I'd like to give you all a warm
welcome to our worship here this morning. Let us come before the
Lord, let us ask his blessing upon our worship. O Lord God
of heaven and of earth, we ask thy blessing as we gather together
in thine earthly courts. We thank thee for this occasion,
we thank thee for this day, when we are reminded that thou didst
leave the tomb and arise and appear to thy dear disciples.
And O Lord, do continue, as Thou hast done over all the years
since, to visit us with Thy salvation. Grant us the eye of faith. It
might not just be rounds of service as we gather together, but we
come to worship the true and living God in and through Thy
beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. So do grant us
the help of Thy Spirit in mercy today. We deserve it not, But
Lord, we plead thy promise that thou be with us even unto the
end of the world. We ask through our Lord Jesus
Christ. Amen. Hymn, 1129. Tune, Haslingdon 544. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God, the Gospel according to Matthew and chapter
7. If you have one of our free Bibles,
that is page 890. The Gospel according to Matthew
and chapter 7. Judge not that ye be not judged,
for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged. And with
what measure ye meet, it shall be measured to you again. And
why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but
considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt
thou say to thy brother, let me pull out the mote out of thine
eye, and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite,
first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt
thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's
eye. Give not that which is holy unto
the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they
trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you. Ask and it shall be given you,
seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth,
and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall
be opened. For what man is there of you,
whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? or if he
ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being
evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much
more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things
to them that ask him? Therefore all things whatsoever
ye would that men should do to you, To ye even so to them, for
this is the law and the province. Enter ye in at the straight gate,
for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat. Because straight is
the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and
few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets which
come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
wolves. You shall know them by their
fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns
or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth
forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth
evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not
forth good fruit is shewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore
by their fruit ye shall know them. Not every one that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but
he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day,
Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name
have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful
works. And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore, whoso heareth these
sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise
man, which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended
and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that
house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. And
every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them
not, though he likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon
the sand. And the rain descended, and the
floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and
it fell, and great was the fall of him. And it came to pass when Jesus
had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his
doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority and not
as the scribes. Lord bless to us that reading
of his holy word and help us in prayer. Let us pray. O Thou loving and merciful Heavenly
Father, we come to Thee through Thy beloved Son, our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. O Lord, we thank Thee for the
word of Thy dear Son. The Father himself loveth You. Whatsoever ye ask of the Father
in my name, He will do it, He will give it you. Oh Lord, we
do ask in the name of Jesus Christ, we do seek Lord those blessings
which we do not deserve, which are freely given by grace. And we seek Lord those blessings
that come to us through Jesus' precious blood because He has
died because of his sufferings, his death, that which is unlocked,
the mercy that is unlocked for us. O Lord, do grant us, as we
come before thy word today, that faith that cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of the Lord. Thou hast granted unto
us faith to view thee right, to worship thee, to bow before
thee, not just as we gather in thy house, but day by day, hour
by hour, that we might be as the apostle said, in him we live
and move and have our being, and grant that our whole minds,
our lives might be as to live is Christ, to die is gain. Leave us not just to have our
faith, our religion, just a little part of our lives, Leave us not
to choose that which we shall do, that shall make us appear
religious. But do grant, Lord, that we might
be renewed, changed, new creatures in Christ, and that all we do
and say and think might be as breathing of that heavenly and
spiritual air. Do make us spiritual, and deliver
us from that which is carnal, that which has ruined many, taken
away their usefulness, that which has proved the eternal ruin of
many. Deliver us from those things,
