Getting The Most From A Sermon James 1

Getting The Most From A Sermon James 1: 21 -27

Reminders • God seeks us (Luke 15: 4; 19: 10; John 4: 23, 24) • Satan seeks us (1 Peter 5: 8)

Mutual Obligations • Speaker: Study the Word (2 Timothy 2: 15) • Speaker: Preach the Word (2 Timothy 4: 2) • Listener: Desire the Truth (1 Peter 2: 2) • Listener: Love the Truth (2 Thessalonians 2: 10 -12)

Properly Prepare (v. 21) • Preacher – Serious responsibility – Why there are few (James 3: 1)

Properly Prepare (v. 21) • Outward – Ignorance not a valid excuse – Attend – Concentrate

Properly Prepare (v. 21) • Inward – Lay aside the filthiness of sin (Psalm 29: 2; 1 Timothy 2: 8) – Repent (Acts 8: 22) – Confess (James 5: 16; 1 John 1: 9) – No fellowship without cleansing (Psalm 24: 4, 5)

Properly Receive (v. 21) • “Cafeteria style” – Take what they like – Neglect the others – Note: You can only have it your way at Burger King!

Properly Receive (v. 21) • Proper desire – “To receive by deliberate and ready reception of what is offered” (Vine’s) – Idea of embracing

Properly Receive (v. 21) • Word saves when implanted – Spared some damage from society (1 Timothy 4: 7, 8) – Saved from sin (Romans 1: 16; Ephesians 1: 13) – Called to glory by the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 2: 13, 14)

Properly Apply (vv. 22 -27) • Reproduced in life – Elton Trueblood: “The church is the largest spectator sport in the world. ” – Physically present but mentally absent

Properly Apply (vv. 22 -27) • Use the mirror – Study of worship habits of Americans concluded that “Christianity is a wonderful system of ethics, but it doesn’t work. ” – Sad indeed – Any members of the Lord’s church in the study?

Properly Apply (vv. 22 -27) • Duty – Seeing to the needs of those around them (vv. 26, 27) – Part of being the “salt of the earth” and “light of the world. ” (Matthew 5: 14, 16)

Failure (Ezekiel 33: 30 -33) • People: “Come…let’s hear” (v. 30) – Lip service only – “Keeping house”

Failure (Ezekiel 33: 30 -33) • Heart wasn’t in it (v. 31) – Only claimed to be God’s people – Hadn’t removed the “filthiness” of sin (Isaiah 59: 1, 2)

Failure (Ezekiel 33: 30 -33) • Preacher sounded pleasant (v. 32) – Listened to what he said – No intention of obeying (Matthew 7: 24, 25; 2 Timothy 4: 3)

Failure (Ezekiel 33: 30 -33) • Blood on their own heads (v. 33) – Knew that a prophet had been among them – Must preach “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20: 26, 27)

Acceptable Worship • Removing • Receiving • Reflecting