Beacon Sunday Service November 12th 2023

God for the Lord our God is holy for the Lord God bestows upon favor and honor no good thing does he withhold from those who walk upright and what a great Lord that we serve what a great Lord that we follow after as we come before him today may we give him all the glory of all the worship may every breath and word that comes out of our mouth give glory to our king and so let us all rise and uh worship together with me can light who can light the fire of a thousand burning sons blazing in the heaven there is only one is our God who commands who commands a nation building up tearing down silencing his rival there is only one it's our God he is our God in your glory God who could come who would come to save us when we turn to we love conquer us with kindness there is only one is our God He is our God and holy holy matchless in your glory no one is like you adore you only God now to the king now to the King on the throne who was and is to come and to the lamb who was slain me now to the king on the throne who was and is to come and to the lamb who was slain now to the king now to the hidden of the throne who was and to the lamb who was slain you will know God face in your glory no one is thy God Amen we worship a holy God I pray you'd let your will be done till I see you face to face grace amazing takes me trusting you I will live to love you I will live to bring you praise I will live child love the voice that caused you burn to be whather whispering my heart that speaks to me till I see face to face amazing takes me off trusting you I will live to love you I will live to bring you praise I will live a child I will live to love you I will live to me I will live a child you will know our worthy among so will bless your name I will live to love you I will live to bring you praise I will live a child of you slow anyone to have a Lord overcame the pass and rain to my soul I see face to face grace This morning we'll confess our faith using the new city catechism.

In this question and answer, we'll confess how God's grace enables us to obey Him. And here's the question. Since we are redeemed by grace alone, through Christ alone, must we still do good works and obey God's word? And together? Yes, because Christ having redeemed us by his blood, also renews us by his spirit, so that our lives may show love and gratitude to God, so that we may be assured of our faith by the fruits, and so that by our godly behavior others may be one to Christ. Amen. It's what we are called to do to live for Christ.

For what I can not see.

Good morning, everyone.

As we consider our weeks and how we've enjoyed our time, you know, with our family and friends, and uh just uh, you know, even as we work or the daily things that we do, uh, I think it's it's important for us to remember those pockets of time when we struggled, the things that we struggle with as in daily sin, um things that continually hinder us from our growth and uh sanctification. So as we have this time corporately, uh let's go over our confession of sin together, and then we'll follow that with a personal time of confession to our Lord. So together.

We thank you for keeping covenant and steadfast love for us, weary sinners. Instead of loving you in return, we have done wrong and acted wickedly. Indwelling sin crouches at the door and is always ready to pounce. Forgive us for turning aside from the light of your word. Kindness and compassion belongs to you, O Father, for we do not present our plea before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.

Amen. Let's take a private oh, please be seated. Let's take a private time of confession of our since we're gonna be able to do that.

Here's your assurance of pardon. In God's beloved, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness, forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight. Amen. Today's prayer topic is gonna be an exercise that we've been practicing as a church on a weekly basis for the month of November. Uh our sister Tiff has been sending out daily emails on prayer topics in which we uh wanted to kind of have a church prayer each day. So with that, we're gonna try our today's uh prayer topic. Um, our brothers in the back are gonna have it up on the screen. Please take some time to read over it and prayerfully have these thought uh thoughts in uh meditation and pray over this topic uh now.

Lord, we thank you so much for those who have been called to serve you in ministry. Lord, we know that it's a calling, Lord, that we don't take for granted. Lord, we pray for those hearts to be refreshed. We know that in a ministry the size of ours, Lord, it can be taxing. A lot can be required of us without rest to serve week in and week out. So, Lord, it is your hand that uh will give us the strength and energy to continue on. But ultimately, Lord, we don't serve because we are seeking self-glory. We serve because we want to glorify you and your name. We want your kingdom to grow. We want the beacon, Lord, to be a ministry that honors who you are and grows your kingdom as you've as you've called us to do.

