Title: Listen Lord, Your Servant is Speaking

Text: James 1:18-21

Date: 3-21-04.am

Thesis Statement: James gives a three fold responsibility to believers concerning their relationship to the Word of God. We generally want to speak and expect God to listen to us. James, however, says we have an obligation to be diligent in hearing God Speak and receiving His Word.

James 1:18-21

18     In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures.

19     {This} you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak {and} slow to anger;

20     for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

21     Therefore putting aside all filthiness and {all} that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. (NAS)

Beginning in verse 19 going through chapter 5 verse 6 James writes about the Characteristics of faith. The passage we are going to look at this morning reveals that faith receives the Word.

Verses 19 and 20 are often taken out of context and used in talking about dialogue between individuals. It is certainly good advice that can be applied to interpersonal communications. We often do just the opposite of what James instructs. I always believe I learned it backwards because I want to be quick to speak and slow to hear. I seem to want people to hear my side of the story, and at the same time have my ears closed to hearing their side then want to get bent out of shape because they didn’t seem to hear a word I said. You may know that feeling too.

But James has a bigger agenda in mind than just interpersonal communication. Verses 19 and 20 are connected to verses 18 and 21 both of which refer to the Word of God. James is talking about our response to hearing and receiving the Word of God. For us today that means the Bible, and includes the proclamation of the truth of the Bible. For James original recipients, there was no Bible for them to read, so he is talking specifically about receiving the oral communication of the Gospel message concerning the first the how of salvation, and also the message of sanctification or how to live and grow in Christlikeness. When we talk about sanctification there is positional sanctification which takes place them moment you trust Christ, you are sanctified or made holy, and there is progressive sanctification which is the process of growing or maturing into Christlikeness.

In verse 18 James made it clear we are born again or brought forth by the sovereign will of God expressed through the word of truth, or the word proclaimed in truth. We must be quick to hear that message. Quick in this case doesn’t mean fast rather it means to be keenly perceptive, or eager to hear. It describes an attitude of the heart and mind where by we are always anxious or eager to hear the words of God.

We are blessed today to have a number of ways we can eagerly hear God’s word. We know that we hear God’s Word in our minds as we read and study the Bible. We hear God’s word proclaimed and explained in Sunday School, Bible Study and worship. We also have God’s word available on tapes and CD’s, on the computer, radio and television. The important thing is we hear it. Not just listen to it, but hear what it says. It is the Word of life, how to find life eternal and abundant and how to live life.

For those to whom James wrote, because there was no written word, there was the Old Testament but not everyone would have access to it, it was essential for them to hear the spoken word. It is just as essential today, perhaps even more, that we willingly hear the word. We live in a world characterized by busyness, going 15 directions at once. I have heard people say I had so much going on I only half heard what you said. I’m sure I’ve probably said that and maybe you have too. To all of us who have busy lives James says we must take time to hear the Word of truth.

It also becomes necessary when we talk about hearing the word today to be discerning, that’s another part of what it means to be quick to hear. We read in the book of Acts when Paul proclaimed Jesus as Messiah the Bereans searched the Scriptures (Acts17:11ff) to see if what he said was true. Again the only Scriptures available to them was the Old Testament. But they examined what Paul said in light of what God had revealed. There are many false teachers today. The only way we can make sure we have heard the word of truth proclaimed is to be familiar with the written revelation of God. People are lead astray every day by charismatic cult leaders such as Jim Jones, David Koresh, and others. There are televangelist who proclaim they are prophets from God with a fresh and new message from God and anyone who would disagree with their teachings stands in danger of judgement. Believers are to be perceptive and discerning concerning the proclamation of the Word. We must be anxious to hear the word of truth proclaimed but it must be consistent with the truth revealed in the Bible.

The second part of what James says is a little harder for us to understand in the context of receiving God’s word. But in the house churches of the first century the worship wasn’t as organized or liturgical there might be more than one person who would speak on an issue and voice their opinion rather than the truth of God’s word. When you read Paul’s writings you see he also addressed this kind of thing when he talked about those in the church who were wolves in sheep’s clothing. Men who were leading members astray with false doctrine, who were criticizing Timothy because of his youth, who even questioned Paul’s authority in the church. They were not quick to hear the word of God, but were quick to speak out against it and against God’s messengers.

