Just Do It…
James 1:21-27
The Declaration of Independence concludes with this pledge: "For the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor."
Fifty-six men signed the document. They came from all walks of life. Twenty-three were lawyers, twelve were merchants, twelve were farmers, four were physicians, two were manufactures, one was a politician, one a printer, and another a minister.
Almost a third of the signers were under forty years of age; eighteen were in their thirties and three in their twenties. Only seven were over sixty. The youngest, Edward Rutledge of South Carolina, was twenty-six and a half, and the oldest, Benjamin Franklin, was seventy.
These men were men of action. I believe they were the first to come up with the Nike slogan—JUST DO IT.
The book of James is a practical book that calls on Christians to JUST DO IT. Our Scripture text reminds all Christians to quit playing games with God and really do what the Bible says.
However, we live in a day where few people really want to do what the Bible says. They seem to think that sin is not so serious and we all have a right to do whatever we feel like doing.
I believe the signers of the Declaration of Independence would disagree with that. The signers were religious men, all being Protestant except Charles Carroll, who was Roman Catholic. That is why they could say, “with a firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor.”
As we celebrate this week our 4th of July, I wonder if we as a church family would rely on Divine protection and pledge our lives to God. See God is not asking us to live for Him, He is asking us to die to self.
My challenge to all of us today is to JUST DO IT. Give ourselves completely to God. Let the Lord Jesus be LORD. James outlines 3 ways we can JUST DO IT by obeying God’s Word.
**v.21**
I. Receive The Word (v.21) Rick Warren said, “We only believe the parts of the Bible we obey.” The Word of God is to totally saturate our lives. We are to be people of the Book. We have to receive God’s Word as the authority that governs our actions and attitudes. It becomes the way we live, the way we speak and the way we walk. Notice two truths about receiving the Word:
A. It Changes our Actions—“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness.” The term “lay aside” means to reject or cast off. It is what the writer of Hebrews said in Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” (NKJ)
Reject the sin that so easily ensnares us. Sin has to be rejected, in order to run the race God has set before us. If we are to be champions for God we must reject sin.
The Bible not only says to reject sin it also says to cast it off. The Bible says in
Romans 13:12-14, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." (NKJ)
If we have really received the word of God we will change our actions by casting the sin out of our lives.
B. It Changes our Attitudes—“and receive with meekness the implanted word.” The word meekness is a foreign word in the life of the believer today. We have bought into the lie that meekness is weakness. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The word means mildness by implication humility. The word picture is a taming a wild horse, power under control. Since Spiritual Maturity is being just like Jesus we must look at what Jesus said about meekness. Jesus said, in Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” (KJV)
Jesus said in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (KJV)
Many people unfortunately look at Jesus like He was this gentle, mild mannered clumsy Clark Kent. Listen brother Jesus wasn’t superman He was God man. He calmed the storm. He changed water into wine, fed the multitudes with scraps. Cast out demons, changed funerals into praise meetings. He could have come off the cross, but He didn’t. He chose to be meek so that you and I could become powerful.
But sometimes we need attitude adjustments. We have things we don’t like. I try every time I go through a drive through to be a good witness. For some reason I get two types of ladies at a drive through. The confused lady. She has this look on her face that I am her first customer. I like my coffee with cream and sugar. Blonde and sweet just like my wife.
The confused lady looks at the computer screen and says, “What did you order?” Coffee and egg Mcmuffin, breakfast of champions. She hands me the coffee, I have to ask for cream and sugar hands me sugar, no cream. Then I have to ask again for cream.
Or I get the other lady that likes to use pet names. Brenda and I don’t call each other honey or sweetie. Maybe it’s been all those blonde jokes. The other day I was tired, This lady says, “Here’s your coffee, honey.”
Then she said, “Do you want some sugar sweetie?” No thanks I’m good, my wife takes care of that.
There are going to be people and times when we have to have meekness power under control of the Holy Spirit. God’s Word should change our actions and attitudes if we truly have Received the Word.
