This morning and I attended RiverValley Church with my girlfriend, brother and grandparents. It was my first time attending RiverValley. We ended up there because it is my grandparents 51st anniversary and they wanted to come up to Mishawaka and celebrate with us before they leave for California for 3 weeks.
There are three key phrases that are said in verse 19.
1. quick to listen
2. slow to speak
3. slow to become angry
In any type of relationship we have as humans we need to be capable of doing these things. They are vital and so incredibly important. I always think that God must have given us two ears in one mouth for a reason. It is so important that we are quick to listen and then slow to speak and slow to become angry.
We as Christians hear the word of God in two ways.
1. Reading the word
2. Having it preached to us (hearing what God wants us to hear)
Picture this...we are usually so quick to speak in our culture today because lots of people like things done their own way. Imagine listening to someone talk to you and as they're speaking...something they say triggered you...you immediately want to mouth of something right back to them because you didn't like what they said. When things like that happen you miss out on the entirety of what is being said to you. As soon as you became angry, you zoned out and stopped listening. That is why is it important that we are quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
I bet that happens sometimes when you read certain texts in the bible. You are reading through it and there are things that disturb you and right away, you are coming up with harsh judgments and assumptions and you miss the entire point of the story.
The word of God is the highest authority and we won't listen to is, why should we ever imagine being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry?
We need to orient ourselves to the word of God. We need to stand under the word of God. The pastor referenced that many church's talk about the important of standing firm on the word of God. The pastor illustrated what that is actually like and that is like we are literally over the word...putting ourselves above it. Then he held his bible over his head and told us that we should live under the word of God, because it is the highest authority. We aren't the highest authority, the word of God is the highest authority.
One of the most important things that we need to do is receive the meekness of the implanted word. That means that we need to humbly accept the gospel to rule our lives. That is difficult because the gospel and holiness are two thing that are foreign to us. We are not native to it. We were born and brought into this world as sinners. Becoming holy and accepting the gospel is something that we learn. It is an entire transformation. Transformation is the gospel being planted in us, growing roots inside of us, and producing fruit.
A key thing is that you must believe the right things in order to do the right things.
Another thing...Obedience to the word is the mark of genuine Christianity.
We cannot be hearers only. A hearer is someone with all talk and no action. A hearer for example would be someone who you would go to class with and they would attend all of the lectures but they have did any of the course work...
When we hear and when we do you are blessed. When was the last time that you read something in your bible and it just hit you right in the heart...and then you did something about it? I hope that you can say that it' something you do nearly everyday.
We must receive the word because...
1. gospel saves your soul
2. gospel changes your heart
3. gospel changes your behavior
To close...I want to ask this question to each and every one of you. If there is no transformation in your behavior, the gospel isn't changing your heart, then is the gospel changing your soul? Are you a hearer to the word only?
Hearing and Doing
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tonguesdeceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
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