“Live Out the Word”

(Part 3 of 3)

“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.”
James 1:26

Unlike other writers, James doesn’t focus on the dangers of false teachers and preachers creeping in and leading the sheep astray. Instead he focuses on the dangers of leading ourselves astray! Apparently there were those in James’ day that felt that merely “considering themselves” religious made their faith viable. However, James states that if anyone considers himself to be religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue…he is deceiving himself! James is showcasing the evident disconnect between their words and their deeds. A disconnect, that when seen by others, jeopardizes one’s effectiveness. Our religion becomes worthless if what we “say and do” don’t work in tandem to demonstrate the genuineness of our faith.

I wonder how many of us “consider ourselves” religious? Not in a legalistic sense, but in the sense that we see ourselves devoted to our faith in Christ. Are what we “say and do” in agreement? Many times our spiritual progress is not hindered by external forces pressing against us, but rather we undermine ourselves. We cripple our own walk with Christ and our spiritual effectiveness when our word and deeds do not line up.

James practical approach to his faith led him to this observation:

“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.”
James 1:27

Notice that both of these instructions are “doing” statements! We are to “look after” widows and orphans. We are to “keep ourselves” from being polluted by the world. It takes more than “consideration” to live a life that is pleasing to God. It also takes application! In John 8:31-32, Jesus said to his disciples:

“If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

It isn’t enough to know His Word, we must hold to it. Live it! That is when it really becomes truth to us! If you want the word of God to remain “living and active” in your life, then you need to begin responding to His Word. When you do…You will be blessed!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

“Live Out the Word”
(Part 2)
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
James 1:22

Listening to the Word of God and not putting it to practice produces very little fruit in our life. It’s like those “diet pills” they advertise on television… “Take one of these and in 37 seconds you’ll be razor thin with rock hard abs.” Of course, I am exaggerating a little bit, but the pictures they show would lead you to believe that the people they are presenting simply took that pill and in a few weeks that’s what happened to them. Inevitable every one of those ads will contain a little disclaimer at the end that reads- “Results not typical. Best results when used in combination with diet and exercise.”

Likewise, you can’t come to church on Sunday and Wednesday night and take your weekly dose of Bible and expect to wake up the next day with a transformed life. It must be put to practice.

“Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man, who looks at his face in a mirror, and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. James 1:23-24

Too many of us have forgotten the truth we have heard and learned from Scripture over the years, not because it isn’t being taught, but because we have stopped living it! We have to be taught the same truths over and over again, as if we have forgotten, when more accurately we are simply not responding to what we are hearing and reading. Here are two examples:
James 5:13-15 declares:

“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.”

How many of you when you are sick call on the elders of your church to pray for you and anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord? That truth will never become a reality in your life until you begin to respond to it!

Here’s another example found in Malachi 3:10-11:

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty.”

Again we receive from the Lord an instruction and a promise. However, many people never experience the blessing, because they do not respond to His Word. It is not the man who hears the word that is blessed, but it is the one who looks into the law that gives freedom, continues to do so, not forgetting the truth he has learned, but rather puts it to practice that will be blessed:

“But 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.”
James 1:25


Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

"Live out the Word"

(Part 1)

“He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to
speak, and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 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.”
James 1:18-21

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates soul and spirit, joint and marrow and judges
the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Is that how you would describe the
Word of God in your life? Or would you describe it as “dead and lifeless” or “alive
but dormant”?

James, as one of the original fathers of our faith, recognized very early the dangers of
allowing the Word of God to lose its power and potential in our lives. God’s
Word is always living and active! If there is an evident lack of its activity
in our life, we must look at what we are doing to muffle it! This begins by
evaluating our expectations. Are we prepared to receive?

Jameschallenges us to prepare ourselves three ways:

1. Be quick to listen. Too many people
come to hear, but don’t truly listen. When you come into a teaching service are
you positioned to receive or do you spend the majority of your time trying to
manipulate what you are hearing to meet up with what you want to believe or how
you want to live?