So, Lord, those who serve in uh leadership and uh children's ministry, outreach, uh praise team. Everyone who has a hand in our ministry, we pray that you continually lift them, fill them, um, strengthen them. And I pray, Father, for those who have uh who don't know what their calling is or what you want them to do, Lord, may they be sensitive to your the way that your spirit is working in their lives, and may you place them place uh something in their hearts, Lord, in a way that they would uh want to serve and in the capacity to serve our our church here. So we thank you for their servants, Lord, and in Jesus' name we pray, amen. Uh children, you're dismissed for Sunday school. Have a good day with uh teacher Stephen and uh teacher Harold.

As the children are being dismissed, we're gonna go over a few announcements. Uh November 26th, in lieu of meeting at church, uh, we're gonna be having a fellowship at the Lee's home, my home. Uh so that Sunday we're gonna be meeting at our house. We're gonna have our service there, and then immediately after we're gonna have uh friends giving fellowship and Thanksgiving potluck. So we'll have a sign-up sheet, we'll send the information in that way. Uh that's actually a communion Sunday. So, what better way to kind of just gather and and have communion and just uh a home and and just fellowship together. Uh, we're actually gonna have full Sunday school as well. So um Tiff will be teaching the kids.

So if you're a parent, please just um no worries, we'll have uh the kids in another room having a study together. Uh and as we practice today, uh there's weekly or daily emails for uh our our prayer topics that Tiff are sent is sending out every day. Um, and so keep keep a lookout for those. But there is a piece of paper, a hard copy for the week's worth of emails or prayer topics. If you'd like to take one, please do so. We actually encourage you to take one just in case you're not getting the emails or you forget to check your emails for that day. Uh please review the children's ministry sign-up sheet in the back. The back uh the sheet in the back is is meant for you to just check to see if you are actually available to serve that day.

Uh, and if not, what other days you can help serve or or cover for other people. Um today uh we went to uh Tiff and I went to the children's ministry um seminar conference at Lighthouse Community Church. Uh and so um they actually gave us some of these as a gift. It's a child's gospel tract. So after Sunday school today, uh Stephen will be handing out these out to your kids. So please go over it this week with your children. It's a wonderful uh way to kind of just go over the gospel with your children. Uh last but not least, our uh our uh offering options are Zell Venmo Cash and Cek. With that, I'm gonna welcome today's guest speaker. He is coming back to us again. His name is Christian Hedlin.

He spoke back uh on the 3rd of September on how God sustains our faith and grows us into maturity through mutual encouragement and exaltation. Out of Master's seminary, uh he has a BA and MA in Biblical Studies, and he got his MDiv in Biblical and Theological Studies from Southern Seminary. He's a newlywed. I think we can still call you guys newlyweds. They got married in July to his wife Julie, who's here, who's uh finishing her fellowship at Children's Hospital LA. Um and so, and uh he's currently working at um Lighthouse Community Church uh in the young adult group as a uh pastoral intern. So we thank him again. So let's welcome him with a nice greeting. As I read God's word this morning.

Our passage comes from James chapter one, verses 19 to 27. Know this, my beloved brothers. Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

If anyone thinks he's religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world. This is the word of the Lord. Well, if you have your Bibles, you can turn to the passage I just read in James chapter one. James chapter one. And we'll be looking at verses 19 to 27. It's a joy to be here with you again to open God's word. It's always good. I think I'm still young in my preaching career. I I just finished seminary this past summer, and so I'm always a little afraid, like after I preach, especially at a new place, to see, you know, like, did I do okay?

Or, you know, are they going to invite me back? Did I say something heretical or offensive? And so I'm very uh encouraged that you would invite me back. And Julie uh and I had such a great time last time uh just being here and worshiping with you, and also just spending time eating and and getting to know some of you, and so we just want to say thank you for having us back, and we are glad to be here to worship with you. And it is really good to open God's word, especially to the letter of James, because James is really one of those books that can preach itself. And what I mean by that is James is a really rich and hard-hitting book for Christians. Several weeks ago I preached from the first half of Romans chapter 16.

And if you're familiar with Romans chapter 16, it's the long list of uh names essentially that Paul gives where he's greeting all these people in Rome. And of course, as Christians, we believe all of God's word is uh is holy and all of Scripture is God breathed, and it's profitable for teaching and reproof. But to be honest, right, Romans 16, right? That passage was a little difficult for me to preach, right? I'm sure not too many people's life verses are in Romans 16. But when we come to the book of James, I think it's completely different. When we come to the book of James, I feel like I can just read what James says because it is so rich and hard hitting, you know, that I could just read it and that's it.