II. Practice the Word (v.22-25) pastor, teacher and author John Phillips writes this, “There has to be willing cooperation on our part, obedience to the Word, if the Word is to actively transform us. As practical as ever, James pours scorn on merely listening to the word of God. We must do what it says.
James contrasts two types of Christians:
A. The Forgetful Hearer (v.23-24) It always amazes me that people can sit in church week after week, hearing the Word of God and continuing in their sinful lifestyle. They know they are not saved and never receive to be saved or practice it after they are saved.
They fail to come face to face with where they stand with God. We need to let the Word of God become the mirror that displays our lives.
We have seen many in our churches rededicate their lives, join the church and never follow through with their commitments. We all know this to be true.
But it is more than that. A person can be here every week, serving in the church and be disobeying God by not obeying His Word. James says—here’s the mirror. Don’t be a forgetful hearer.
**v.25**
B. The Faithful Doer (v.22, 25) In v.22 we see that a hearer one who does not live out the Bible is walking in deception. The enemy has them lying to themselves. They look in the mirror and don’t even know who they are in Christ.
Verse 25 tells us that the bible brings freedom and victory and if we continue walking in it’s truth we will be blessed in what we do. I was speaking to the young people about the difference between a relationship with Jesus Christ and walking in fellowship with Christ. When a Christian receives the Word of God an becomes a child of God they can never lose that relationship. My children will always be my children. However, we can break the fellowship with God by disobedience.
Broken fellowship, means missed blessings. V. 25 reminds us of Psalm 1:1-3 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” (NKJ) Anyone who practices the Word by obeying it will be blessed in whatever they do. Don’t take my word for it. Take God’s Word for it. Practice the Word.
III. Share the Word (v.26-27) In these last two verses of our text we see the contrast between spreading poison and sharing the Word. We see what is killing churches and what is growing churches. We see the difference between one who professes to be saved and one who really is saved. Notice the contrast:
A. Phony Religion (v.26) Look at v.26 the Bible says an out of control tongue is makes one’s religion absolutely worthless.
The Bible pulls no punches with the tongue. In his book Why churches Die, Mac Brunson, now FBC Jax pastor, says this: “When gossip enters the church, it can have far more devastating effects than crimes against the body or possessions. In the eyes of God gossip is as bad as murder. Examine Leviticus 19:16, “Do not go about spreading slander among your people. "'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life.” (NIV)
Many people today will say we’re not gossiping we’re just sharing. Again listen to Dr. Brunson: “Solomon’s teaching about gossip further illustrates the effects of just sharing. ‘Six things the LORD hates; in fact, seven are detestable to Him: arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil, a lying witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up troble among brothers.’” Of the six things that God hates three of them have to do with the tongue.
B. Pure Religion (v.27) Here we see what real Christianity is all about, others. We put the needs of others ahead of what we think our opinions and our plans. And pure religion is to not be defiled by the world. Here we go full circle to v.21. Filthiness in v.21 means dirt, filth and impurity. Folks God wants purity in the body of Christ.
Conclusion: I must confess that one of the signers of the declaration of Independence intrigues me. His name was Caesar Rodney. Suffering facial cancer, he left his sickbed at midnight and rode all night by horseback through a severe storm. He arrived just in time to cast the deciding vote for his delegation in favor of independence. His doctors told him he needed treatment obtainable only in Europe. He refused to go in this time of his country’s crisis. The decision cost him his life. That’s the Christian life. My Jesus needs me and I am ready to sign on the dotted line if it cost me everything. I’m going to live what I say I believe.
Have you:
1) Received the Word? It will be evidenced in a change of actions. Your life will say to all I reject sin. I’m laying down the sin that is strangling out Christ. It will also change our attitudes. Meekness isn’t weakness and humility really is power.
2) Do you Practice the Word? Are you a forgetful hearer or a faithful doer? Is God’s Word the mirror for your life? Are you living the Word by doing what it says?
3) Are you Sharing the Word? Do you have a phony religion? A tongue that is killing people and infecting others. Or do you have a Pure religion? A heart for God and for others that says—He’s my Lord and if I have to lay it all on the line today—I’m signing up.
PRAY
