"SPECIAL BLESSING" REAL FAITH - OBEYS PART TWO

Real Faith Obeys Part 2

Something to consider about being “slow to speak”
A wise old owl lived in an oak.
The more he knew, the less he spoke;
The less he spoke, the more he knew;
And the same thing applies to you.

Faith is authenticated by obedience. Obedience implies that you have heard the instructions and that you have carried them out to the finest detail. True faith requires action. If I have truly received the Word of God then it will take root. When it has been received internally, it will eventually work out externally. We must never be hearers only, but also doers of the Word.

Coming to Church to hear the Word of God, and not doing what it says is like:
Going to your favorite restaurant just to read the menu
Getting a prescription filled that you do not intend on taking
Going window shopping (Do you men agree?)

What good is going to the finest of restaurants, and not eating. Or going to the doctor because you are ill, but never take the medicine that he prescribes; or going shopping without the intent of buying something. These things make no sense!

What makes even less sense is when we have the Word of God at our fingertips; in our hands, we read it; we hear it; and we approach it with no intent of doing what it says.

James 1:22 “But be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
Hunt – “Too many Christians mark their Bibles, but their Bibles never mark them.”
Blackaby – “It is not enough to know God’s will, we must obey His will.”

We deceive ourselves if we think that hearing the Word of God is the blessing. (I just love to hear good preaching! Faith visit – I just enjoy the pastor’s speech!)

Paul said, “Faith comes by hearing the Word of God.” Real faith requires a response to what we hear.

Doers of the Word (22)
Their Duty – This is a command to all believers! We are to become doers of the Word.
It is our desire to learn, but it is our duty to apply. It is our desire to be blessed, but it is our duty to be a blessing.

Lehmann Strauss – “Many there are in our churches who read the Bible, respect the Bible, and even reverence the Bible, but do not act upon its teachings.”

It is our duty to be known as those who live according to the Word of God. Whether it be in our homes, in our schools or at our jobs. Our daily song should be the B-I-B-L-E that is the book for me!

Church, it is our duty to do what God has said in His Word! That’s real faith!

The Deception - This is a warning to all believers! We should not be hearers only.
For one who only hears and does not do is deceiving himself.

Matthew 7:21-27 – Notice that the foundations are based upon those who do what God says and those who do not do what God says. The key is obedience to the Word of God:
Obedience to God’s Word builds a rock solid foundation under your life.
Disobedience to the Word of God builds a foundation of shifting sand that goes in and out with the tide of life.

It seems that our ability to stand strong during the storms of life hinges on whether or not we are obedient to the Word of God. Obedience proves real faith and it is the proper foundation.

Which foundation would you rather have? Young people, do you want safety, security and blessing in your lives? Then you better be doers of the Word of God. Adults?

Hearers of the Word (22b-23a)
Hearing His Word – Being a hearer is not the negative aspect of this verse. We all need to hear the Word of God. The negative part, is when we hear, but then do not take action. “Woe unto that man who hears God speak, but does not do what He says.”

Hardening Your Will – The danger of hearing and not doing, is that your heart begins to harden. How long will God speak to those who ignore Him?

Pharaoh hardened his heart, because he would not do what God said. Then the Bible tells us that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.

When we hear God speak, and we do not obey, we harden our hearts against the Word of God. If we continue to ignore Him, there is a danger: For the believer, the danger is discipline. For the unbeliever, the danger is judgment.

James gives an example of what it is like to be a hearer only and not a doer: James 1:23

“Glancers” into the Word (23-24)
He looks into the Word
He looks into the Word for casual observation. He is not approaching the Word of God with the intent to change. He just wants a quick glance, a casual observation.

What is a mirror for? A mirror is designed to give a reflection of those who look into it. Why do we look into mirrors? Because we know that we need a check up from the neck up. We look to see if everything is O.K. But how foolish is it when we look into the mirror, and we see the need for change, but we ignore it.

Suppose David Lewis goes to the mirror to admire himself for a moment and discovers that he needs to shave and comb his hair. Yet he walks away without taking action.

How Karen Brugh? You go to the mirror to behold your beauty and discover that the barn needs a little touch up, yet you ignore what you see and walk away.

O.K. John John: You get up tomorrow morning making preparations for school. You notice that your reflection shows a huge, nasty pimple on the end of your nose. Do you do something about it or do you walk away looking like Rudolf?

The Word of God is the mirror for our lives.
Examination – We look into it, it doesn’t reflect our face, but it does reflect our hearts. It shows us what it wrong, what is right, how to get the wrong right and how to keep it right.

Restoration – We look into the Word when we have sinned and need to be restored. Psalm 119:9 – “Wherewithal shall a man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy Word.”

Transformation – We look into the Word to be molded and changed into the person that God wants for us to be. Romans 12:2 – “And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”
II Cor. 3:18 – When a believer spends time looking into the Word of God, seeing Christ, he is
transformed, the glory on the inside is revealed on the outside. (Also translated transfiguration)

He likes his own ways (24)
He looks into the Word, sees the needed changes, but decides that he likes himself just the way he is and walks away unchanged.

Listen to me “quiet timers”, even if you do your quiet time everyday without fail, but walk away untouched and unchanged, it is like being a glancer, a hearer only.

“Gazers” into the Word (25)
He pays careful attention to the Word
He looks into the Word for careful application.
Ex. The difference between most men and women: A man glances quickly for casual observation (like the “Fonz”), but a woman looks intently for careful application. And she usually does so several times a day!
Weirsbe – “It is the difference between a photo and an X-ray.”

He continues in the Word
He takes time in it carefully observing himself. Hiding nothing, taking off the veil.
“Search me, oh God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked thing in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Ps. 139:23-24

He makes a commitment to the Word
He commits to do what God has revealed from the His Word. He knows what it says and does it. “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” John 13:17 “Him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17 “Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.”

His conclusion in the Word
The conclusion is a blessed work and a blessed life. There is great blessing in doing as long as you are doing the will of God. You cannot do the will of God if you do not know the Word of God, and you will never know the Word of God unless you are in the Word of God and then let the Word of God get in you.
Don’t be hearers only. Be doers of the Word!

Senior Pastor John Sweat, Sr
Crossroads Baptist Church
1595 Baxley Road
Middleburg, Florida