Be A Doer Of The Word, Not Just A Hearer

As we gathered to worship Sunday morning at Mill Creek Baptist Church, the American flag adorned our altar honoring our Veterans, those still serving to protect our country and in memory of those who lost their lives defending our freedom. Karen Gardner was celebrating a birthday, and Steve and Janice Mason were celebrating their wedding anniversary. Jeanette Easter led the congregation in the responsive reading, ”Divine Providence.” We were blessed with special music from Susan Cory, Wayne Johnson and Karen. Tyrel asked God’s blessing, and he and Rick Lett served as ushers to collect the offertory.

Brother Mark Hall brought us God’s message: “Be a Doer and Not a Hearer of the Word.” Scripture was from James 1:21-27. As Brother Mark talked about fishing, he said there are two types of people: fishermen and people who like to talk about fishing. “What James is saying in the scripture is that there are Christians and then there are people who just talk about it or listen to it being talked about. When James talked about being a doer of the word, he was talking about Christian living. Jesus never taught men how to make a living; he taught them how to live. When you were born in this world, that work was born with you.

You were born for a purpose. Everyone has work laid out for them.

Whether it gets done or not is up to them. Unfortunately, it’s like someone said, “After it’s all said and done, not much more gets done than what gets said. The people that are the happiest in church are the ones who do the work in church. The people that are busy rowing the boat are too busy to rock the boat. The fruit is the result of our work. Your work should show results.”

Verses 22 and 23 say “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.”

Brother Mark continued by telling us “The doer of the word gets busy. How do you become a doer? Verse 21 says ‘Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.’” Brother Mark said, “Jesus is the word. Obedience to the word of God brings about the work of God. Otherwise, we claim faith, but our actions declare unbelief. We must hear the word and then do the work. We need to practice what we proclaim, and the first thing we have to do is get control of our tongues.”

“Do you know what tact is? It is diplomacy, sensitivity and consideration. Tact is the ability to not always say what you think. One minute of keeping your mouth shut can save you an hour of explaining what you said. Don’t show people that your religion is useless. James says if there are any among you that think you are religious but don’t watch your tongues, then you deceive your own heart and your religion is useless. James says the name for those people is ‘hypocrite.’ There are hypocrites everywhere. But you can’t blame them for everything. It is an easy thing to fall into when we deceive our own hearts. Your Christianity should look like three things: pure speech, pure love and pure character. And the implanted word of God is the purifier. We worry about our friends’ and loved ones’ salvation. Look for those three things. Pure love is an unconditional love. Look at ourselves first. You can’t save someone else from drowning if you can’t swim yourself.”

In closing, Brother Mark said, “There are two diseases in the modern church — apathy and spiritual laziness. There are lots of excuses for being lazy. The busiest people get the most done. Be a doer of the word, not just a hearer. How do you become a doer of the word? We have to run ourselves through the purifier. That’s where we find the pure speech, pure love and pure character. It is time for us to get off our blessed assurance and become doers of the word.”

Wayne Johnson gave the benediction. We invite you to worship with us on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. Sunday School begins at 10 a.m. Everyone is welcome at Mill Creek Baptist Church located 3.5 miles east of Noel just off Highway 90. Just follow the signs.