especially when they come so close as to a way that seemeth
right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
We also, Lord, do bring before Thee that realisation of what
a thing it is to profess to know the way of salvation, to profess
to know thy word, and yet not be doers of it, and not actually
walking according to it. Lord, we live in the midst of
those who have no idea of thee, or of thy word. And oh Lord,
we do pray for them, open their eyes, bless thy word, send thy
word, direct the Bibles that we send out, May many, Lord,
come to the light of thy word, that, Lord, coming to that light,
may it be with that desire that our deeds, our words, our ways
be found out, that we be sanctified, that we might, through the washing
of water by the word, be made meat for the Master's use. We
confess our many, many sins, Lord, Feel it in our thoughts,
our words, our ways, our inconsistency, O Lord, do make us to be what
Thou hast have us to be and save us from the power and dominion
of sin. We thank Thee for our Lord and
Saviour, Jesus Christ. We thank Thee for the record
of what Thou hast done, the prophecies of what Thou wilt do. And Lord,
that which is accomplished, We thank thee for thy finished work
of redemption in the payment being made and in the way ordained
as to how those that thou hast put away their sins shall come
to a saving knowledge of thyself. O Lord, we do beg of thee that
true spirit of worship in thy house and day by day this people
thou hast said have I formed for myself they shall show forth
my praise. Lord, we do make intercession
for us, that thou dost bless and be with us as a church and
people, building us up, strengthening us, blessing and making us a
blessing to those round about and to those that gather in thy
house and those that join with us online. May thy blessing be
upon this place and upon thy word as it goes forth. We thank
Thee for answers to prayer, we thank Thee for open doors, and
where Thy word has been given an opening into many homes over
this last month, and we do thank Thee for that. And Lord, do hear
prayer that Thy word might be blessed to each one in whose
hand it comes. Lord, remember Thy promise, my
word shall not return unto me void. It shall accomplish the
thing whereto I sent in. And O Lord, we do pray that we
might from time to time even be given those encouragements
that thy word is bring forth through to thine honour and glory. O Lord, we do make intercession
for those that are ill at this time. We think especially of
thy servants laid aside grant thy kind healing hand to them. Lord remember in the changed
arrangements and we thank thee where we see providences that
enable thy word to be preached but otherwise it would not have
been. But do grant thy kind healing
hand and strengthen thy servants again and one to have medical
procedures in the coming week to bring him safely through that. And O Lord, raise to be able
to preach again in due course. And Lord, we do seek that Thou
wouldst help and send forth more labourers into the harvest. Be
with those who have commenced pastorates. We think of Thy servant
at Attleborough. We think of Thy servant at South
Charles. and Lord, thy servant at Haines. And Lord, may thy blessing be
upon their pastorates and their ministry. Lord, we do seek that
those remember those pastoralist churches and exercise them rightly. And Lord, where we lack office
bearers and those to take responsibility, do be pleased to provide for
us here and for the churches those blessings of godly deacons
and members of the Church. We do seek, Lord, that Thou would
remember each of Thy people in the churches as they gather in
this land, those the other side of the world and in America and
in Canada, and those who have no place of worship for their
own. Lord, do be with them and bless
the means that are provided for them. Do seek, Lord, that Thou
wouldst be with us in life's pathway. We begin another week. We commit it unto Thee. Our plans,
our journeys, our ministry, Lord, all that may be in front of many
this week. Lord, do remember Thy people
in their fears and do send a fear not. Do grant grace to help in
time of need. and do give thankful hearts when
we notice and see answers to prayer and helps that are given.
Lord, may we be like Hannah to return again to give thanks,
or like the Samaritan leper who returned to give thanks unto
God. You grant unto us life in our
prayers, in our servitude, and do help us to maintain consistent
family worship, worship with those under our roof, and our
own closet worship, and help us also to be consistent and
useful members of the Church of God, the local church. Lord,
we do seek of Thee that Thou hast granted us Thy blessing
on thy word this morning. Lord, make it to be applied to
our hearts. Cause, Lord, that it might be
a blessing to thy people and a help and strength to us. We
ask, Lord, that the gift of repentance and remission of sins might be
granted to us each, and that thou hast be pleased to make
us to be a people that show forth thy praise. Leave us not to bring
reproach upon thy name and upon thy cause. Lord, do help us now. We do thank Thee for Thy many
mercies of food and raiment, health and strength. We pray
for those in distress at this time. We think of the residents
of Los Angeles and many of them who have lost homes and some
loved ones and whole communities completely wiped out by fire. Oh Lord, we think a suburban
area would be safe. from fire. But Lord, we have
seen so much there. Lord, we have known it in Australia. But Lord, we do pray for them
there and in other parts of the world that are affected as well. Lord, we do pray these things
to be sanctified. We commit unto Thee the things
that are happening in the world. In a week or so's time, a new
president in America, one who Thou hast put in that position,
As this one has been, Lord, do be pleased to overrule for the