2. Be slow to speak. Often times, when
we do not like what we are hearing we immediately begin gauging our response or
building our argument against it. You cannot speak and listen at the same time.
You cannot fully be grasping what someone is trying to tell you if you are
already occupying your mind with your response or defense.

3. Be slow to anger. Are you “offended”
by God’s Word? Does preaching against sin upset you? Many people cannot receive
the Word because they do not fully subscribe to God’s standards for holiness
and righteousness.

Further, James instructs us that we cannot receive the Word of God if we have not rid
ourselves of “all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent”! It’s like
trying to plant a garden in a salvage yard. You can cast seed all over, but you
are not going to get much of a harvest. Instead you have to clean the debris
away so that the ground can receive the seed! Then we must “accept the word”!
God’s Word is life! As Christians, it is to be our all authoritative rule of
faith. It is what leads us and guides us. It is what saves us, but don’t be
deceived! Merely listening to it and appreciating its ideas will not transform
your life.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

“Embracing Trials, Resisting Temptation, Accepting Consequences

(Part 4 of 4)

“But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer, or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear than name.”
1 Peter 4:14-16

If we lose our job because we cussed out our boss, stole from the company or were habitually late…we are NOT suffering for Jesus! If we live beyond our means and accrue tremendous debt and then cannot pay our bills…we are NOT suffering for Jesus! These types of acts are not to be “counted all joy”, but rather they are to be repented of! Instead, many people become frustrated and angry at God for not delivering them out of the mess they’ve created. They have dug themselves into a hole and have lived there for years, and now expect God to bail them out.
Not everything we face is a trial!

Some things we face are temptations; other things we face are the consequences of our poor choices. In each difficulty we face, we must diagnose the problem in order to know how to respond to it.

When it comes to facing the consequences of our sin, the way out is to make right decisions. The way out of that hole, we have dug ourselves into, is to climb out one right decision at a time. We must take responsibility for our poor decisions, repent, and make good choices.

I have never heard someone say that their credit score and finances were a wreck because they “tithed” to their church! No, their finances are a mess because of poor spending habits, indebtedness, and lack of savings. How do they climb out?



• Tithe in obedience to God’s Word
• Get on a budget (live within your means)
• Stop going into debt
• Save some money

I have never heard someone say that their marriage is messed up because they spent time together at a marriage retreat! No, their marriages are usually a wreck because of selfish choices being made by one or both of them.

There is no way to undo bad decisions. You can only move forward by making right ones! In every situation where there is the potential to make the right choice, there is also the temptation to make the wrong one, however 1 Corinthians 10:13 declares:

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”



Temptations are to be resisted and in every temptation there is a way out if we will look for it!

Other times, unfortunately, we face things that are beyond our control. They cannot be resisted or climbed out of. These are “trials”! Trials are those things that God uses to test our faith. James tells us to rejoice and count them all joy, because through them we develop perseverance that leads to greater maturity and spiritual growth.

Whether you are in a trial, temptation or consequence there is a way out. It may be through perseverance, it may have to be resisted or you may have to climb out, but God is faithful to see you through every one.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

“Embracing Trials, Resisting Temptation, Accepting Consequences"

(Part 3)

“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

James 1:13-15

There is a difference between trials and temptations. Trials are something to be endured which strengthen our faith and lead to a crown of life. Temptations are to be resisted. They are designed to incite evil desires and entice us into sin and will ultimately lead us into death!

James is quick to point out that God is not the source of temptation. Because of God’s righteous nature, He cannot be tempted nor can He ever be the source of temptation. We should not be deceived into believing that God ever places temptations in our paths in an effort to test us or grow us spiritually. Unlike trials, where we are encouraged to “count it all joy” and persevere, here we are instructed to resist temptation. In fact, Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 26:41:



“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”



It is clear that God is certainly not the source of temptation; however in His love and faithfulness He has made provisions for us to face it:

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

1 Corinthians 10:13

According to this passage, there is never a time when we are tempted that there is not a way out! Meaning that God’s provision and demonstration of His grace is given prior to the sinful act. Many people get frustrated when, after ignoring the “way out”, they fall into sin, and God does not deliver them from the consequences.



