Living Righteously: Listening, Acting, and Reflecting Jesus
Summary
In this sermon, I explored the teachings of James, focusing on the importance of being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. I emphasized that these three principles are crucial to living a righteous life that God desires. I discussed how James, who was initially indifferent towards Jesus, had his heart and mind transformed after Jesus' resurrection, leading him to become a devoted servant of Christ. I also touched on the concept of sin, explaining that temptation comes from within our hearts and gives birth to sin, which in turn leads to death. However, I reminded the congregation that every good and perfect gift is from God, who does not change like shifting shadows.
In the second part of the sermon, I delved deeper into the importance of not just listening to the word of God but also acting upon it. I stressed that we should strive to become the word, not just doers of the word. I used the analogy of looking into a mirror, urging the congregation to see a reflection of Jesus Christ in themselves. I concluded the sermon by encouraging everyone to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger in the coming week, and to keep themselves from being polluted by the world. I prayed for God's guidance and wisdom to help us live pure and blameless lives.
Key Takeaways:
1. We should strive to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, as these are key to living a righteous life that God desires. ([01:00])
2. Temptation comes from within our hearts and gives birth to sin, which in turn leads to death. However, every good and perfect gift is from God. ([02:33])
3. We should not just listen to the word of God but also act upon it, striving to become the word, not just doers of the word. ([19:35])
4. We should strive to see a reflection of Jesus Christ in ourselves, keeping ourselves from being polluted by the world. ([21:05])
5. We should pray for God's guidance and wisdom to help us live pure and blameless lives. ([11:57])
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Psalm 141:3 [07:40]
2. Proverbs 29:11 [07:40]
3. James 1:19-27 [19:35]
Observation Questions:
1. What does Psalm 141:3 teach us about the power of our words?
2. How does Proverbs 29:11 contrast the actions of the wise and the foolish?
3. In James 1:19-27, what are the three things that James advises us to be slow to do?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the advice in Psalm 141:3 and Proverbs 29:11 relate to the advice given in James 1:19-27?
2. What does James mean when he says to be "quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry"?
3. How does James 1:27 define "pure and faultless" religion?
Application Questions:
1. Can you recall a recent conversation where you could have been quicker to listen and slower to speak? How could applying these principles have changed the outcome?
2. What is one practical step you can take this week to become slower to anger in your interactions with others?
3. How can you apply James' definition of "pure and faultless" religion in your life this week? Can you think of a specific action you can take to look after someone in distress or to keep yourself from being polluted by the world?
4. How can you ensure that you are not just a listener of the Word, but also a doer? Can you think of a specific way you can "become" the Word this week?
Devotional
Day 1: The Power of Listening
The sermon emphasizes the importance of being quick to listen and slow to speak. This is not just about physical listening, but also about spiritual listening - hearing the voice of God in our lives. It's about being present in the moment, being open to God's guidance, and not rushing to respond or react. This is a crucial aspect of our spiritual growth and relationship with God ([19:35]).
Proverbs 18:13 - "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent conversation where you were quick to speak and slow to listen. How could that interaction have been different if you had listened more and spoken less?
Day 2: The Danger of Anger
The sermon warns against the danger of anger, reminding us that human anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. It's not about suppressing or ignoring our anger, but about managing it in a godly way, seeking peace and understanding instead of conflict ([08:24]).
Ecclesiastes 7:9 - "Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools."
Reflection: Think about a recent situation where you felt anger. How did you handle it? How could you have handled it in a more godly way?
Day 3: The Importance of Doing
The sermon encourages us not just to listen to the word of God, but to do what it says. This is about becoming the word, embodying it in our actions and our lives. It's about being doers of the word, not just hearers ([14:24]).
James 1:22 - "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where you had the opportunity to be a doer of the word. Did you take it? If not, why not?
Day 4: The Call to Care
The sermon calls us to look after orphans and widows in their distress. This is a specific example of being doers of the word, of living out our faith in practical, compassionate action. It's about seeing the needs around us and responding with love and care ([18:35]).
Deuteronomy 10:18 - "He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing."
Reflection: Reflect on the needs in your community. How can you be a doer of the word by caring for those in distress?
Day 5: The Challenge of Purity
The sermon challenges us to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world. This is about maintaining our spiritual purity in a world full of temptations and distractions. It's about staying focused on God and His word, and not allowing the world to pull us away from Him ([18:35]).
1 John 2:15 - "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where you felt the pull of the world. How did you respond? How can you better guard your spiritual purity in the future?
Quotes
1. "Everyone should be quick to listen. Slow to speak. Slow to become angry. 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." - 19:11
2. "The best thing you need to be listening to is the Spirit of God talking to you in that moment. Give me the wisdom. Give me the words to say that I can speak life into this person. And they may come at me angry, but they're going to walk away in a cloud of peace, in a cloud of joy." - 04:39
3. "Don't just be a hearer of the word, and turn around and do something else. But the Greek word, when it says do in the original language, it's almost as if you're becoming the word. So it's not just this action of outward doing, but it's now you become this word." - 11:13
4. "James is saying, don't just listen to this text and walk away and act like you never heard it before. So you are quick to listen and you're slow to speak, and you very rarely get angry." - 14:24
5. "The Lord gave you an eye two years in one mouth. And I believe it was intentional because he wants us to hear twice as much than when he wants us to use our voice." - 0
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