good of thy people, thy church, all that comes to pass. We know
it will be so, but we know that they will be entreated of by
the House of Israel to do it for them, to maintain the peace,
the religious liberties and freedoms that we have. We thank thee for
them. We are not worthy as a nation,
We pray for our rulers and all in authority over us, and that
they might be given that wisdom to seek Thee in all the decisions
they make. We pray their ears to be shut
to bad advice and open to good, and that laws might be righteous
ones and not sin, which is a reproach to us. Our Lord, who blesses through
thy word, grant us the aid and help of thy spirit. And may,
Lord, there be a sweet savour of Christ, and that which does
our souls good. We ask through thy name, Lord
Jesus. Amen. The announcement, Scott willing,
I'm expected to preach here this evening at 6.30pm on Thursday
at 7 o'clock and next Lord's Day at 11am and 6.30pm. The New Year's service, which
is to be held, if the Lord will, at Braybourne Lees on Tuesday
evening at 7 o'clock Mr. Jaber's right is unwell, and
so Mr. Bernard Burgess has kindly agreed
to take that service and preach on that occasion. The Bibles that were distributed
during December, and this is a wonderful answer to prayer
for us. We would remember in November,
we only had 29 requests through the web offer and made it a matter
of prayer that the Lord would direct people to ask his people
and those that he would be pleased to bless to request a Bible from
us. The Bible boxes, there was 13
taken from them in December, but 127 Bibles have been sent
out in response to the web offer. So that is after There have been
those you have asked before and various other ones that we don't
send to. These are the ones that we've
found a right to send and have been sent out. We value your
prayers to be with ours, that Lord will continue to open that
door and bless the Bibles as they go out week by week. Hymn, 454. Tune, Melita 790. Seeking for the help of the Lord,
I direct your prayerful attention to the general epistle of James,
and reading for our text in the first chapter, verse 22. We have one of our free Bibles,
that is page 1121, 1121. James chapter one, and verse 22, but be ye doers
of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own sounds. The following verse gives a further
illustration which I'll mention in a moment. that what is upon
my spirit is doers of the Word. It's a difficult thing, a thing
that requires faith and effort, we might say, but it is a vital
thing. It has been much upon my spirit
thinking of my own path and things that come into my own life. And then looking back to several
of the services, these sermons that I preached here, and those
words I have felt good, I brought them because the Lord had laid
them upon my spirit. But in looking back, I feel how
many times I have not put into practice the word. So the preaching
has been right, the word has been right, the instruction has
been right, but the putting it into practice has been difficult
and sometimes even not consciously thought, here is an occasion
that is coming to my life, and what I preached several weeks
back is exactly what is needed, I should be paying attention
to what I said before the people, what the Holy Spirit gave us,
and should be seeking to apply that now. This is one of those
occasions. But very often, either it's not
registered that this is an occasion that instruction that we've had
recently applies to, or we think, well, it is too hard. Yes, I know what should be done
to put these things into practice to apply this truth, but it's
so easier to take the line of least resistance. Perhaps to
give in to temptation, continue in a path that conscience says
is not good. And so this is the burden upon
my spirit here. Really that the ministry that
we hear, that it does profit us. We don't just forget it or
even just say, Well, that was a good sermon. That really applies
to my case. But then when we go home, and
in the following week and weeks after, we are failing to put
that word into practice or have it to be any benefit to us at
all. And so this is then what is upon
my spirit. And I want to begin with three
illustrations in the Word of God. The Lord uses many simple
illustrations, things that we're very familiar with, to teach
profound and spiritual lessons. It's good for us in the ministry
if we can also use illustrations like that. But if we highlight
those that are in the Word of God, they are timeless illustrations. If we were to go to preachers
that lived 100, 200 years ago, and borrow from them some illustrations,
I'm sure that there'd be many of our hearers that would not
have a clue what the illustration itself was. let alone the teaching
that was to it. The illustration itself shouldn't
need to be explained. The illustration is what we know. What is explained is the truths
that it illustrates. So there are three here. The
first one is the verse that is after our text. Verse 23 of James 1. If any be a hearer of the word
and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face
in a glass, for he beholdeth himself and goeth his way, and
straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. So we have the picture. We have
a picture of us going to a mirror and looking in the mirror, and
we see our image, we see what it is. Now, if we look in that mirror
and our hair is all standing on end, or if we've got a dirty
face, do we just register and look on it and say, That is the
case. That's what I look like. You
turn away and you don't do anything about it. You forget what you
actually saw. But if we look and see and then
do something about it, straighten our hair and wash our face, then
we're not only just looking, we're doing. Verse 25, Whoso
looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein,
he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this
man shall be blessed in his deed. Really, the picture is here.
