Young People's Group

BEING DOERS OF THE WORD

by Pastor Mitch
December 06, 2009

Not Being Hearers Of The Word Only

Youth Conference starts this Sunday. God willing, our hearts will once again be deeply challenged as we listen to the preaching of God’s word. And yet, one problem that can arise as we hear the messages is the lack of response to it. We can end up not doing anything about it. James highlighted this grave deception in his epistle.

“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 the mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.” 
James 1:22-24

It is not uncommon for people to deceive themselves into thinking that hearing the word and not responding to it is absolutely fine. How wrong they are! This is nothing less than an expression of defective faith. If we are not doers of the word, we are like a person looking himself in the mirror, seeing something wrong, deliberately going away and forgetting about the problem that is there. If we are honest with ourselves, it can be said that we have often done such an injustice to the preaching of God’s word. Young people, may this Youth Conference see us not just hearing the word but consciously doing something about it.

The Challenge To Be Doers Of The Word

“But be doers of the word” 
James 1:22

“But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” 
James 1:25

Real and genuine faith would cause us to seek to practise what has been learned from the Scriptures. The perfect laws of God are meant to bring about liberty. As we carefully study the laws of God, there are three things we must do. First, we have to put in the effort to continue in the ways of God’s word. We should always set the Lord’s word before us so that we can continue in it. Second, we must also take time to remember what we have learned. It would be good after each day at Youth Conference that we take the time to review what we have learned and to not forget it. Third, we are to translate what we have learned from the word into works. We are to practise what we have learned. The best way to respond to God’s word is to exercise faith and to practise the Lord’s word immediately. When we continue to do this, the Lord’s blessing will be upon us. In all that we do in life, the Lord will shower His abundant blessings on us. Young people, let’s be doers of the word and not hearers only at this Youth Conference. Let’s exercise faith in the words that we will hear and seek to practise them. When we do His word, it will liberate us.

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