c. As Kent Hughes said, If you opened your mouth only to change feet as much as I have, this advice rings so true! I ve never had to take back something I didn t say. d. Our natural tendency regarding hearing God s Word is to be quick to speak and slow to hear. 1. Because we don t understand God s Word, we jump to conclusions too quickly. 2. We become quick to judge before we hear the entire message. a. A young man once approaches Socrates to ask if the philosopher would teach him the gift of oratory. His request was then followed by an incessant stream of words until, finally, Socrates placed his hand over the inquirer s mouth and said, Young man, I will have to 7

8 charge you a double fee. When the fellow asked why, Socrates said, I will have to teach you two sciences. First, how to hold your tongue, and then, how to use it. b. In July 1976, Israeli commandos made a daring raid at an airport in Entebbe, Uganda, in which 103 Jewish hostages were freed. In less than 15 minutes, the soldiers had killed all seven of the kidnappers and set the captives free. As successful as the rescue was, however, three of the hostages were killed during the raid. As the commando entered the terminal, they shouted in Hebrew, Get down! Crawl! The Jewish hostages understood and lay down on the floor, while the guerrillas, who did not speak Hebrew, were left standing. Quickly the rescuers shot the upright kidnappers. But two of the hostages hesitated perhaps to see what was happening and were also cut down. One young man was lying down and actually stood up when the commandos entered the airport. He, too, was shot with the bullets meant for the enemy. Had these three heeded the soldiers command, they would have been freed with the rest of the captives. Salvation is open to all, but we must heed Christ s command to repent and make Him Lord. Otherwise, we will perish with the judgment meant for the enemy. Scott F. Marsh Winchester. C. Your Need For a QUENCHED TEMPER Lay Down. Vs. 19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. 1. This may seem to be somewhat confusing. a. If the context is hearing God s Word, b. then what possibly could I be angry at? 2. The Greek. a. Anger defined. 1. The word that Paul uses is not the Greek word thumos an explosive temper. 2. Instead, he uses the word orge a settled, burning anger that smolders, often unnoticed by others. To swell with anger. b. Anger applied. 1. James is warning us that although we may be quick to listen AND slow to speak or respond verbally to the preaching and teaching of God s Word, we may actually find ourselves getting angry at the messenger and the message of the Word of God. a. Who does he think that he is? b. Well, that s just his opinion. c. That book was written 2000 years ago by uneducated men. d. How dare you tell me how to live. 8

9 2. When the Word of God is preached, OFTEN it will make us very, very uncomfortable. a. To the point of refusal and anger. b. We are like that flippant youth who, as he heard an Indian evangelist preach, interrupted him by saying: You tell me about the burden of sin. I feel none. How heavy is it? Eighty pounds? Ten pounds? The preacher answered: Tell me, if you laid four hundred pounds weight on a corpse, would it feel the load? No, because it is dead, replied the youth. The preacher said: That spirit, too, is dead which feels no load of sin. If you do not feel the great burden of your temper as sin, it may be that you are still spiritually dead and do not realize it. Spiros Zodhiates c. Paul certainly felt this as he wrote to the church in Galatia. Galatians 4:15-16 What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? II. STEPS To Allow God s Word Into Your HEART. A. The FIRST STEP In Hearing God s Word. 1. Conversion a. The only people who can truly hear God s Word are born again Christians. 1. Otherwise, you are not getting it at all you are lost. 2. Notice what I Corinthians 2:14 says The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. b. The text ASSUMES that you have already BEEN converted. 1. The NIV translates verse 21 as a command; a. As if there is something that we must yet do. b. We need to rid ourselves. 2. However the Greek reveals something very different. a. FIRST of all, the aorist tense shows us that we have already rid ourselves. 1. The aorist is the Greek past tense. 2. As you have already rid yourselves... b. SECOND, it is not a command, but a participle. 1. As you have rid yourself and are continuing to do so Therefore, James is assuming that these readers ARE ALREADY SAVED! 3. But also, it means that you can t hear God s Word until you have become spiritually alive! 9

