Welcome to Day 2122 of  Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

James – Wisdom is Faith in Action 4 – Listening and Doing – Daily Wisdom

Putnam Church Message – 09/26/2021

James: Wisdom Is Faith in Action – Listening and Doing

We are continuing our series today on the Proverbs of the New Testament, better known as the book of James. Last week we discovered why we should not be misled by sin because we are God’s Prized Possessions. Today our focus is on Listening and Doing. 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, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.  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. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror  and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  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. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.  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. A debilitating disease is crippling the body of Christ—a syndrome so common that it seems to affect every believer with either a mild or an acute case. This insidious condition neutralizes the church’s impact and nullifies its testimony. It can diminish effectiveness and paralyze production. The problem? A divorce between confession and deed, theology and action, listening and doing. As a result, God’s Word fails to make it from the head to the heart for too many Christians. God’s Word gets lodged between the heart and the hands for many more. In developing his overarching lesson that real faith produces genuine works, James has already dealt with the Christian’s perseverance through trials, which proves our faith (1:1-12), and the believer’s victory over temptation, demonstrating our character (1:13-18). As our theme for this series states, wisdom is faith in action. In this final section of chapter 1, James zooms in on the believer’s appropriate response to God’s Word. The break in the relationship between belief and behavior may be pandemic among Christians, but James reminds us that the two estranged partners of the Christian walk can be reconciled. 1:19-20 James begins with a reminder: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this.” Unquestionably, he’s writing to believers, brothers, and sisters in Christ. And he begins by acknowledging that they should already know what he’s about to say. In the NLT, James says, “Understand this. Yes, I know you know what I’m about to cover, but you need to hear it again. I feel the need to review it, to revisit some basics.” In that sense, the phrase “Understand this” serves as a mild command: “Remember!”  This passage for today, it’s also a rebuke: “You’ve forgotten!” What is the content of this knowledge? Three essential things fertilize the heart’s soil in preparation for receiving the planting of God’s word in our hearts (21). First, James urges us “quick to listen” (19). The command means more than merely listening intently. James wants us to receive the words that are spoken genuinely. Let me give you an illustration. You probably know from experience that there are two ways of reading a book. The first kind of “reading”—if it can even be called that—is the assigned reading in school or college. The eyes scan the pages of words, and sentences pass across the retina, but the ideas don’t make it into the brain! That kind of reading aims to place a check box in the reading report. But another type of reading—authentic reading— includes highlighting or underlining essential points, taking notes, rereading, and even incorporating the ideas in discussions or writings. It should be obvious which student actually read the book. The same is valid for listening. Even in our conversations, a good listener will listen to understand, not to be forming a rebuttal. Jesus Himself complained about hypocrites in His day in Matthew 13:14. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. And He followed this sentiment with an interpretation of His parable of the sower in Matthew 13:20-21. “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.” Jesus’ teaching forms the background of James’s letter. Having just discussed the need to endure the trials of life and overcome temptations to sin (1-18), he warns that failure to receive the Word of God with a ready heart can lead to disaster (19-27). To receive the Word effectively also includes being “slow to speak” (19), putting a damper on the tongue. That’s the other side to listening well. Keeping our mouths shut makes room for thinking, pondering, meditating, and considering—all the elements necessary for authentic listening (and learning). On the heels of “slow to speak,” James attaches the phrase “slow to become angry.” In the Greek text, James omits conjunctions like “and” between these admonitions. They are so closely related to the precondition for receiving the planting of the Word that James conceives of them as being connected like links in a chain. (Chain Links) How does being “slow to become angry” relate to receiving words from another person without the need to respond or retaliate? It partly connects to the function of God’s Word in the lives of believers. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” When the Word hits close to home, as sinners, we respond with defensiveness, indignation— even anger. We don’t want our crookedness to be held up to a perfect standard, but that happens when we let God’s Word expose our innermost thoughts and actions. Instead of allowing the typical response of anger, James calls us to respond in peace. “Because human anger does not produce the righteousness (right living) that God desires” (20). Anger rejects rebuke; peace accepts it. Anger dismisses correction; peace embraces it. 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.” After preparing to receive the truth by opening the ears of the heart, zipping the lips, and suppressing the urge to strike back (19-20), we are ready to properly receive the truth (21). Nestled in the center of this short verse is a simple command that ties the whole section together: accept. The word usually means more than to passively “accept or acknowledge.” It often includes fully embracing and making the thing part of oneself. The word is used of people in John 4:45, who welcomed Jesus gladly for all they saw Him doing. More appropriate for the usage in James, the Bereans in Acts 17:11, “And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.” Similarly, the Thessalonian believers in 1 Thessalonians 1:6, “received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you.” So Paul goes on to write in 1 Thessalonians 2:13, “You accepted what we said as the very word of God.” These passages illustrate the eagerness, the earnest reception James has in mind in verse 21. Because an angry response to the Word does not produce God’s righteousness, we must therefore receive the Word a certain way. James describes the conditions that must accompany this reception in verse 21, “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.” Moral filth in life plugs our hearing. Wickedness slows our response time. Pride keeps us from exposing our true selves to the light of the Word. But humility means submitting to whatever the Word tells us, ready to put off the thoughts and deeds of the old lifestyle in favor of the attitudes and actions of the new. 1:22-25 James’s logical progression is elegant and straightforward, preparing for, receiving, and responding to the truth. First, the soil of our souls should be cultivated (19-20). Second, the seeds of truth must