James reminded his readers they were to be slow to speak, or deliberate in what they had to say. Paul wrote to the Colossian church in Col 3:16

“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms {and} hymns {and} spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (NAS) To the Corinthian church is said all those things were to be done for the edification of the body, the building up of the body, not to hurt the body or tear it down (1 Cor 14:26).

James gives several warnings about the use of the tongue that apply to our understanding what he says in this verse. In verse 26 of this same chapter James wrote: “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his {own} heart, this man's religion is worthless.” (NAS) In chapter three warns, “let not many of you become teachers.” The NIV adds a key word in that passage to help us understand what James is talking about the word is presume. Dr. A. T. Robertson wrote

“There is thus a clear complaint that too many of the Jewish Christians were attempting to teach what they did not clearly comprehend.” So they were being quick to speak before they were quick to hear. They were presuming to be teachers when they should have been listening.

Where we see this most noticeable today is with those who speak out in an attempt to discredit the Bible or change the Bible. Those who attempt under the guise of scholastic research to portray the Bible as less than God’s inspired revelation. Who attempt to minimize the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, who attempt to redefine the teachings of scripture to make them more politically correct, more socially acceptable, who attempt to make the Bible one of many revelations and the cross of Christ one of many ways to heaven. Another way we speak against the Word of God is by our lifestyle. We don’t often think about that and we don’t want to think about it, but you’ve heard it said that actions speak louder than words. We actually speak against the Scriptures when our walk doesn’t match our talk. As Christians, we must think not only about what we say, but about what we do as well.

We should be quick to hear the word of God and slow to speak against the word of God. And the third admonition is to be slow to anger. We all know how easy it is to get angry, especially when someone criticizes us or contradicts us or disagrees with us. As I said James words here are good sound logical, wise advise for interpersonal communications. Wise counsel for handling disagreements, but there is an even greater admonition here concerning the word of God.

You see often times we get angry when the word of God convicts us about bad habits or unrighteous living. Sometimes we get mad at God, sometimes we get mad at the preacher for bringing it up. James in warning those in the congregation to be slow to speak warns them also not to get angry because they are being rebuked by the teachings of God. James says don’t be angry because getting angry doesn’t help you change you life. Being angry doesn’t bring about the righteous life God desires it only hinders it.

Instead of being angry James says hear the word and put aside all of the filthiness and all that remains of wickedness and in humility receive the word. The word translated filthiness is used only once in the New Testament if refers to moral filth. It applies to all impure and unholy affections. It is the lust or evil desire James spoke of in 1:15 that concieves and results in sin.

The second term or phrase “All that remains of wickedness” refers to an evil disposition towards others. Peter says it this way in 1 Pet 2:1 we are to lay, aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.”(NAS) Some of those persecuted Christians were becoming angry with one another and with God and were sowing seeds of strife, and disharmony among believers. Instead of anger we are to prepare our hearts to receive the implanted Word.

In Matt 13:3-9 Jesus taught the parable of the sower.

3       And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went out to sow;

4       and as he sowed, some {seeds} fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.

5       "And others fell upon the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.

6       "But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7       "And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.

8       "And others fell on the good soil, and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.

9       "He who has ears, let him (NAS)

The seed of life, which is the word of God had been sown; many of them had received it to their salvation; others had partially heard it, but not so as to produce in them any saving effects. Some may have taken up with other doctrines, from which they could not receive salvation; James exhorts them to prepare their hearts to humbly receive the doctrine of Christ, which would be the only means of salvation.

How are you at hearing and receiving the Word? Are you wanting to speak to God more than listen to Him. Are you receiving God’s Word for salvation and sanctification, letting it guide your life? Are you repenting or resenting when the word of God convicts? Will you allow Him to search you, to know your heart and your thoughts to cleanse you and set you free? He stands waiting for you to come and be set free.