Where very few of us would walk away, not being convicted about some of the things that James addresses. And some of you may already know that the core and the theme of the book of James is having this wholehearted devotion to God. And this is what James addresses to these believers over and over again in this short letter. And this is in contrast to having a half-hearted devotion to God, where we act a certain way in church, but when we leave and we go home or we go to work, we're completely different people. Where one part of us professes to know and to love God, but another part of us might say something else. And James says, this is not how things ought to be for us as followers of Christ.

We should not be living in hypocrisy with divided hearts. And we'll see this all over the book of James. Right? And in this morning's message, we're going to talk specifically about being consistent in our relationship to God's word, consistent in our relationship to God's word, specifically not just being hearers of the word, but also being doers of the word. So I read our passage, and we're just going to jump right into it. It's a familiar passage, I assume for many of us, and it's a rich passage that I think it's worth visiting over and over again because we are forgetful people. And so the point, uh, point number one is going to be hearing God's word. This is going to be looking at verses 19 to 21.

So we're just going to jump right into it and just go through this passage verse by verse and see what James has to say to us and what God has to say to us through his word. So in verse 19, James says, Know this, my beloved brothers. Know this, my beloved brothers. Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. So James, he addresses these people as his beloved brothers. And what's so important about that? What is important about James addressing them as his brothers? Well, James, he's going to address them like this over and over again in these short five chapters. In fact, he addresses them as his beloved brothers 15 times in this letter. And I want to point that out because James, as he's writing this, he wants to let them know and reaffirm them that, guys, you are my brothers.

I love you. And so when I tell you these things, because they are going to be a little intense, they are going to be a little confrontational. I want you to know that I am your brother and that you are my brothers, and I care about you, and I love you. And I want what's best for you. And so he wants to reaffirm that over and over again, that he simply wants what's best for them, and he wants to see God glorified. And so in these next verses, when he says some things that might be startling, or uh especially later in the letter, he wants to affirm them. And he wants to let them know that he loves them. So he prefaces each of these exhortations in the book with this, my beloved brothers. We're in this together.

And I want you to know that. And so he goes on, and he says, Let every person let every person. So that word let, it's it's just one word, right? But it's important because James is giving a command here. He's giving an exhortation, and he's saying, Every person that is reading this letter, as most of you know, uh, these word letters that were sent to churches. And so they were often read aloud because it was one letter, they couldn't make copies. Parchment was very expensive, and it was handwritten. So it was typically read like if I were to stand up here and read this letter of James to this congregation. And so this is being read aloud to everybody, and it's James is essentially calling attention to everyone who's listening.

He's saying, let every person, and this is a kind of a notification, right? This is telling people to perk up their ears and to listen. And this applies to everyone who claims to be a brother or sister. Anyone who claims to be a Christian, he's saying, Listen up, if you call yourself a brother or a follower of Christ. And he says, be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. And so they're going to be different interpretations on what that phrase means exactly. Right? Is he talking about being quick hearers and slow speakers and being slow to anger in general, like how we might read in the book of Proverbs, or how we might see Jesus giving the command, right, not to be angry in our hearts towards other people.

Right? Or is he talking about maybe having a certain posture in regard to our relationship with God's word. Well, in the context of the passage, I think he's talking about our relationship to God's word. If you look back at verse 17, James, he emphasizes that God does not tempt people, but instead God sends good gifts. And then in verse 18, he says that one of those good gifts is saving us and making us alive by his word. And then in verse 21, James says, Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. So verse 19 is sandwiched between verses 17 and 18, and then verse 21. So it seems like in the context, James is referring to our relationship to God's word.

