EXTREME MAKEOVER: BIG EARS
James 1:19-27
March 28, 2004
Series Introduction:
Our culture today is really into makeovers. There are all kinds of reality makeover
programs on television today. Most deal with getting a new haircut, a new hair color, help
with makeup and a new wardrobe. But a new show that aired in prime time on a major
network was perhaps the pinnacle of all these makeover shows. It was called Extreme
Makeover. This show went beyond all of the others. It went beyond hair and makeup and
clothes to include things like plastic surgery, nose jobs and tummy tucks.
When it comes to having makeovers our culture is obsessed about the wrong
things. We are more worried about the size of our thighs, than the size of our lies. In a
world of mixed up makeovers I though it might be interesting to spend some time thinking
about what kind of makeover Jesus would give us. So for the next few weeks we are
going to look at some selected passages from the book of James. As we do so, allow
Jesus to give your life an Extreme Makeover. It won’t hurt a bit. Just a little Nip Tuck.
Sermon Introduction:
We are going to begin our Extreme Makeover by dealing with a part of our bodies
that many people are very subconscious about - their ears. We don’t want our ears to be
too small, too large or too pointy. Nor do we want our ears to be uneven. Did you know
that models have to have ears that a perfectly even with one another? When it comes to
ears we are very picky.
So if Jesus could do an Extreme Makeover on your ears, what would he do?
James shows us that he would give us big ears. What! Big ears! Who wants big ears!
Our culture makes fun of people who have Dumbo ears. But just like in the story book
those big ears prove to be a blessing.
At the age of 33, Erik Weihenmayer is a phenomenal athlete who loves to skydive,
snow ski and climb mountains. Mountain climbing is his specialty. As a matter of fact, he
is on track to be one of the youngest to climb all of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks
on each of the continents. In 1995 he scaled Mt. McKinley, in 1996 El Capitan, in 1998
Mt Kilamanjaro. In 1999 he climbed Argentina’s Aconcauga. On May 25, 2001 he
reached the summit of Mount Everest, a peak that 90% of those who begin to climb never
finish. Since 1953, 165 people have died trying to climb Everest, but Erik made it. Now
that is an extremely significant feat, but you don’t know the half of it. Weihenmayer
suffers from a degenerative eye disease, and when he was 13 he became totally blind. All
of his climbs have been without the benefit of his eyesight. Weihenmayer is a blind
mountain-climber!
Now you have to ask yourself, “How is that possible? How can a guy who can’t
see climb the highest peaks in the world?” If you ask him, he’ll tell you. He has learned to
listen well.
- He listens as a bell tied to the back of the climber in front of him shows him which way
to go.
- He listens to his climbing partners who shout back to him, "Death fall two feet to your
right!" so he knows what direction not to go.
- He listens to the sound of his pick jabbing the ice, so he knows whether his footing will
be secure or not.
For Erik Weihenmayer, being a good listener is a matter of life and death.
(sermoncentral/Tim Bond)
We need to be listening for the Word of God like Erik Weihenmayer listens for
those bells, the warnings from his fellow climbers, and the sound of that pick in the ice.
We need to be listening as if our life depends on it, because it does!
Because listening to God and his Word is so important, Jesus wants to give us big
ears to that we can listen and hear him better as he shouts instructions to us to guide us
through life so that we can avoid the death falls.
I. Become A Hearer Of The Word. (vv. 19-21)
We need big ears to be hearers of the word. James tells us that there are four
things that we need to do to insure that this makeover is a success. James tells us how to
H.E.A.R.
19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak
and slow to become angry, 20for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that
God desires. 21Therefore, 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. Hear quickly.
Since we are talking about making over our ears maybe it would be helpful to note
that God gave us two ears and only one mouth. Therefore, some have suggested that we
should spend twice as much time listening as we do talking. That is probably good advice,
but do we actually do that? Statistics say no. According to George Barna, a Christian
pollster, in a given week about 37% of Americans will read their Bible, but 85% will pray.
(barna.org) It sounds like we have a lot to say to God, but we are not taking the time to
listen to him speak to us through His Word. You do understand that if both parties are
not communicating then a conversation has not taken place, don’t you? Are you carrying
on a conversation with God or just a running dialogue?