Every time that we are reading the Word of God, every time that
is preached to us, is like we're looking at ourselves in the Word
of God. Our Lord said that men would
not come unto Him, they would not come unto the light, lest
their deeds should be made manifest. There's a subconscious thought
that if I look into the Word of God, The Word of God is going
to condemn something I do, it's going to show that I'm wrong,
it's going to mean that I should change my life, and I don't want
to change my life, so I'm not going to look and come into the
Word of God. And many like that, that's why
they don't want to read the Word of God, they don't want to attend
a place of worship, because their conscience already is telling
them that their life is not consistent. with what God requires in his
word. But if we know the Lord and we
know the word of God, may we be then mindful of this illustration
of a mirror. May it remind us every time we
look in the mirror, say, how do we look into the mirror of
the word of God? What things do we see that are
wrong with us in our lives What things do we need to put right? The second illustration is going
to the second chapter of James. And in verse 14, we have, or
through this chapter, James is speaking of having faith, but
without works. And so he says, What doth it
profit, brethren, though a man say he have faith and have not
works? Can faith save him? And then
he gives this illustration. If a brother or sister be naked
and destitute of food, daily food, one of you say unto them,
depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding ye
give them not those things which are needful to the body, what
doth it profit? What a picture, we see someone
without food, someone that's needy, and we say to them, the
Lord will provide for you. The Lord will appear, but we
have the means to give them. We could be the answer to their
prayers, but we don't, we don't give it to them. And that is
the illustration if one says that they have faith but not
works. And then he gives another illustration
later on regarding Abraham in verse 21. Abraham was told to
go by God to Mount Moriah and offer up his son. Now the scriptures
say that Abraham believed that God was able to raise him up
from the dead even if he was offered up. But Abraham didn't
just stay where he was and say to God, I believe, I know that
thou art able to raise up my son if I slay and offer him up. He didn't. He went. He went to
offer him up on the altar. And so his faith was really shown
to be a real faith. And this is the main thrust of
James in his epistle, is that the word brings forth real, practical
fruit. It's not just in the head, it's
not just said, it is actually walked out. And these then, the
illustrations here. But we have another one in the
portion that we read in the Gospel according to Matthew. Matthew
chapter 7 and beginning in verse 24. And the Lord gives a parable
and he says of what it looks like, what a man is like that
heareth the sayings of the Lord, and doeth them, he likens him
to a man that built his house upon a rock, a good foundation. When the rain descended, floods
came, the winds blew, beat upon that house, it fell not, for
it was founded upon a rock. This then is contrasted with
another illustration of a man that built his house upon the
sand, and he is said to be a foolish man. And that man is the one
that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not." So
we have two contrasts, a simple illustration. How easy, sometimes
an illustration like this can be misapplied. Someone can remember
it and think, oh, this means to build upon Christ, the rock,
the foundation, that's a saved one. To build upon some other
foundation, that is someone that's lost. But if that's all we get
from this, we miss the whole message of our Lord. The Lord
is not speaking directly, firstly, of building upon Him or building
upon someone else at all. All He is giving an illustration
on is whether we hear and do or hear and do not do. That is
all. And so again, this is really
emphasised and it should be our great concern that we do this. Now, I want to just highlight
the beginning of this chapter that we read. Chapter 7 begins,
Judge not that ye be not judged. Does that mean that the Christian
just allows anything to happen? The father, the mother? Sure,
mustn't judge my child. They can do what they like. We
mustn't condemn them. Of course, that doesn't mean
that. The scriptures are full of where
we must pass righteous judgment, right judgment, compare with
the word of God, our lives, others' lives. But what it does mean,
and the context here means, is that if we are doing the same
things, or if we are doing things that are worse, it may be, than
the person that we're judging, what we need to do is to set
right our own house first. And the Lord gives this illustration
of it being like a great big thing in our eye, our being,
something we are doing wrong, and we're saying to a brother
or sister in faith, let me correct something in your life that is
very small. And we're neglecting to deal
with something in our own life. There's one reason why the Lord
bids us to pray for our enemies and those that despitefully use
us Because often while we are praying for them and laying before
the Lord what they have done, the Lord turns our own words
or turns the word round like a mirror to us and we see that
we actually are doing similar things. Maybe not exactly the
same thing, but similar things to another one. Of course, this
is the principle that the Lord used with those that brought
the woman that was taken in adultery in the very act. He said, he