Namely, he's pointing out that we're to be quick to receive God's word. We're to be slow to resist and be antagonistic toward it. And because in verse 20, he says, the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Right living in us. So when we resist and ignore God's word, he's saying it's going to do the opposite. It's going to produce unrighteousness in us. It's going to lead us into sin. It's going to ruin our lives and the lives of others. So James is saying we have to be quick to hear, eager to hear God's word. We have to be receptive to it. We shouldn't resist it. We shouldn't get angry. We shouldn't speak back to God when we hear his word, because it's going to produce unrighteousness. That's what he says in verse 20. For when we do listen to it, when we are quick to hear, when we are slow to speak and slow to anger towards the word of God, it produces righteousness in our lives. In verse 21, he says, Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

So he's saying essentially that we need to put away the sin that will hinder us from receiving what God has to say to us. If you turn to 1 Peter chapter 2, Peter says something similar that I think might be helpful. It's in the book to your right, right next to James.

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and slander, like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation. If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. So Peter, he's saying something similar to James here. He's saying that our sin can hinder how we receive God's word. Our sin can hinder the way we receive God's word. Essentially, they're saying that we need to put away the sin in our lives that might be blocking God's word from entering into our hearts and in our minds. I'm sure many of us have heard stories about people unfortunately caught in sin if you've been going to church long enough, right? People who walk away from the faith, maybe people you grew up with, people that you know, right?

People who don't want to hear God's word anymore. Maybe you've tried to call them back, maybe you've tried to love them in doing so. But that's usually because there's something, right? Some idols, some sin that these people love more than God. There's something that they're holding on to in their hearts, and they want to maybe justify a certain lifestyle that brings them pleasure. So when they and their sin are confronted by the truth of God's word, they feel threatened, right? This thing that they love, this thing that they think will provide them joy and happiness, this sin or this idol. It feels they feel like it's threatened, right? Someone's taking it away from them. So they resist, right?

They harden their hearts and they continue in their sin, being deceived and thinking that it's going to continue to provide joy and happiness. So I think James and Peter are saying that when we come to God's word, holding on to these things, right? Some sin in our life, some idolatry in our hearts, we're essentially walking into it with earmuffs on. When we come to hear a sermon, right? When we read our Bibles, when other people lovingly correct and teach us with Scripture. James and Peter are saying that we have to examine ourselves. We have to see if there's anything that might be impeding us from listening to the good word of God. James reminds us that this is the word which is able to save our souls.

And Peter said something similar, right? That we set aside sin and we receive God's word because we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. But it's not just putting off sin when we come to God's word. But James says that it's also putting on a certain attitude when we come to God's word. He says that we are to receive the word with meekness, with meekness.

So what does that word mean? Meekness. Well, in the context, it probably means humility, humility. So the opposite of arrogance. The opposite of thinking that we know better than God when God speaks to us through his word. It's having a teachable spirit, where we don't argue with God about what he says to us or tells us in his word, because he is God and He is Lord over our lives, and we are not.

And Him being our Father, we trust that we don't know everything, right? Like those of you who have kids, you know, right, the struggle that that might be. And we've all been there where we think we know better than our parents, and then maybe we go and find out when we do our own thing that we don't know better, and our parents were right. So it's similar with God. Right? We're humble and teachable because we trust that God is good. Of course he's Lord, and we just follow what he says no matter what, but he is good and he loves us as our heavenly Father, and He is also all wise, and He's omniscient. So we trust what He says, even though it might seem wrong. It might seem like, how can this benefit anybody?

How can this benefit me? How can this even benefit those around me? That we trust God because He is God. And what fools we are to think when we know better than God. Right when He tells us something, and we say, you know, God, I know you're the creator of the universe. I know you've been around forever. Um, you're all wise, you're all knowing. You know, but I I think you maybe have this one wrong. Right? I have been here for a few decades, and I have a lot of wisdom, and you know, I think maybe I actually might know more than you on this one. Right? How foolish is that for us to think that way? And we might not be thinking it right overtly or explicitly, right? But when we don't listen, right, and we don't trust God in that way, we're displaying that that's what we are truly thinking.

And so we need to ask ourselves, why don't we want to hear God's word? Right? What is impeding our hearing? Is there something in our lives? Something in this world, right, of the creation that we love and cherish more than the creator that we need to let go of. And what is it? What is it? What is something that might feel threatened, right? That we love. And it could be a very good thing, right? Like a job, career, right, family, whatever it might be. But if we cherish it more than God, then something has gone wrong. We also need to ask if we're being proud and arrogant, thinking we know better than God. So we don't think we need to listen to what he has to say to us. Okay, so moving now to verses 22 to 25.