Being quick to listen is important in our relationship with God, but it is also
important in our relationships with others. People in our culture desperately desire to
have someone listen to them. In fact many people are so desperate that they will pay $100
or more per hour just so a therapist will listen to them talk. The people in your life need
to be heard. Do you have big ears to hear? Have you ever stopped to think that it would
be a great ministry just to listen to people? Whether it is God or other people we need to
develop the skill of hearing quickly because we cannot hear unless we are listening.
B. Exhibit slowness of speech.
Here is another characteristic that God values and we devalue. We look down on
people who are slow of speech as being uneducated or having a low IQ. Instead we put a
premium on snappy comebacks. However, when it comes to really hearing we must not
be quick to answer. James is here talking about listening with a desire to understand. If
you want to understand what God is trying to communicate you must take the time to
hear him out.
I remember watching the show Family Feud when I was a kid. At the beginning of
each round a member of each family would face off. A question would be read by the host
and whoever hit the buzzer first got the first chance to answer. Every so often someone in
their eagerness to answer would reach out and hit the buzzer before the host had finished
reading the question. Then they would stand there with a sick look on their face realizing
that they now had to provide an answer when they didn’t know the question. So they
would throw out a wild guess, but I never saw anyone get the right answer without first
knowing the question.
That is what happens when we are quick to speak rather than hearing God and
others out. We find ourselves stepping out in faith to make commitments that God has
not asked us to make. We find ourselves offering our friends solutions when we don’t
even understand their problems yet. You can’t hear if you are always interrupting with
your thoughts and ideas.
C. Anger slowly.
The Greek word that is here translated as “angry” speaks of a vengeful retribution
in which self-control is lost or surrendered. It means that we give in to our anger and rage
in such a way that our anger now controls us rather us controlling our anger. What is the
difference? Jesus experienced a righteous indignation when he drove the money changers
out of the temple. He was angry, but he was in control of his anger and he channeled it
toward a righteous purpose - cleansing the temple - rather than towards sin. Too often we
allow our anger to direct us in unholy directions. When so called Christians murder
abortion doctors in the name of Jesus that is not righteous indignation. When Christians
march in the streets with placards (as I saw on 20/20 several years ago) shouting, “God
hates fags” that is not righteous indignation. That is anger run amok. That is vengeful
retribution and it is sin.
This is a tremendous problem in our world today. One anger management firm
stated that “one out of every five Americans has an anger management problem.”
§ According to FBI statistics, there were 23,305 homicides in 1994 and the most common
reason was arguments occurring in the home (28%). Gang related killings accounted for
only 7.6%.
§ Anger related violence is the reason stated for 22% of divorces of middle-class
marriages.
§ Studies show that 79% of violent children witnessed some form of violence between
their parents.
§ From 1995 to 2001 there were 1655 incidents of “air rage,” directing anger toward
airline employees - according to FAA records.
§ The phrase "road rage" officially entered the English language in 1997 when it was first
listed in the New Words edition of the OED (Oxford English Dictionary). Why do we
need a new word?
In Atlanta, Georgia a two-year old toddler was shot through the neck by an irate motorist
engaged in an argument over a road incident with the toddler’s father (The Atlanta Journal
& Constitution, 30 June 2000).
In Denver, Colorado a 51 year-old man used a .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol to
kill a 32 year-old bicyclist who cut him off on the road (The Denver Post, 21 June 2000).
Near Cincinnati, Ohio a 29 year-old woman cut in front of a 24 year-old pregnant woman
and slammed on her brakes in an irate gesture following her anger about the latter’s
driving. The mother-to-be lost control of her car in a violent accident in which her unborn
child was killed (Newsweek, 02 June 1997).
In Florida, a 41 year-old man who pulled into an exact change lane at a toll booth was
shot and killed as he exited his truck to confront an irate driver behind him who was
annoyed at the 41 year-old’s delay in paying the toll (Car and Driver, September 1998).
A famous philosopher once said, “Envy leads to jealousy, jealously leads to hate,
hate leads to anger, anger leads to the dark side.” The philosopher was Yoda from Star
Wars, but it is no less true. Anger leads to the dark side. Or, as the scripture passage
says, “man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” Ultimately
that is the problem. Anger cannot produce righteousness. Wrath cannot produce
holiness. Vengeful retribution cannot bring about the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore ...