So let’s clarify the differences between trials, temptations and consequences of our sin:

A trial is a difficulty that comes because of a righteous stand we take, or a situation that comes upon us because of no fault of our own (loss of a loved one, the company downsizes and we lose our job, we suffer injury when hit by a drunk driver.)

A temptation is that which we are subjected to with the intention of enticing us and leading us into sin. We are drawn away by our own evil desires. If we fall into temptation, it is by our own willful decision.

Consequences of our sin! This type of suffering is “self-inflicted”! It is a difficulty that we have created ourselves because of our poor decision-making. It too must be endured, but there is no promise to deliver us from our determination to ignore truth and not resist temptation.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

“Embracing Trials, Resisting Temptation, Accepting Consequences"

(Part 2)

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:2-4

Most of us, when we find ourselves in a trial immediately respond with weeping, prayer and fasting. James, however, encourages us to rejoice and count it all joy. His instruction is not to begin looking for a way out, but rather to begin by asking God for wisdom:

“If any on you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”
James 1:5-8

When we seek God for wisdom in the midst of our difficulty we are asking God for the capacity to see and the ability to respond to the situation according to His Will and His Word. Too often, we forego God’s wisdom for our own, believing that our wealth, position, education or resource will give us some kind of advantage in managing our trials. James says:

“The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.”





James 1:9-11

Trials are an equal opportunity offender. They are a leveling agent impacting the just and unjust alike. In the Old Testament there was a man by the name of Job. Job was richest man in the world in the day that he lived, but no amount of wealth, health or position could prepare him or save him from the trials he experienced. He lost all his herds, his children were killed, one of his homes destroyed, his wife turned on him, his health went south, and his friends were adamant that he was sinning and bringing this all on himself! However, Job did not waiver, but trusted God throughout the entire ordeal and God restored to him all that the enemy had stolen. Job demonstrated perseverance and withstood the test and because of that God blessed him. James wrote in James 1:12:

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

This is a promise from God! Nonetheless, you can also depend on the fact that Satan is going to try and thwart God’s plan for your life. The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica:

“For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.”
1 Thessalonians 3:5

Paul recognized that the potential of “trials to bring us to greater spiritual maturity could be undermined by the deceitfulness of temptation!

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

“Embracing Trials, Resisting Temptation, Accepting Consequences

(Part 1)

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:2-4



This passage has the potential to be a stumbling block to many believers. Most people do not associate the idea of joy with facing many kinds of trials. We rarely look at trials as something to be embraced. Most often we are trying to avoid them at all cost. However, these pressures of life play a tremendous role in our growth and spiritual maturity.



James describes trials in this verse as “testings of our faith.” They are circumstances, difficulties or pressures of life that God uses to test the sincerity or genuineness of our faith. It is through these tests that we develop perseverance. Perseverance is the continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failures or opposition. Without trials no one can mature in their faith completely.



Trials become the pathway to developing, not only perseverance, but also character and hope:



“We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance; character, and character; hope.”
Romans 5:3-4



Trials are like a refiner’s fire which draws out the dross to reveal the genuine and authentic life that lies within:



"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proven genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
1 Peter 1:6-7



This passage is so important to understand, because the Glory of Christ is not revealed in the outcome of a trial, it is revealed in the “genuineness” of our faith in the midst of it. Sometimes what we walk through doesn’t turn out the way we hoped. In those situations, it would be easy to say that we failed the test in some manner. However, the way we carry ourselves through the trial reveals far more than the outcome:



“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the suffering of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.”
1 Peter 4:12-13

Our first inclination when we are faced with these “trials” is to pray for deliverance! We want out of this mess as quickly as we found ourselves in it, but in doing so we may be short-changing the process God has set in motion to bring us to greater maturity.

Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/