Doing God's word. James now moves to doing God's word, not just being hearers, but being doers of the word. In verse 22, he says, but be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. So James is saying there's another step that we have to take. The first step is when we come to God's word is to examine ourselves and to put off any sin that might make us resistant to God's word. And so the second thing then is to put on an attitude of humility, which he talked about in verse 21. And then the third thing he is saying now is to actually do God's word, to actually do God's word. In other words, we're not only to put off sin and put on a new attitude, but we live in accordance with this new attitude after having received the word.

And this essentially completes the process. This is a wholehearted devotion to God. This is being complete and having integrity. This is what it means to be whole in James's mind. Because if you're only a hearer, but not a doer of the word, you've only made a 90 degree turn, right? Not a hundred and eighty degree turn. You're still on the fence. You're caught between two worlds, and you're essentially living a double life. Because at the end of verse 22, James says, if we do this, if we're merely hearers of the word, but not doers, and we're walking away still thinking we're true Christians and followers of Christ, he says that we're actually deceiving ourselves. He's saying you can come to church your whole life.

You can listen to thousands of sermons. You can serve and help with various ministries. You can play church, but be living in a way that is completely contradictory to what you profess. While we dabble in sexual immorality, gossip, anger, not having integrity at work, whatever it might be. James says that this is the peak of deception. In 1 John chapter 2, John says similar words. 1 John chapter 2, verses 3 to 6.

This is what John says. John says, and by this we know that we have come to know him. So he's essentially saying, this is how we know if we are Christians. If we know God and if God knows us, by this we have come to know that, or by this we know we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says, I know him, but does not keep his commandments is a liar. So kind of similar to James using that word having to do with deception or lying. And John says, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word in him, truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him. Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. So to live the same way that Jesus did.

Loving God and loving others. And so in 1 John, we have these people, right, who are the sayers, right? These confessors, right? These people who says in verse 4, John says, Whoever says, I know him. So these people who say, I know God. Right. And then in verse 6, these people who say, I abide in him. He says, Whoever says these things, but who doesn't keep God's commandments, he says, is a liar. And the people that truly keep God's commands, not only say, I know God and I love God and I hear his word, right? Not only that, but those who keep the word, those are true Christians. Those are true followers of Christ. And then he uses, uh James uses this illustration in verses 23 to 24. It's kind of an odd illustration.

He says, For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he's like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away, and at once forgets what he was like. So what is he talking about? What is this illustration kind of getting at? Well, I think James is talking about someone who goes to church, who hears a sermon or reads their Bible, who might receive biblical counsel from their friends, right, who love and care for them, right? And maybe hears it and receives it for a moment, maybe for a short time, but when they walk away, they forget it, or they don't continue to think about it or act on it. And so again, you know, I think about how many sermons have we heard in our lives.

You know, for me, I've been a Christian for about nine years now, and so if you took nine years and multiplied 52 weeks, uh, it would come out to 468 messages. For many of us, the number will be in the hundreds, right? If not, the thousands. And that's not even counting, right? The times we've encountered God's word through Bible studies, right, through reading the word on our own, having our spouse or our friends speak biblical truth to us. Hundreds of times we've come face to face, face with God's word. And how many of those times did it just go in one ear and out the other? Without us taking the time to meditate on what we've heard, right? And to think about how we can apply what we've actually heard to our lives, what God is calling us to do, how God is calling us to live, what he's calling us to believe.

And then in verse 25, James contrasts this person that we just read about in verses 23 and 24 with another person. In verse 25, he says, But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. So in verse 25, James says the opposite of the person we just read about, right? In verse 24. And this is someone who not only hears the word, but who does the word. And it's no, sorry, it's worth noting some of the vocabulary that James uses. I think it's very interesting. Right? He uses the word law, right? And he describes the law as perfect. And he says that this person who follows the word, right, and who does the law, essentially, is going to be blessed.

And he says that it's this perfect law that also has the characteristic of liberty. But what but what law is James referring to? Right, is this the Old Testament law? Right? Is this some other sort of law as this kind of, you know, some government law? What is he referring to? Well, in chapter 2, verses 8 to 12, he gives us an explanation, I think, maybe a definition. He says, If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, Do not commit adultery also said, Do not murder.

