Be a Doer, not Merely a Hearer
What I want to talk to you about today is one the most important parts of our walk with Christ. Yet it happens to be one of the hardest parts for us all.
There’s a misunderstanding when it comes to being a Christian. Most people believe that our religious practices are what make us Christians. It’s easy for to us believe that because we go to church, and we go to chapel, and we own a bible and say our prayers at dinner, that we are Christians. But that is not at all what defines us and that is not at all our purpose. Going to church is a way to get to our purpose, to reach our goal. Reading our Bibles and praying is a means to get there. But that is not the goal. The goal is that every day we look more and more like Jesus Christ. That doesn’t mean we have to grow our hair out and start wearing robes… but that does mean we are able to put other people’s needs in front of our own like Jesus did for us on the cross. That we are able to forgive the people who make us angry like Jesus forgives us. And you and I are able to love other people like Jesus loves us. That is our life purpose. That is why we are on this planet, whether we live in Brazil or in the United States, that is why we exist.
Now how do we do that? That is what I want to talk to you about today. We’re going to be looking at the letter Jesus’ brother, James, wrote to the Jews who were converted to Christianity. The Jewish people grew up going to synagogue, reading (and memorizing) the Torah, which are the first three books of the Old Testament. So these people knew God’s Word much better than most. Let’s look at:
James, chapter 1, verses 22-25.
22But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23Because if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror; 24for he looks at himself, goes away, and right away forgets what kind of man he was. 25But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts—this person will be blessed in what he does.
Now imagine after eating breakfast this morning, I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror and noticed I had food all over my face. Most of you have probably noticed I’m a pretty messy eater… so that’s a possibility. But what if after noticing the food on my face, I didn’t do anything about it and left and forgot about it and came up here. You’d be staring at me thinking, “What’s that all over his face? What’s wrong with that guy?”
What possible good does it do to check what you look like in a mirror if you walk away and immediately you forget what you saw? James says it’s the same thing. What’s the point of learning and studying God’s Word if you never put it into practice. If you don’t become a Doer of what it says.
As Christians we are to obey the Bible but a lot of times we read it, then once we go away we forget what we read and we don’t obey it. James tells us that if we only hear the Word, but do not actually do what it says, that we are not really Christians, and that we are just deceiving ourselves if we believe we are (Christians).
Now if we are going to be Doers of the Word, and not just hearers, then obviously we must first Hear the Word of God. James says we must be quick to hear in verse:
(James) 1:19
My dearly loved brothers, understand this: everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
Hearing does not mean that someone has to verbally speak the Word to us – whether through someone’s preaching or through our own daily reading. (Hearing means) we must be exposed to the meaning of the Word. A lot of the time it is better for us to read the Bible on our own and let God speak (His meaning) to us rather than always waiting to be spoon fed God’s Word (by someone else).
But as we already know, just hearing is not enough. Paul tells us in:
Romans 2:13
For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous.
If we want God to declare us righteous (in right standing), just hearing the law alone is not enough. If we want to be declared disciples of Jesus we must live out what we learn from the Bible. (A good student applies the knowledge learned.)
Not only do we have to hear the Word, we also need to know it; (understand it in a practical way). Reading the Bible is good, but how are we supposed to live it out if we can’t remember any of it? (If we don’t understand what it means to live it out?)
If after we hear God’s Word, we forget it. We might as well have not heard it at all. Just like if I were to look in the mirror and not do something about the food all over my face.
To Know God’s Word we must truly spend time reading and studying it. If you just quickly skim through the Bible just to get done with your daily reading, you might as well (have) spent your time on something more useful.
Just like if you are trying to get to know someone new. You could sit and stare at them for 45 minutes every day but, until you start asking questions and having conversations with them, you will never get to know them.
When we read our Bibles we need to ask God to speak to us through His Word. We need to ask God to use this Book to change us and to show us what we need to improve in ourselves. Don’t read this Book just to gain more information or to look like a Christian, but read this Book to change your life, to learn how God wants us to live.
Once we know God’s Word we are moving in the right direction, but we are told it is still not enough in:
Romans: Chapter 2, verses 21-23
21 You then, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal” – do you steal? 22 You who say, “You must not commit adultery” – do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples? 23You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?
Paul here is writing to the Jews who know the Word of God, but do not live by it. He tells them that they are dishonoring God by breaking His law.
We cannot dishonor God. We need to bring Glory to God in all that we do. So we need to keep moving forward. After we know God’s Word we must now Believe it.
Our Faith in God and his Word are essential to us becoming like Christ. It says in:
Romans Chapter 5 verses 1-2
1Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Also through Him, we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
We have faith that Jesus paid the price for our sins and this faith is what brings us in relationship with God. And with this faith, also comes the faith we have that God’s Word is living and effective, and is sharper than any two-edged sword as we learned in the Book of Hebrews.
We must truly (come to) believe that the Bible is living and is relevant to our lives today if we are going to do what it says.
Yet in James we learn that this still is not enough.
James 2:26
For just as the body without the Spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
James again tells us that if we do not have works, our faith is dead.
Now if we know God’s Word and we believe that it comes from the Most High God, The Almighty One. There’s one thing left, we must Do God’s Word. (Those are the works James speaks of where our faith is proven as we live it out daily in our ordinary lives.)
James 1:25
25But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts—this person will be blessed in what he does.
Finally James tells us that the one who puts into practice what he learns from the Bible will be blessed in what he does, in all that he does.
Do you want to blessed by God? Would you like to know that everything you do pleases God and brings Glory to him? Then become a doer of His Word. Every day as you are reading your Bible, find at least one thing you can practice that day. As you spend time praying, ask God to show you what it is that you need to work on.
The thing we need to keep in mind is that God does not expect us to be perfect yet He still loves us. I know I personally thank God everyday for that, because as you all know I’m a long way from perfect. That is why He sent His Son Jesus to pay the price for our sins, so that we don’t have to (pay a debt we cannot pay). As long as we accept Christ as our Savior and choose to enter into His Grace.
I just want to say that over the past month you have shown me and the rest of us Americans that you are already Doers of the Word. Jesus said that we must love one another, just as He loved us. And over the last month we’ve all gotten to see this lived out by each and every one of you. To come together here from all different backgrounds, and to be able to become brothers, that is Christ’s Love. And that is how we are all supposed to live. I just want to encourage you all to keep growing in Christ, and never forget that God will always love you and be there for you. I’ll just close in prayer….
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