D. Rid yourself of all moral filth.
We have seen that anger leads to sin, therefore we must put off all moral filth. We
must “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us
run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1) In the ancient Greek
games (the precursor to our Olympics) the participants would lay aside their bulky robes,
which were difficult to run in, before the race so that they wouldn’t be slowed down. In
the same way James and the author of Hebrews are admonishing us to lay aside or rid
ourselves of any sin that is going to hold us back from being all that we can be for God.
This is so important because sin hinders our hearing. Several months ago I woke
up one morning and found that I couldn’t hear very well. I went into the living room and
turned on the TV, but I couldn’t hear it very well so I turned up the volume enough so I
could hear it. My wife came running into the room with her hands over her ears shouting,
“What are you doing? Why do you have the TV so loud?” It turned out that I had turned
the TV up full volume and it just sounded right to me. Well it turned out that I had ear
wax build up. I had to go to the doctor and have my ears cleaned out so that I could hear
normally again. Sin operates in our lives much like that ear wax. You could think of sin
as spiritual ear plugs that prevent you from hearing God. It has been said of the Bible that
“This book will keep you from sin. Or, sin will keep you from this book.” Which is the
case in your life? Is sin keeping you from hearing the word of God?
How do you rid yourself of all moral filth? Someone told of a church that believed
in sinless perfection once you trusted Jesus Christ into your life and were baptized. A
visitor to that church heard this teaching and asked to be baptized. He was tired of dealing
with his habitual sin without any success. Unfortunately, it was in the middle of winter and
the river was near frozen.
The man with much persistence got the Elders to baptize him in the river. After the
man and two Elders came out of the freezing cold water, the man was so excited, he said,
"I feel so good, I’m not even cold." One Elder turned to the other and said, "He’s lying,
we have to do it again."
Contributed by: Dana Chau
If that won’t free you from all moral filth, what will? The text tells us that we
must “humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” We have to receive
it humbly because we cannot do this on our own. Nothing bugs us independent
Americans more than having to admit that we can’t do something and that we need help.
But if we can humble ourselves and admit that we need God’s help we are well on our
way.
Peter Sinclair said, “Your input will determine your output, so guard what you put
in and you won’t be put out.” (SermonCentral Pro) The word planted in or put in us by
God can save us from all moral filth. And what is that word. That Jesus can save us
completely. “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through
him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:25) How do we come
to God in order to be saved completely. We must come to Him in faith. “I am sending
you to them ... so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who
are sanctified by faith in me [Jesus].” (Acts 26:17-18) We must come to Him
confessing our need. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us
our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness [from all moral filth].” (1 John 1:9)
When you input the word of God, you output a life of holiness.
All of these are necessary to become a hearer of the Word. You can’t hear if you
aren’t listening so be quick to listen. You can’t hear if you do all of the talking so limit
your speaking. You can’t hear if your judgment is clouded with anger so calm down and
chill out. You can’t hear if sin is separating you from God, so get rid of all moral filth.
Have you done that? Shh. Now you can H.E.A.R.!
II. Become A Doer Of The Word (vv. 22-25)
If we are going to be doers of the Word, we must have big ears for we cannot carry out
the commands of God if we have not first heard what he commanded. You can’t be a
doer without first being a hearer. We have seen that James teaches us how to H.E.A.R.
and now he turns his attention to teaching us how to be a D.O.E.R. of the word. It is not
enough just to hear God’s word. We don’t get into heaven because we now what God’s
word says and could pass a theology test. Is it so shocking to think that God actually
wants us to do what he says.
Remember back to your childhood for a moment. For some of you that’s a long
way back I know. Think of I time when your parents told you to do something. Maybe it
was to take out the trash or to clean your room or whatever. How would your parents
respond if you took careful notes on the instructions they gave you even going so far as to
commit their directions to memory, but then you went off and didn’t do as you were told?
Why do you think God would be anymore pleased?
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at
his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets
what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives
freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will
be blessed in what he does.
Are you a doer of the word or a deceiver of yourself? If you want to become a
doer of the word then James gives you four practical steps to take.
A. Dive into Gods’ Word...
James says that we must “look intently into the perfect law.” The Greek behind
the words “look intently” indicates penetrating absorption. As we dive into God’s word
we allow it to soak into our lives - to permeate our lives.