If you do not commit adultery, but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. So based off of this, it seems that the word law for James and the other New Testament writers probably refers to the Old Testament law, summed up by the two greatest commandments. What Jesus says, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And the second greatest commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. And that second part, loving your neighbor as yourself, both Jesus and Paul say that all of the law, all of the commandments, are summed up in that, to love your neighbor as yourself. So I think that's what James is referring to when he talks about this law of liberty, this perfect law in verse 25 of chapter 1.

At Lighthouse, we're currently going through a series on the book of Galatians for our Sunday sermon series. And it's been such an encouragement, right, to uh hear Paul affirming these believers, these Christians, of the salvation that we have by grace through faith in Christ alone, and not by works. However, as we're going through the book of Galatians, and when anyone goes through the book of Galatians, for us as Christians, I am a little concerned sometimes that we can walk away thinking that the law is all bad, that the law is a bad or an oppressive and restrictive burden, right, where we can hit the law against the grace and the freedom that we have in Christ. But the conviction that James and Jesus and Paul himself and many of the Jews during that time, what they've had always about the law is that the law is good, that it's beautiful, and that it's delightful.

And this is because the purpose of the law was always to instruct and to teach. That's what the Hebrew word for law, Torah, means. It was to instruct and teach God's people as a grace about who God is, who he is and his holiness and perfection. And it was meant to instruct the people of Israel to live in a way that reflects God's amazing, perfect, loving character in this world and toward one another, which leads to blessing and to life. We see that in the Old Testament when Moses is describing what life in the land is going to be like when they obey the law. It's language that is used of flourishing and blessing and joy and life. And I bring this up because James and Jesus and many of the Jews during this period, right?

And for ancient Israel, right, the law was understood as a gift and not a burden. In Psalm chapter 1, Psalm chapter 1, feel free to turn there. In Psalm chapter 1, this is what the psalmist says. Blessed is the man, so happy is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord. And on his law he meditates day and night. So this is someone who sees God's word and who hears it or who reads it and cherishes it and delights in it, and instead rejects false counsel, false ideologies that are not biblical. And the psalmist says in verse 3 and following, what is the result of this hearer, right?

This reader of God's word who delights in the law. He says, He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. In Psalm 19, we read similar words about God's word, about the law. In Psalm 19, verses 7 to 10. This is what David says.

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. Then in verse 10, he says, More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold, sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward. So he's talking about being protected by God's word, being warned and kept by God's word, where there's blessing and reward. Then of course we know Psalm 119, right? If you just read Psalm 119, you hear the psalmist just exuding, right? Exalting God's word, God's law. And you say, Oh, well, that's just Old Testament, right? That's right, that's just maybe how they saw the law back then, right?

In ancient Israel, but they had it all wrong. But what does Paul say in Romans chapter 7 about the law? Romans chapter 7. This is what Paul says in Romans chapter 7, verses 10 to 14. And Paul, he's just to give some context, right? He's been talking about grace a lot in the first six chapters. And he doesn't want his hearers or his listeners to get the idea that, okay, so we've been saved by grace, it's by faith alone, and so the law doesn't matter. Right? The law is nothing, because the law was just there to condemn us, or the law was just there to uh ultimately be a tool for our salvation. Right, it doesn't matter, it's not good. But what does Paul say in verses 10 to 14 in chapter 7? He says, The very commandment that promised life provided to be death to me, for sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.

So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Did that which is good then bring death to me? By no means. It was sin producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and that through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. So what is Paul saying here? Well, he's trying to emphasize that is the problem with the law, right? Is the problem with the law. And he's saying, No, by no means, it's not the law, it's not the commandment which is holy and which is good, right? It's the sin that is within me. Verse 14, he says that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.

He's saying that the problem is the human condition, right? The problem is our sinful hearts. The problem isn't God's word. And we see this kind of idea, right? This view towards the law. Again, as I mentioned, even in the second temple period, this is the period during which Jesus and Paul lived. We often hear about how all the Jews, right, they didn't obey the law because they actually loved God, right? Because they thought they could maybe earn salvation with God. That's why they obeyed the law. And while we do, of course, see this in this period, right, from Jewish people. At the same time, there were also many Jews who did actually keep the law out of a genuine love for God, right? Not out of legalism, or because they saw it as some burdensome obligation.

