BE DOERS

NOT HEARERS ONLY Mattbew 7:13-29 Focus(24-29) But it all speaks of doing the right thing "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 observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:22–25) Putting these two scriptures together reallly brings the message home, that the relationship with Jesus is not a one sided relationship. Just like a marriage is not 50/50 neither is a marriage relationship with Christ. Either we are 100% in, or we will feel like an outsider.. Believe me riding the fence is not a picnic. It's like sitting or landing on the saddle horn when your horse is bucking. Believe me its not a nice ride in the least. So, following Christ as a hearer of the Word only,listening to it, and thats as far as you go, you will not see any changes in your life and no one else will either. In some churches there is still bible reading that happens in the hearing of the congregation. Where someone is appointed to read Scripture aloud while the congregation listens and prepares their hearts for the message. Today, “hearer of the word” applies to those who attend church, listen to sermons, and engage with their Bibles, this could also include bible reading at home, by a member of the familty in family devotions. When one just listens, and it does not move the hearer into action in doing what they have heard, that what these scripures are talking about. The doer of the word, first listens and the seed takes root, and the life begins to change and he/she does what the yhave heard in the word of God. They comprehend/understand the Word and then toey obey it and do it. Putting into practice the things they have been learning. And so it should be Why? Because God’s wrd was written by the hand of man, guided by the hand of God and it is the truth. If we do not leave church with a plan to put into practice what we have heard we would be sherking our responsibility to our Lord. James tells us that we should not just listen, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). He goes on to say, if you are a hearer only, you will forget what yiu have heard by the time you get home. I must admit some Sundays it is like that, I know, and on those Sundays, it kind of imbaricing, that my mind was somewhere else rather than in the service. (James 1:25); the doer will reinforce the truth in his mind through action. I like it when I return home and something I have heard has changed my actions in the next week, because I have applied the truths I heard from the scriptures through the mouth of the pastor, Gods servant. The bible is “the perfect law that gives freedom” (James 1:25). Why wouldnt you want to put it into practice if it promoses us freedom? Jesus Christ offers us freedom from sin, through a new beginning a new birth in the spiritual realm. If you have experienced a relationship with Christ, you have been more than just a hearer, you have been a does, and have taken the steps needed to be born again in Christ, and your salvation will be real. This is when the scriptures come alive, when we have repented of our sins and believed in our hearts and we have seen the transformation begin to take place in our lives, by allowing the Holy Spirits power to change us into a new person, beinging to life out the scripture we have listened to. How often do we go to the miror to check our face, our hair, before we go out on a date, or to a meeting We don't just go look into the mirror and do nothing, if we see something thats out of place, our hair is messy or our collar is crocked, we fix it. We don't just look into the mirror and then forget what we saw. Well my friends, its the same way when we are hearers of the word of God and not doers. Really,it is senseless to hear God’s Word and walk away from Church and do nothing. Read and listen to what (Matthew 7:24-29) is saying. Only the foolish mand does what it is saying or the wise man does just the opposite. Read 1John 3:18 and Romans 12:1, (read, listen and do) I have said in many of the messages I have spoken, that if we expect God to bless us, we need to be doers of the word and not hearers only. When we trust and obey, when we hear and do, God will bless. (Romans 10:15) When we act of what we hear, we become "hands and feet of God as we become Christ’s physical presence on earth, we show love and compassion, we serve each other in some way on a daily bases. Finish by reading - (Matthew 25:34-40 and 1 Corinthians 12:27.) You see, "In keeping [God’s commands] is great reward” (Psalm 19:11). Father God, thank you, for your guidance and direction in the word of God, thank you for the forgiveness of sin.That once we have been forgiven that sin is gone, and we can live in a new and better way. I know you said we are to go and be about your buisness and sin no more. Lord help me in my weaknesses, because GREATER IS HE WHO ISD IN ME,THAN HE WHO IS IN THE WORLD. (1 John 4:4) AMEN