that hath no sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And then he just stooped, writing
on the ground. Maybe writing the law of God,
we don't know. But just the silence. Silence
can be a very powerful thing sometimes. And they went out
one by one, convicted in their own conscience, realizing that
there are things in their life that they were just as guilty
as that woman. And we can be like that. And
we can be like that because we hear the word of God, but then
we go away and we don't make any effort whatsoever to put
right those things that are wrong in our lives. It's much more
easier to appear righteous by doing something we choose to
do, and to condemn others in what they have done wrong, which
make us look better. And so the Lord is giving many,
many illustrations through this chapter in a very similar vein. But it is a vital thing that
we be those who put the Word of God into practice and put
it into practice in areas of our life of which the flesh is
in ascendancy, Satan is tempting us, we are not like the Lord,
and we are living far off from the Lord. The whole gospel and
the way our Lord is exalted is to give repentance and remission
of sins unto Israel, is to bring us to change, and where that
change is, then there's forgiveness as well. There's bound up within. I want to then look this morning
at three points. Firstly, the word read or heard
preached. That which we are to be a doer
of. And then secondly, putting into
practice what we read. And thirdly, putting into practice
what we hear preached. Firstly, the word read or heard
preached or, for example, what we are to be doers of. And it is important that we we
make this distinction. Put simply, we are to be doers
of the inspired Word of God. If we were to go a little further
in the Gospel according to Matthew, in chapter 15, we have our Lord
reproving the scribes and the Pharisees, He is saying to them
that this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and
honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they do worship
me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. And he reproved in another place
that they laid burdens upon men, grievous to be born, religiously
washing of cups or plates, tithing of mint of cumin, all manner
of things. They had some 638 or so commandments. Now, when we are to be doers
of the word, we're not to be doers of what men has devised. We're not to be following religious
rules that do not come from the Word of God at all, men have
put that weight upon them. We have to be very careful that
we stick to the inspired Word of God. The command for us to
preach is to preach the Word, and we're not to add or subtract
to it. So, for a first thing, make us to be
doers of the Word as confined to what is set forth that we
should do in the Word of God. The second thing to be mindful
of is that we do that which is really taught in the Word of
God by comparing Scripture with Scripture, the true meaning of
the Word. To give an example, We have Satan
coming to our Lord and saying, taking him up to the pinnacle
of the temple, and saying, cast thyself down from hither. In other words, be a doer, do
this. For the scriptures say, ye shall
give his angels charge over thee, lest thou dance thy foot against
a stone. Bear thee up in their arms, he
says. Now he's quoting scripture. But
the Lord says he's written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord
thy God. And so we mustn't take scripture
out of context and make it say what we want it to say, or others
make it say what they want it to say, so that we do something
that we think is based on scripture, but it's not what the Lord has
said. And that of course applies to
the Old Testament, the covenant with national Israel, those commandments
do not apply to the Church of God today. And we need to make
that distinction as well. We don't need to offer the sacrifices,
we don't need to keep those feast days that Israel needed to do. So we need to be clear of what
we need to be doers of. The other thing to be mindful
of, the Scriptures, all inspired, every word in the Bible is put
there by the Holy Ghost, but some of those things that we
read in the Bible are recorded events that have happened, even
things that God's own dear children did, like David did with numbering
Israel. Now, there it is very clear,
he numbered them, he did not pay into the sanctuary, and then
the Word of God was fulfilled, the Lord brought diseases and
distressed them and killed many of them, the plague. But there
are other occasions where men do things, and we aren't just
to say, well, because it is in the Word of God, then we will
follow their example and we will do what they did. We need to
think this is recorded, but is it to follow or is it perhaps
even as a warning? There's many chapters in the
New Testament that go back to the old, to the children of Israel
going through the wilderness and say these things happened
to them for an example and for a warning for us. So if we're
to be a doer of the Word, we've got to think in this way, are
we going to do like they did or are we going to take warning
and not do what they did and obey it in that way? So if we
are to be doers of the Word, be very careful that what we
actually are going to do is commanded. The Lord does requiring. This was one of the occasions
at Jerusalem where there were some that said to the Gentiles,
they must be circumcised if they're going to be joined to the people
of God and blessed. And so the apostles, they gathered
together. Did they need to be? And Peter,
he said, the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles, just the same
as us at the beginning. Why should we laid on them this