This same Greek phrase is used in John 20:5. The disciples had been told that
Jesus had risen from the dead and Peter and John ran to the tomb to see for themselves.
John outran Peter and got there first. “He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen
lying there but did not go in.” The word picture is of us bending over the scriptures and
looking intently into it message. What are you waiting for? Dive in!
Many years ago, Queen Elizabeth, who was beautiful in her youth, in the later
years of her reign ordered that all of the mirrors be removed from Buckingham Palace,
because she couldn’t stand to face that she was growing old.
A lot of people don’t dive into the Bible because they’re afraid. They’re unwilling to face
themselves and see themselves as they really are. They don’t want to look at the mirror of
God’s word. (SermonCentral/Jim Mooney) Don’t be afraid. If you don’t like what you
see thats ok because Jesus is giving you an Extreme Makeover. Dive in!
B. ...Over and over again ...
James says that we need to continue to do this. The plunge into God’s word is not
intended to be just a one time event. Nor should it be reserved just for church or Sunday
School classes. This is to be a habitual part of our lives. We need to find a way to
incorporate the study of God’s word into our daily routine.
When Phil Harris spoke at our church several weeks ago he talked about the
woman at the well. I remember him saying that as he studied that passage of scripture
over the years he continued to glean new and fresh insights from it. The more he studied
it the more he learned. What would have happened if he had studied that passage once
years ago and then concluded that since he learned all there was to know about it he didn’t
need to study it anymore? Think of the insights that he would never have received.
Persistence paid off for American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered
the planet Pluto. After astronomers calculated a probable orbit for this "suspected"
heavenly body, Tombaugh took up the search in March 1929. Time magazine recorded the
investigation: "He examined scores of telescopic photographs each showing tens of
thousands of star images in pairs under the dual microscope. It often took three days to
scan a single pair. It was exhausting, eye-cracking work--in his own words, ’brutal,
tediousness.’ And it went on for months. Star by star, he examined 20 million images.
Then on February 18, 1930, as he was blinking at a pair of photographs in the
constellation Gemini, ’I suddenly came upon the image of Pluto!" It was the most
dramatic astronomic discovery in nearly 100 years. (Today in the Word, November 26,
1991.) What dramatic discoveries from God’s word have you missed out on because you
haven’t been persistently diving into the word?
C. ...Enhancing your memory, and ...
James says that if we are going to be doers of his word we must not forget what
we have heard. There’s that issue of hearing again. Let me put it this way: You cannot
be a doer of the word without being a rememberer of the word and you can’t be a
rememberer of the word without being a hearer of the word and you can’t be a hearer of
the word with having those big ears.
Have you ever walked into a room and then suddenly realized that you couldn’t
remember what you went in there to do? Its kind of difficult to carry out a task if you
can’t remember what that task is. It is the same way with God’s word and so we all need
to work on enhancing our memory of God’s word.
An older couple had trouble remembering common, day-to-day things. They both
decided that they would write down requests the other had, and so try to avoid forgetting.
One evening the wife asked if the husband would like anything. He replied, “Yes. I’d like a
large ice-cream sundae with chocolate ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry on top.”
The wife started off for the kitchen and the husband shouted after her, “Aren’t you going
to write it down?” “Don’t be silly,” she hollered back, “I’m going to fix it right now. I
won’t forget.”
She was gone for quite some time. When she finally returned, she set down in front
of him a large plate of hash browns, eggs, bacon, and a glass of orange juice. He took a
look and said, “I knew you should have written it down! You forgot the toast!”
(www.bible.org)
Sometimes our forgetfulness can be humorous, but forgetting God’s teaching is no
laughing matter. Imagine standing before God one day and giving an account of your life.
Sorry, God I forgot that I was supposed to feed the hungry. Sorry, God I forgot that I
was supposed to love my neighbor. Sorry, God I forgot I was supposed to tithe. Sorry,
God ... you fill in the blank.
So how do you enhance your memory of God’s word? For starters, do the
previous point. Dive into it over and over again. Repetition is one of the best memory
aids you can employ. Regularly work on memorizing Bible verses. One great way to do
that is to use index cards. On one side of the card you can write out the verse and on the
other the scripture reference. Go through the cards looking at the references and try to
quote the verses. Then go back through this time looking at the verses and see if you can
remember the references.