10 2. Confession. a. At this point, IN THEIR CHRISTIAN LIFE, they must deal with these areas of sin. 1. The KJV is actually quite humorous here wherefore lay apart all filthiness, superfluity of naughtiness. 2. I like the NIV better: Vs. 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. a. Eradicate the sins. 1. The word get rid of. a. To put aside; lay aside; to put off. b. The construction of the Greek suggests that our sins must be dealt with BEFORE we can hear God s Word at all. 1. If you walk into this service today with unconfessed sins, you have not heard anything today. 2. In fact, if you felt anything today, it may simply be anger. c. As one has said, to get rid of means we are to eliminate every vestige and semblance of evil that corrupts our lives because it reduces our hunger for God s Word. d. It s somewhat like painting a house. 1. Some people paint over peeled paint it s a matter of time before it peels again. 2. Surface preparation in painting is everything. a. sand b. wash c. prime d. then paint 2. James means for us to deal with our sins! b. Identify the sins. 1. Moral filth a. While the meaning of these words are: moral defilement and impurity; the filth that soils our clothing or body. b. Medically, this word refers to wax in one s ears. 1. In other words, moral defilement is practically like putting wax in your ears. 2. You have no chance to hear God at all. 10

11 2. Evil a. This pertains to sin that is deliberate or determined; premeditated sin. b. But this also refers to sins that are not seen externally, but private sins that you are hanging onto. b. Once, we have dealt with our sins, THEN we are able to hear. B. The SECOND STEP In Hearing God s Word. 1. We must develop a sense of humility. Vs. 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. a. Humility defined. 1. There is no English equivalent for this Greek work humility (prautes). a. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, wrote that prautes is moderation in regard to anger. b. You might define prautes as serenity and the power not to be led away by emotions, but to control emotion as right reason dictates. b. Humility applied. 1. One has said, It is the soul in which everything is mixed in the right proportions. 2. The sense here is that this person is: a. teachable b. without resentment and anger when being taught c. not overwhelmed by its own prejudices or opinions d. William Barclay, Prautes describes the perfect conquest and control of everything in a man s nature which would be a hindrance to his seeing, learning and obeying the truth. 2. We must develop a sense of holiness. a. Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. b. We could also say, without holiness, no one will hear the Lord. 11

12 12 Conclusion: 1. Are you listening to God? Or are you: a. So busy that you can t slow down? b. So driven that you don t have time? c. So opinionated that you are not open to being taught? d. So involved in your own personal sin that you don t want to hear? 2. Romans 10:17 says it all. a. I will only have faith when I hear. b. I will only change when I have faith. c. THE EVIDENCE IS IN A CHANGED LIFE. 1. Don t talk to me about how spiritual, how knowledgeable, how holy you are 2. Show me. I read a touching story about a Pastor whose young son had become very ill. After the boy had undergone an exhaustive series of tests, the father was told the shocking news that his son had a terminal illness. The youngster had accepted Christ as his Savior, so the Pastor knew that upon his death he would be with Jesus; but he struggled how to tell his son that he would die. After seeking the direction of the Holy Spirit, he went with a heavy heart to the boy s bedside. He read a passage of Scripture and had a time of prayer with his son. Then he gently told him that the doctors could promise him only a few more days to live. His father asked, Are you afraid to meet Jesus? After blinking away some tears, the young boy bravely said, No, not if He s like you, Dad! Others should know if you have really heard God s Word by seeing God s Word lived out in your life.

13 13 1. Are you a listener or a talker? If you are a talker, how difficult is it to listen to others while they talk? 2. Do you tend to interrupt others when they talk? 3. James is talking about listening to the Word of God. (see 1:18) Do you have a hard time listening to the Word of God? What prevents you from listening to God s Word? 4. Why does James mention anger in verse 19 and how does it refer to listening to the Word of God in our lives? 5. What can you practically do to listen to God s Word better in your personal devotions, as well as corporate worship?