be planted (21). And third, the smothering weeds of anger, filth, and wickedness must be uprooted (19-21). The soil is ready, and the seeds are planted, but having gotten this far in the process, God’s Word still hasn’t borne fruit in our lives. To allow the seeds to sprout, grow and bear fruit requires a proper response (22-27). James begins with a command: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (1:22). If one phrase in James’s letter could be called a key phrase, this is it. That phrase sums up the whole theme of the book: wisdom is faith in action. Those who hear without doing may be guilty of “fake faith,” but those who hear and do demonstrate their authenticity. Note that James doesn’t simply tell his readers to “Do what it says.” He pairs it with the other side of the coin—not merely “listeners.” Listening, hearing, and receiving the word is a necessary first step. The word must be understood and lodged in our hearts. That’s the key. But James contrasts the one who listens and acts with the one who listens. In contrast, James says the Christian life is one of listening and doing. Therefore, if you merely listen to the Word without acting on it, you “deceive yourself” (22).   James follows this appeal by telling us to “Do what it says.” James describes two different kinds of Christians. The first is the “forgetful hearer” (23-24). James uses the illustration of a person who glances in the mirror, sees what they look like (which apparently isn’t attractive), then shrugs, walks away, and does nothing about it. Similarly, God’s spiritual mirror shows you what kind of person you are. James pictures a man who glances at the Scriptures, look at words on the page, then closes it and goes his way, forgetting what God said about his condition. (Mirror – ear wax) An analogy is looking into God’s Word, which says to be kind, and I turn around and treat someone like dirt. The second kind of Christian is the “effective doer” of the Word (25). What characterizes this person? They carefully consider the Scriptures, which James calls “perfect law that gives freedom.” This person looks intently, thinks deeply, obeys willingly, and responds positively, abiding by its principles. Instead of listening and forgetting, they listen and do. This person will be blessed in what they do. Remember to be blessed is to be made genuinely happy in his pursuit of doing what is right. We need to have well-grounded faith, which results in well-rounded living. 1:26-27 James next describes “those who consider themselves religious.” The Greek word for “religion,” which occurs twice in these two verses, refers not to one’s personal convictions or principles but to worshiping a well-defined religious community or organization.  James is therefore referring to Christianity as a distinct body of believers. This is important because James says that persons who “do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless” (26). How many times have we seen this true? Unfortunately, when unbelievers witness the hypocrisy of Christians, it all too often makes all of Christianity look bad, not just the person claiming the name. In his typical way, James provides a positive example to contrast his negative. Those who live lives consistent with their religion give attention to the needs of others. 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. These are clear examples of genuine faith, demonstrating the uniqueness and truthfulness of the Christian message (27). James is pointing out we are to assist the most vulnerable groups of people of his day. James thus concludes the first significant section of his letter by hinting at some practical themes he’ll return to in our messages over the next few weeks. The two major topics are: putting genuine faith into practice (2:1-26) and controlling the tongue (3:1-12). Let’s remind ourselves of the foundation James has laid in this first chapter. In chapter 1, he argued that godly wisdom produces genuine stability when faith is tested. James gave these examples in our first three messages to demonstrate this point. First, he argued that the ordinary trials of life don’t crush genuine faith—they produce endurance (1-12). Second, he urged his readers to overcome temptations to sin by relying on God-given strength (13-18). Finally, he explained that genuine faith results in submission to God’s Word without hypocrisy (19-27).  Application: James 1:19-27 The application today reconciling the Great Divorce within God’s church. Domestic divorce between husbands and wives has become an epidemic in the church. Still, spiritual divorce—a breach between the truth we hear from God’s word and the lifestyles we live in the world— has become a pandemic, and we are all now familiar with pandemic. Divorce was the theme of most Old Testament prophets when confronting the Nation of Israel, God’s chosen people. Yet, all too often today, we open the word and say, “My, what a great practical principle!” Or we hear a sermon and think, “What a fantastic, inspiring message!” But, as we close our Bibles or walk through the doors, we divorce the word from our everyday lives. What are some examples of pure and faultless Christianity in which listening and doing are reconciled? James gives three of them in verses 26-27. First, don’t divorce the truth and your speech. Our hearts are deceived when we speak contrary to what we read in Scripture or hear in Sunday worship. Do our conversations with others match our time of reflection in God’s Word? Does our Monday through Saturday speaking conform to the Sunday teaching? When there’s no divorce between His Word and our words, that’s authentic Christianity. Second, don’t divorce the truth and the needs of others. Are we moved by the needs of others, leading to actions that meet those needs? That’s not the “social gospel.” That’s pure and faultless Christianity! That’s the true faith that touches people’s lives. The truth should manifest itself not only in words but also in deeds. When our works benefit those around us in tangible, observable ways, that’s pure and faultless Christianity. We at Putnam are helping to an extent in this manner. This past Wednesday, the Gospel Mission Food Pantry was able to assist 288 people and 22 bibles were given to individuals. Other examples are the shoeboxes through Operation Christmas Child, other relief efforts through Samaritans Purse, and support for our missionaries. Let us keep moving forward as we are told in Galatians 6:9, “So, let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time, we will reap a harvest of blessings if we don’t give up.” Finally, don’t divorce the truth and your upright lifestyle. The gray waters of compromise and smog of immorality are increasingly polluting our world. Instead of letting the lies of secularism dirty our testimonies, we must let the truth of God’s Word wash us clean, making us stand out in the world around us. The contrast should be obvious. As we learned from the messages in the Sermon on the Mount, we are in an upside-down culture today. When our upright lifestyles contrast sharply with the crooked norms of our surrounding culture, and we turn the world right-side-up, that’s pure and faultless Christianity. Listening and doing must be tightly partnered and reconciled like peanut butter and jelly or macaroni and cheese. Once they are bound, they cannot be separated. Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal. As we take this trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you next time for more wisdom from God’s Word!