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Hearing and doing the Word. Youth Group Lesson 5.22.11
Here is my lesson from youth group tonight. Feedback appreciated! Feel free to be critical, and hope this helps you in any capacity it can.
Youth Group Lesson May 22nd 2011 Be Doers Of The Word
Over the summer, we will be going through the book of James. In the book, James, a brother of Jesus, challenges his readers, the Christians of the time, to not just be people that hear the word, but people that live according to what it tells them to do.
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 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. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 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.
1. How God commands us to live…what it really looks like
James challenges us to look at the perfect law of God. To hear this word, and then act on it.
What does this passage tell us? First off, this isn’t a list of suggestions, but rather a list of commands.
This passage commands us to :
· Be quick to here
· Be slow to speak
· Be slow to anger
Ø Put away all filthiness
Ø Put away all rampant wickedness
· Receive the implanted word
· Be doers of the word
What does it mean to be quick to listen?
Listening to your boss or parents , instead of cutting them to talk about your own agenda.
What does it mean to slow to speak?
Being careful what you say, and how you say it. This rules out things like making fun of someone to make yourself look better.
What does it mean to be slow to anger?
Instead of flipping out when your sibling lies to or about you. being graceful and humble with them.
What does it mean to put away filthiness?
To desire to be more like Christ, and to through prayer and accountability, killing sinful habits and addictions you have, whether it be lying, laziness, lust, ect
Receive the implanted word?
KNOW the bible, and live according to it. This starts with spending personal time daily, in the word. This, like all of these, is hard work, but Christ works in us, sanctifying us, to make these more of a habit when we ask for his helps.
2. What this doesn’t mean – earn salvation by works
While this passage tells us to be doers of the word, it cannot be confused as a list of does and don’ts where you can say
‘Ok, now I’m slow to anger’, so I’ve filled that obligation.
This is not a list of things to do that if you do make you ‘good’ and ‘right with God’, but it’s about a heart condition. Even when we look good on the outside, we may be doing things out worldly, and still be sinful in our heart.
In the New Testament, Jesus confronts the Pharisees for this many times. They did what the law said, but were not doing it for the right reason, because of their love for God and desire to obey him.
THEY were very concerned about making sure people saw them when they did good things, because they wanted the praise for it, instead of having a righteous heart and giving all the praise to God.
So what does this passage tell us about our heart condition?
Later in James, in Chapter 17, he tells us exactly how gross our heart looks:
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? James 17:9
Our heart is so deceitful, that we can’t even understand it, and certainly, on our own can not improve in these areas.
SO how do we fix it?
Well- the truth is we can’t. But the good news is, that work is already being done.
The spirit works in our hearts to sanctify us- making us more like Christ every day.
The Lord promises that he will do this in his people.
And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Deuteronomy 30:6
So maybe you’re thinking well yeah, I’d love to be a doer of the word, but I don’t have the power to do so. While, within yourself you have nothing, through Christ, we have already b
How does what Christ has done on the cross motivate us to be doers of the word?
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (Ephesians 1:3)
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
What does this mean… in Him we have
o Redemption and forgiveness- the grace of God to forgive us and save us, even as we constantly mess up.
o Every Spiritual Blessing- We can’t escape our sinful flesh on our own, no matter how hard we try, but if we trust in Jesus, we belong to him, and he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing of a believer.
o No temptation has seized you except what is common to man- We may be stuck in a sin struggle that we thing is so bad that will never escape, but He IS faithful, and provides a way of escape from our sin,
So the idea of this passage is once again, look at the perfect law of God. To hear this word, and then listen to what is says.
And what happens when we do this?
The Lord will bless us.
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.
BREAK OUT GROUPS
Leaders: Re-read the passage for them.
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 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. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 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.
The passage says put away all filthiness, and rampant wickedness. This implies that things we do are filthy and wicked.
Why do we do these things?
Why do we follow our sinful desires?
What does this tell us about trusting Christ?
What motivates you to overcome your sinful behaviors?
If we acted on the word of God, how would our lives be different?
What would it mean for you (personal , specific) to be a doer of the word instead of just hearing it?
How does what Christ has done motivate you to continue the work required in this area?
Close with prayer, however you want to do it.