D. ...Responding to what you learn.
This is the last step in becoming a doer of the word and it is the most important
step: Doing it! This should be the most obvious step and yet it is often times the most
overlooked step. How many times do we go to church and hear a sermon or attend a
Bible study and then go away and do nothing about it. Jesus demands a response. We
must respond to what we learn.
James says that if we hear the word and then go away without doing the word we
are just like a person who looks in the mirror and then goes away and forgets what he
looks like. Some have suggested that this man forgets what he looks like because he only
glances quickly into the mirror and doesn’t really pay attention to what he sees. However
that is not the case. The Greek word used for “looks” in verse 23 speaks of attentive
scrutiny of an object. So what we have here is a man who attentively looks into the mirror
as he scrutinizes his reflection and then he goes and away and forgets about it. How
foolish it would be to spend time looking in the mirror and seeing the hair out of place that
needs to be combed and the spot on your face that you guys missed shaving or the smudge
of makeup that you ladies to fix and then going off to work or the store and not doing
anything about it. James says that is how foolish it is to spend time in Bible study and then
go away and fail live what you’ve learned. You must practice!
NBA superstar Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers is the team’s franchise
player, the number one pick of the draft, a mercurial scorer who won many individual
awards. In the 2000-20001 season he won the MVP award, his coach Larry Brown won
the coach of the year, and the team stormed to the NBA Finals, only to lose to the Los
Angeles Lakers. The following season, he couldn’t take the team past first round when
they lost to Boston. The coach and management talked publicly about trading him. Why
trade your best player and risk mediocrity? Iverson wouldn’t practice. Coach Brown said:
“My problems with Allen have been the same for six years," Brown said. "I love him, his
competitiveness. The issues are things he has control over, and he’ll have a problem with
me if he doesn’t take care of it. He has to be at practice. He has to set an example. He
knows that if he’s willing to do that, he’ll be a Sixer for life.?
Iverson did not get it. He defended himself, “I’m supposed to be the franchise
player, and we’re in here talking about practice. Not a game; we’re talking about practice.
How silly is that? I know I’m supposed to be there. I know I’m supposed to lead by
example. I know that. I know it’s important, but we’re talking about practice. ... How the
hell can I make my teammates better by practicing? They are supposed to be used to
playing with me anyway. So my game is going to deteriorate if I don’t practice with those
guys?" (To practice or not? USA Today 5/9/02)
It is not surprising that his team didn’t make it passed the first round that year is it?
Here is a player who clearly new what he was supposed to do. He said in his interview
that he knew that he was supposed to go to practice and that he knew he was supposed to
lead by example, but he wasn’t doing any of those things. Are you pulling an Allen
Iverson? Are you doing what you know you are supposed to be doing?
If you are James says you will be blessed in what you do? And remember that
doing starts with hearing and hearing starts with having big ears. Who would have
thought that big ears are a blessing? Will you let Jesus give you an Extreme Makeover
this morning? Will you let him bless you with big ears?
Conclusion:
Are you a hearer and a doer of the word? Are you living what you’ve learned?
When I was at the Emily Wesleyan Church last Sunday I noticed that they had this
question on their church sign: “Do you dare preach what you practice?” Are you
modeling for our society the truth that you have heard?
Several years back, the annual convention of The American Heart Association met
in Atlanta. That year 300,000 doctors, nurses, and researchers gathered to discuss, among
other things, the importance a low fat diet plays in keeping our hearts healthy. Some
smart-aleck researcher did some checking around and found that during meal times, those
people consumed fat-filled fast food—such as bacon cheeseburgers and fries—at about the
same rate as people from other conventions.
When one cardiologist was asked whether or not his partaking in high fat meals set
a bad example, he replied, "Not me, because I took my name tag off." (source: Boston
Globe [11-10-93] as quoted in PreachingToday.com)
Let me ask you a question. When you go out into the world are you living what
you’ve learned or are you taking your name tag off?
Prayer:
Benediction:
I heard about the guy who came to church late. He walked in just as the service was
completing. He said to an usher, “Is the sermon done, yet?” The usher was wise and said,
“The sermon has been preached, but it is yet to be done.” (SermonCentral/Ed Pruitt)
Please email me if you use this sermon or a revision of it. Thank you.
steveamanda8297@hotmail.com