And many Jews did have a proper understanding of God's law. This is what one Jewish writer says. This is a writer close to the time of Jesus. And some people have even noticed similarities in this text and the teaching in this text. Notice similarities between it and Jesus' teachings. And so this is what this writer says. He says, Many and great things came to us through the law and the prophets, and the others who followed after them. It is fitting so that those eager to learn, having become acquainted with these things, he's talking about the law and the prophets, also might make much more progress on account of the divine law of life. The one who grasps the law will take hold of wisdom, gladness, and a crown of rejoicing, and an eternal name he will inherit it inherit.

And then later on, the rabbis, so some of you might know that the rabbis, they're thought to be the ones who essentially succeed the Pharisees, or just the after the destruction of the temple in AD 70, that uh the rabbinic scribes and teachers, they were the ones who kind of became the normal form of Judaism. And so, this is what one rabbi writes about the law. He says, at Sinai, so Mount Sinai, where the Ten Commandments were given, where the law was given, when God gave the law, he appeared to them to the people of Israel as an old man full of mercy. And I think that's such an interesting picture. Right, this rabbi is talking about when Israel received the law, he says God didn't appear to them, right, as a grumpy, mean, right, angry old man, right, or a dictator.

But when God gave the law and appeared to the people, he describes him as an old man full of mercy. Another rabbi says, the holy one, blessed is he, was minded to grant merit to Israel. Therefore, he had multiplied for them the law and commandments, as it is written, it pleased the Lord for his righteousness' sake to magnify the law and make it honorable. And so the point I'm trying to make again is that for Jews, for Jesus, for James, for Paul, the observance of the law was always understood in the context of God's gracious covenant with them. God's gracious covenant that was based on the covenant God made with Abraham that was based on faith. In other words, the law never established one's relationship to God.

But the law was meant to maintain one's relationship with God. It even provided the means of forgiveness and atonement and sin. We see that in the sacrificial system. And of course, right, some people they twisted the law, as we see, right, in the book of Galatians, there clearly were people who were seeing the law as a means to salvation, where there was legalism, right? But the purpose of the law was always meant to maintain one's relationship with God by grace. And so overall, the Jews, they saw the Torah, right, the law, as relational before God. Right? The God who loved and redeemed them out of Egypt, right? Who established himself in relationship with them as their God. And so it was never meant to be cold, right?

This cold obedience, right? Out of guilt and fear, but it was always out of love and God's steadfast love for the people of Israel. And so I go on that long tangent about the law, right? And I bring all of this up because James, again, he uses positive language when he speaks about the law.

And he uses that word liberty. I think that's so interesting, right? At the end of verse 25. He says, right, that the person who does the law will be blessed and happy in his doing. And I think, right, like when we think the word law, we can think something that's restrictive, something that's not going to bring us joy, right? Something that's going to put shackles on us and restrain us from being who we truly are and you know, expressing ourselves and thinking, you know, that is going to bring us true happiness and fulfillment. But it's kind of like, you know, when we have to study for a test or we have to uh work out whatever it might be, right? In that moment where maybe we're having fun and we're not studying, right?

We think we're free. But then when we go to test day and we have to take that final exam, we don't feel very free. We've all felt that, I think, where we're not prepared for that test. And we feel not very free, right? We feel confined. Versus before that test, if we study and we prepare and we put those shackles on us, right, while our friends are going out and having fun, they're having their freedom, but we feel like our parents or ourselves while we're studying, right? We have shackles on ourselves. But then when we get to test day and we start and we've studied, right, we have that freedom of taking that test with joy because we know that we're ready and we can feel confident. And I think that's how the law is.

And why James can say that this is a law of liberty. That it might feel like we have shackles on ourselves when we follow God's word, and we feel like we're not able to enjoy what we want to enjoy. But in the long run, we see the payoff as we trust God and as we follow him as our heavenly father, the benefit of that. And we've seen too, I'm sure all of us, right? If we've lived long enough where we dabble in sin and we turn away from God and listening to him and his word, and we feel like we're having freedom, but then as time goes on, we start to see the fruits of that sin and what it does to ourselves, our relationship with God and our relationship with others. And so that's why I think James can call God's law a perfect law and the law of liberty, where it leads to blessing and happiness.

