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The Great Separation

James: Hands-On Christianity…. The Great Separation. James 1:19-27. INTRODUCTION. SEPARATION. The kind that occurs in a Christian between “ hearing the Word ” and “ living the Word . ”. lamented …. A.W. Tozer. “There is an evil which I have seen under the sun. .… It is

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The Great Separation

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  1. James: Hands-On Christianity…. The Great Separation James 1:19-27

  2. INTRODUCTION SEPARATION The kind that occurs in a Christian between “hearing the Word” and “living the Word.”

  3. lamented …. 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. ….

  4. … 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. …

  5. … 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 has been examining two distinct and contrary religions.

  6. … It appears that too many Christians want to enjoy the thrill of feeling right but are not willing to endure the inconvenience of being right. So the divorce between theory and practice becomes permanent. …

  7. … 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 come due.”

  8. The basic theme behind his letter … the importance of behaving as we believe. James 1:19-27 4 Brief observations about the TRUTH.

  9. i) It is an imperative truth James 1:19…. “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this...,” A command: "Know this!"

  10. ii) It is a family truth James 1:19a…. “My dear brothers and sisters...” Each one of us as a member of God's family.

  11. iii) It is a personal truth James 1:19b…. “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” The TRUTH is addressed to each believer in the Christian family.

  12. iv) It is a logical truth James carries his thoughts through a logical progression that involves…

  13. 1. Preparing ourselves for the truth. 2. Actually taking in the truth. 3. Responding correctly to that truth in our daily lives.

  14. MAIN POINTS 1. Preparing Ourselves For The Truth

  15. PreparationIS necessary for receiving the truth. Without preparation, we simply whitewash our lives with knowledge that will quickly peel, revealing an unchanged character underneath. 

  16. Beginning in James 1:19, he sets forth 4 requisites for PREPARING ourselves to RECEIVE GOD'S TRUTH.

  17. A. An Open Ear James 1:19a…. “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen ...” [TNIV]

  18. One reason our lives are often separated from the TRUTH is because we don’t really HEAR what God says. We are hard of… "LISTENING."

  19. The Pharisees were known for their meticulous knowledge of the law. BUT they didn't.... really LISTEN to what they hear. ALLOW God’s truth to speak to them personally.

  20. B. A Controlled Tongue James 1:19c…. “Everyone should be…. slow to speak ….” [TNIV]

  21. No one can SPEAK and LEARN at the same time! Before we can LISTEN, we must first learn to control our tongues.

  22. C. A Calm Spirit James 1:19d…. “Everyone should be …. slow to become angry ….” [TNIV]

  23. Why? James 1:20…. “Because our anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” [TNIV]

  24. We can be so preoccupied with spiteful thinking that we have no room for thoughts of God, nor energy for godly deeds. “Anger” demands our full attention.

  25. “Being slow to anger” means “keeping ‘anger’ in check, dealing with anger before it deals with us,”and being patient with others.

  26. D. A Clean Heart James 1:21a…. “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil...” [TNIV]

  27. First, there must be theremoval of“filthiness.” William Barclay explains that the word “filthiness” is a vivid term derived from the Greek word “rupos.”

  28. William Barclay…. “Whenruposis used in a medical sense, it means wax in the ear. It is just possible that it still retains that meaning here; and that James is telling his readers to get rid of everything which would stop their ears….

  29. …. to the true word of God. When wax gathers in the ear, it can make a man deaf; and a man’s sins can make him deaf to God.”

  30. Second, we are to put aside“the evil that is so prevalent.” The Greek term for “wickedness” refers to hidden sins, motives, and attitudes that cause the corrupt outer behavior that others see.

  31. 2. Taking In The Truth

  32. 2 important insights into the process of actually RECEIVING the truth. James 1:21b…. “... humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” [TNIV]

  33. One essential ingredient for receiving the truth is having the RIGHT ATTITUDE.

  34. James wants our attitude to reflect “humility,” which means “with gentleness, openness; having a teachable spirit.”

  35. There must also be an action – we must receive, meaning we need to welcome it.

  36. A. Responding To The Truth Many Christians live in separation from the truth because they confuse AGREEING with Scripture with OBEYING it.

  37. James urges us to go beyond preparing and receiving; we must also ACT ON what we have heard.

  38. B. The Command James 1:22…. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” [TNIV]

  39. James did not say “just” BE DOERS!

  40. The Greek term for “hearers”is an interesting one. It refers to someone who listens carefully and takes note,BUT has no assignments, tests, or responsibilities.

  41. Sincere believers will prove their authenticity by applying what they hear!

  42. C. The Illustration James describes 2 different types of people: The HEARER The DOER

  43. James 1:23-25…. “23 Those who listen to the word but do not do what it says are like people who look at their faces in a mirror 24 and, after looking at themselves, go away and immediately forget what they look like. ….

  44. James 1:23-25…. …. 25 But those who look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continue in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.” [TNIV] 

  45. GOD'S WORD is compared to a “mirror.” Unlike a physical mirror which only reflects outward appearance, theScripture REVEALS our inner character.

  46. The HEARER.... promptly forgets. The DOER.... gives careful attention to the Scriptures, responds positively, applies what he hears, and is genuinely fulfilled.

  47. D. The Application The doer OBEYS what the Scriptures reveal and, in turn becomes a mirror reflecting REAL CHRISTIANITY!

  48. How can we know when someone is a real doer? James provides 3 indicators....

  49. i) There is no separation between the & the TRUTH TONGUE. James 1:26…. “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”[TNIV]

  50. ii) There is no separation between the & the TRUTH NEEDS OF OTHERS. James 1:27a…. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress….”[TNIV]

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