burden that even we found hard to do? And they determined that
they did not need to do that. So there is then an example of
the scriptures where something was done in the Old Testament
with the Jews that does not apply and is not required to be done
by the Gentiles. So we need to be mindful Of this,
when we think of doing, what are we doing? Doers of the Word,
but doers of the Word in the way that the Lord has really
intended and the Lord has commanded us to do. The second thing, putting into
practice what we read. It's a blessed thing to be able
to have a Bible in our homes, but it's a blessed thing to read
it. There's so many that have a Bible and they don't read it. Or they read it, they just pick
one chapter here, one chapter there, and they wonder why they
never learn anything. You know, if we were to have
a letter from someone, we wouldn't just pick up halfway through
the letter and think to know what that person meant. Or if
we read a book, we wouldn't just start reading halfway through,
we'd read from the beginning. We would remember the letters
in the New Testament, they are letters. If we are to get the
full meaning of it, we begin at the beginning and we read
through. And so, when we read the Word
of God, we are to read it and read it so that we're getting
the full message that God has intended. It's a good thing to
use a reading scheme like that, of Robert Murray Machain, or
that put out by the Trinitarian Bible Society, which regularly
goes through the Word of God and through, with one person
doing it, in two years they'd read through the whole Bible
once, the Gospels twice, the Psalms twice. It's a good way
of getting to really know the Word of God and then to compare
scripture with scripture, study the Word of God. And that reading
scheme, very often you'll find the reading that you're reading
in the morning will correspond with that which is being read
in the evening. There's a morning and evening
portion in it. Our Lord in Luke chapter 10,
he speaks to one that came to him, a lawyer, that came asking
a question. We're told that this lawyer,
in verse 25 of Luke 10, came tempting him saying, Master,
what shall I do to inherit eternal life? Be mindful what our subject
is, is speaking of being a doer of the word. And this is what
he wanted, what shall I do? So the Lord pointed him to the
law of God. What is written in the law, how
readest thou? What a question that is. Applied
to with all that we have in reading the word of God, How readest
thou? And he says, Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbour
as thyself. So he's able to read. But then
our Lord said, Thou hast answered right, this do, and thou shalt
live. Now for him to put that into
practice, he's got to know what that is. There is the law, but
what is the practical part of that law? Now he willing to justify
himself said unto Jesus, who is my neighbor? If he is going
to treat thy neighbor as thyself, who is my neighbor? And the Lord
then tells the parable of the good Samaritan, Samaritan that
the Jew would despise, that wouldn't go to help at all, and yet he
is the one that goes down and helps the one that he sees fell
among thieves. The Lord, he says, to him, which
of these three, whether it be the Levite, the priest, or the
Samaritan, the Samaritan, the help, the one that has fallen
amongst thieves, which of these three thinkest thou was neighbor
unto him that fell among the thieves? He said, he that showed
mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, go
and do thou likewise. So when we're reading the Word
of God, you know, this lawyer, he could read the law, he could
say what the law said, but when the Lord pressed him to be a
doer of the law where he wanted to be a doer of it, by the deeds
of the law, by the way, no man living shall be justified We
are saved by grace, we are saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
alone, not by deeds of the law. We want to make this very, very
clear. The way of salvation is not by
our deeds and not by our works. Our works are a fruit of grace. We are saved by faith in what
the Lord Jesus Christ alone has done. And what would it have
been if Our Lord had not come, not obeyed, not lived a perfect
life, not offered his life a sacrifice for sin. There would be no salvation,
there could not be any. Our salvation depends on the
perfect obedience and work of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And our salvation is the faith
that he gives to trust in His work alone, with none of our
works added to it. Our works do not add or subtract
from our salvation, but they are an evidence of it. They are
a fruit of it. They that have faith in Christ,
those that are saved through our Lord Jesus Christ, will be
doers of the Word, will be repenting sinners, They will change their
lives to fashion after the Lord and what is pleasing in his sight,
and they'll love what he loves and hate what he hates. We need
to make that clear. This lawyer, he thought he was
to inherit eternal life by some of his deeds. Be very clear,
we do not inherit eternal life in that way at all, but we are
to be. doers of the word. It was Martin
Luther that really struggled at one time with the book of
James, because Martin Luther coming out of the Church of Rome,
where works was emphasised as needful for salvation, He had
his eyes opened to Paul's writings in Romans, where we are justified
by faith in Christ alone, not by works, lest any man should
boast. But James, he takes a different
aspect. James is not speaking of making
ourselves worthy or being saved because of our works. He's speaking
of fruits. and the evidence of real, true,