In verses 26 to 27, James ends this section by saying, if anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. So for some of us, the word religious, I think might have bad connotations. However, James, I think, is using it positively here. This word for religious in this context, it seems to mean to revere God, to worship God. He's saying, if you think you are a follower of Christ, but you don't act like it, he says that your faith is worthless. Your religion is worthless.

And he provides some examples of what someone who is a consistent worshiper of God looks like. And he gives these examples of right visiting orphans and widows in their affliction, and then to keep oneself unstained from the world. And I don't think this verse is meant to provide like an exhaustive list of what it means to be a true follower and doer of the word. I think he's just giving some practical examples, especially for his context, of what it looks like to do this. As we know, these letters that were written were occasional. They were written to a specific context and with specific circumstances, with people struggling with specific things within the congregation and with specific sins.

And so I think he's giving this principle for us, right? That we are to have lives of personal holiness, right? Lives that are responsible towards other people, right? And we're to think about our relationship with the world. So of course, that might include visiting orphans and widows, if that's in our context, right? And of course, keeping oneself unstained from the false ideologies of this world. But it could it can extend to anything that has to do with living in accordance and in consistency with God's word, being hearers and also doers. And so I'll all refrain from you know talking about these specific ones and elaborating on them because he spends plenty of time doing that in the rest of the letter.

And you can read it on your own. I mean, James is a book where you can read it in 10, 15 minutes, and there's something I guarantee you that you will get out of it. But for now, I want us to walk away, reflecting on what it means to be consistent by being true hearers of God's word, being true recipients of God's word, those who are also doers of the word. So we want to think about our lives. We want to examine our hearts and ask, where might I be inconsistent in my life? Where I might be inconsistent in my life when it comes to hearing God's word versus doing it. James says, as we do this, as we examine ourselves when we come to God's word, as we receive it in humility, trusting God and letting go of maybe the things that we love, right?

The sin that we love or the idols that we love, letting go and trusting God and following him. James says, as we do this, as we obey his law, we'll be blessed. He says we'll be happy. And he says, God will be glorified. Let's pray.

We are children of you, and as our Father, you know what's best for us. And so when you give us your law and your word, God, may we trust that you do have what's best for us in mind. That although it may seem like shackles being put on us at times. God, please remind us that this is truly what liberates us and frees us to live with joy and happiness and to be blessed. And that this is what glorifies you most. So create within us hearts that are soft and ready to receive the word at all times, God, this week in the weeks to come, in the years to come, as we come face to face with you and your word, and help us to live it out for your glory. So we thank you and we praise you in Christ's name.

Amen. Amen. And verse 22, but be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. And may we be a church that does that as we have just heard the word as we go throughout our weeks, um, just reading our our Bibles. May we be doers of the word. And as we uh continue this time of worship, we're gonna sing, yet not I, but through Christ in me. And that's the irony of just living this life for the Lord, that ultimately as we are uh practicing doing the word, that it's not going to be on our own accord. It's gonna be through Christ who lives in us. And so uh let's all rise and respond in a time of worship.

My hope is only Jesus for my life is wholly bound to him. Oh how strange and beyond see all his mind.

But I am not the seeking for thy side the Savior He will stay.

For in my power is his prayer to dance I hold my shepherd will be will be one and I shall come I dread no faith I dread I know I forgiven the future the pride sin has been paid this for she's the fled and suffer for my heart and he was rain to all of thy home but sick and deep Jesus now and ever is all the change our means I can see I am free through God every breath with every breath I long to fall a peace.

Yes. For he has said that he will bring me home amen. And say my day. I know he will remain. Until I send with joy before the north. Amen.

My hope is only Jesus. All the glory ever to him. When the day come to still my ways shall be not I, but through Christ. When the race, when the races come to still my ways, shall read me, and not I, but through Christ in me. Yet not I, but to Christ. Receive the blessing of the benediction. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. And grant you success in whatever you put your hand to for his namesake and for his glory. Amen and amen.