Hearers and Doers

James 1:17-27New International Version (NIV)

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Listening and Doing

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 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.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Everyone who has a child in school or is a teacher themselves know that this past Thursday was Pleasantville’s open house and earlier in the week was their school registration.  As Griffin, Cheyanne and I walked across the high school parking lot headed towards the elementary school this flood of emotions came over me.  I was nervous for Griffin and excited for his new adventures all at the same time.  I was sad when I realized just how old he was getting to be and happy that he was getting ready to meet some of the best friends he will have for the rest of his life.  I am sure you all have felt the same emotions.  Griffin was a little hesitant about the whole thing but once we got into the classroom for awhile I could tell his mind was more at ease.  I tell you that story to help put this one into perspective.  Earlier in the week, Cheyanne asked Griffin to go up with her to register and Griffin was all about going.  That is until they walked out the door.  Griffin and Cheyanne came back with Griffin very upset and once I got him to calm down, he told me that he didn’t want to go to school because he didn’t know anyone there.  I spent the next several minutes explaining to him all the people he would know once he got there and he began to realize that it wouldn’t be so bad.   I didn’t realize his emotional response to going to school until I had one of my own.  Had I not taken that chance to go with Griffin and Cheyanne and experienced my own apprehensions about Griffin going to school I would not have understood his emotional response.   Our scripture for this morning has so many faith “one-liners” that can help us in our everyday life and in our everyday dealings with one another.  But it will be the overall message of this snippet of James that we will give our attention to and that message is “Listening and Doing” and the sermon title for this morning is “Hearers and Doers” so that is exactly where we will focus our attention.  

The three letter word of “and” is so important to our message this morning because it means we cannot have one without the other.  We can choose to listen, yet not doing anything.  Or we can do something without listening.  If we choose to listen and do nothing then what have really accomplished?  Of course, God wants us to listen to His will.  And of course, he wants us to listen to the injustices of the world going on around us.  He wants us to be very aware of the world that we live in.  He wants us to listen to His will and be led by the spirit.  But how have we grown the kingdom of God?  How have we improved the world we live if we listen but do not act?  Countless times I have said that an open and honest relationship with God will change you and the biggest change that relationship causes us to make is a call to action.  Verse 22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.”  What a powerful message! And what a truly humbling verse for preachers!  Do not merely listen to the word because it may deceive you.  One of the ways to fact check what you hear is to do what it says.  Simply listening can be deceiving.  Take the example I shared with you a little bit ago.  I did not fully understand why Griff got so upset until I took that walk with him and some of the same emotions hit me.  I could try to understand what he was feeling by listening to him but I had to become a doer to truly understand what he was feeling.  Verse 23 through 25 -- “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”  One the other hand, action without listening first will set us back.  Had I gotten upset with Griffin not going to registration and had I not taken time to listen to him, it would have only compounded the problem.  Verse 19 “...Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”  We have all heard or seen those words dozens of times and yet we still are slow to listen and quick to speak.  As a team of any kind, if we were to do whatever we thought we should without listening to our coach, it would be chaos.  It only makes sense that we listen to the coach so to become a better individual player as well as a better team.  As adults, that logic makes perfect sense.  Even grown adults who play on professional athletic teams have a coach.  So, why do we so easily ignore our “coach?”  

Faith takes both: listening and doing.  Our faith is designed to have both components working side by side to grow God’s kingdom and improve life on earth.  As I prepared for this sermon, I was trying to remember when the shooting of the cameraman and tv reporter was.  I couldn’t remember if that was this week or last.  How sad is it that we have so many of these violent acts that I cannot remember for sure if that tragedy was this week or last?  As many of you did, I watched the video of the live broadcast of the events of that morning.  It was the most chilling things I have ever seen.  I was speechless.  I was as shocked as the woman was back in the studio.  A day or so later, I was watching the news and there was a another video of the shooter who was wearing a camera and I got the same chills as I watched the reporter and cameraman with the barrel of a gun pointing at them.  That man was disturbed, many people had listened to his anger over the years and he admitted he had anger issues but no one took the action of trying to help him or divert that anger.  Many people listened but no one acted.  His actions fall squarely on his shoulders.  There is no one to blame but that man but I cannot help but to think how many opportunities were missed.  Maybe the situation could not have been avoided but to think that, to think love could not have conquered in that situation, is putting a limit on the ability of God, on the ability of God to do.  Listening and doing.  That is how we avoid future tragedies.  Politics change.  What is popular changes.  Medications change.  Psychology changes.  Society changes.  How information is presented changes.  The world changes.  However, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows.”  God does not change like the shifting shadows.  The one constant in all that we face is that God is there.  He is desperately reaching out to all of us each and every single day.  We have countless opportunities every single day to make a difference.  If you don’t think that this is the case, then you aren’t listening well enough.  

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”  The greek word translated for religion is more accurately translated as worship so what James is saying is “the finest ritual and the finest liturgy you can offer to God is service to the poor and personal purity.”  In James’ understanding, true and proper worship was not the music, not the simple words of a preacher, or the perfectly planned worship hour.  To James, true and proper worship is found in the practical service to humankind and in the purity of one’s own personal life.  In not so many words, listening and doing.  Listening to God’s will, His spirit, and His words so we know how to live as pure as possible.  And doing, helping out our fellow brothers and sisters.  We cannot just do one without the other.  Be a listener and a doer.  Amen.