saving faith. So when we read the Word of God,
may this question always be with us, how readest thou? How readest thou? How do we see
the application, the teaching? What should there be in it that
we should do? I think it's Alan Cairns has
a good way of studying the Word of God, whenever you read a chapter,
to go through that chapter and have a little checklist, whether
on paper or just mentally, what is there in this chapter that
speaks of Christ? What is there something I didn't
know before? What is there something that
I should be doing that I'm not doing now? And what is there
something I'm doing now that I should not do And we're looking
at this chapter, in each chapter, with a question like that. And if we do that, then we're
likely to be doers of the Word. I want to look then at our third
point, and putting into practice what we here preached. Remember
in the letters to the churches in Asia, he that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith. and to the churches. In Romans 10, the apostle makes
it very clear there is a need of preaching the word. We are
not to just think, well, it's all right, I can just have my
Bible, sit at home and read the word of God. I don't need to
go to the church of God. I don't need to hear the word
preached at all. Paul is very clear that we do,
that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of the
Lord. How shall they call on him? This is Romans 10 verse 14. In whom they have not believed,
how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
How shall they hear without a preacher? How shall they preach except
they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed
the gospel. doers, obeying the gospel. Now, when it is the Lord gave
the word, great was the company of them that published it. In
preaching, we publish the word. We preach the word God has given
us, and is be a help to the people of God. It's for the edification
of the body of Christ. It's to feed them, nourish them,
improve them. It is to be that way that Lord
speaks to his people. So if the Lord has ordained that
certain messages be sent, then he knows our hearts, he knows
the congregation, he knows our church, he knows those that shall
hear, and there is a purpose and reason for that. You may
often think, why has the preacher brought this? Why has the Lord
seen fit to bring that particular text and that particular message
today? And sometimes it can be a great
comfort when we realize that it is so suited to what we are
going through. But there's the other side. Are
we actually then putting it into practice? Are we going over those
things and applying them actually in our lives? If we think back, perhaps, Some
of the services last Thursday, 9th of January, they cried unto
the Lord in their trouble. And we spoke of seven that were
brought into troubles and they cried unto the Lord. We had three
in the Old Testament, three in the New. Our remarks were based
upon Psalm 107. But when we have come into troubles
in this week, have we cried? Have we turned to the Lord in
prayer? Have we put into practice what that sermon was pointing
to? Or have we just forgotten it? What about the afternoon? Some
of you may not have heard this, the talk in the pilgrim home. No greater love than Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ who laid
down his life One of the evidences of being his friend was that
we do whatsoever he commands us. Do we, are we mindful and
do our lives reflect that as being a friend of God? What about the Lord's Day morning on the
5th? What was the text then? The cause
that is too hard for you, bring it unto me and I will hear it. Have we had those causes that
are too hard? Those things that are too difficult,
have we brought them to the Lord? Our sin, our besetting sin, our
hard heart, our lack of appetite for the Word. How many things
Perhaps instead of bringing it to the Lord, we've just given
up. We've said there's no hope. Israel were like that. What about the evening of that
day? All needs supplied in Christ, a fullness. It had pleased the
Father that in Him should all fullness dwell. Have we had that
lack? Lack of grace? Spiritual gifts
needed, maybe temporal things. Have we gone to the Lord mindful
of this? The Lord sent through his servant
the other week, this and this. He set this before us. This is
what we're going through now. This is our need now. This is
what we should do and be mindful of. Well, that's just a few of
them. You might like to look back on
some of the messages in recent weeks. Compare them with your
life. Compare the things that you've
gone through, that I've gone through, and ask, have we actually
put them into practice? Have we cried? Have we gone to
the Lord? Have we made those efforts to
mortify the deeds of the body through the spirit? Or have we
just given up with that? Just continuing on our life,
regardless of what we hear, and what the word is set before us.
So this is my burden. And may it be, may it be yours
as well. May it be ours as we continue
on. And the Lord gives his word week
by week that we be mindful that this word is a word to be done,
a word to be walked out. And it won't just happen easy.
to be that which is prayed over, sought for grace and help, to
be a doer of the Word. Remember the illustrations. Remember
especially the illustration of the one building on the rock,
building on the sand. It's not an indifferent thing,
not an unimportant thing. It is an important thing that
we be doers of the Word and not Hear us only. May the Lord bless
this word. Amen. Hymn, 256. Tune, Wareham 431. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you all now and evermore. Amen.