Understanding James 1:19

Okay, James 1. I'm going to specifically be focusing on chapter 1 verses 19 and 20. Know this, my beloved brothers, let every person be quick to hear. James is after Hebrews where we were in the Sunday school hour.

James 1.19 My beloved brothers, let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. So the question is, what's this mean? If you take it all by itself, just in isolation, what does it sound like? It sounds to me like it's just kind of some general advice about our need to be better listeners.

Perhaps it's a mild rebuke to keep our mouths shut a bit more and be ready to listen. Now, folks, you're going to come to recognize this as we make some progress in James. Do you know James has been called the New Testament Proverbs? It's very interesting.

The Old Testament Proverbs deals a whole lot with the mouth and the tongue. I counted this morning, and it was a loose count. Just under 300 times I found in the book of Proverbs where the mouth, the tongue, the lips were spoken about.

And that was not exhausted. I was moving through pretty fast just kind of identifying. But a little less than 300 times.

You know when you come to James, he deals with the tongue quite a bit. In fact, look at James 1.26. If anyone thinks he's religious and does not bridle his tongue, notice there's a deception. Wow! Wow! You know what? If you talk a certain way when you're lost and you get saved and you talk the same way, your religion is worthless.

What do you think that means? Do you think it means anything about where you're going ultimately? You keep going here. Look at James 3. You know, the first 12 consecutive verses of chapter 3 all deal with the mouth and the tongue. But if you just dive in like in James 3.5, the tongue is a small member.

It boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire. The tongue is a fire.

A world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body. You see, I found at least 26 verses in this epistle of James deals with the mouth.

So what is this? This first reference here, is this kind of just general? Because that's how the Proverbs are. The Proverbs give us a lot of general instruction about the tongue. And speaking and not speaking.

Remember, this says we need to be quick to listen, to hear. We need to be slow to speak. Do the Proverbs say anything about being slow to speak? Or even slow to anger? I mean, just a couple I speared out of there.

But a fool's mouth is his ruin. And that might not have to do with whether I speak or don't speak, but wow, the mouth. You know one of the amazing things? John was talking about the promises of the new covenant.

You want to know one of the promises of the new covenant? Obviously, He's going to put His law in our heart. He's going to do such things in us. It's predestined for us to be conformed to the likeness of Christ.

And one of the ways that He is going to conform each one of us to the likeness of Christ, if He actually saves us for real, is He does something to the tongue. If your mouth doesn't change and the way you talk doesn't change, wow, you see what's being said here. But again, the Proverbs.

I'm just wanting to bring some general. In the multitude of words, the old King James, what's it say? There wanteth not sin. Or you've got Proverbs 11, 12, a man of understanding remains silent.

Proverbs 17, 27, whoever restrains his words has knowledge. He was a cool spirit. There's the anger.

There is the quiet, being silent, being slow to speak and slow to anger. He's got a cool spirit. He's a man of understanding.

Solomon sounds just like James, sort of. He also says even a fool who keeps silent is considered what? Yeah, you know that. And so the thing is, if we just pull James 1, 19 and 20 right out of context, it sounds kind of like that.

Sounds like a generic statement about being a good listener. Men, you need to listen to your wives. Teenagers, close your mouth and listen.

Is that the kind of thing we got going here? Certainly, the Bible talks that way. But notice the context. You see, this is one of the things I find especially, I don't know if I want to say unusual about James, is how it's almost like his thoughts, he can produce these thoughts sometimes where finding the connection and finding the flow, finding just the way that this thing connects.

He's not as easy to me as somebody like Paul is. But notice the context. Verse 18, of his own will, he brought us forth by, what does it say? By what? What's it say? The word of truth.

Now get that. Now he's introduced to us the word of truth. What is the word of truth? What other words could we use? The word of God, Christ's words, Scripture, the Bible.

Okay, we can put gospel in there. The word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. That's how Scripture speaks.

That we should be a kind of first fruits. So what? We're brought forth. We're birthed.

The new birth by the word of truth. And notice 19, know this my beloved brothers, that every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Therefore, wow. Joshua was talking about a therefore earlier. Here's a therefore.

Put away all filthiness, rampant wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted. Notice, this is about how you receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word.

So in 18, you've got the word of truth. And then when you come to 21, the implanted word. 22, the word.

23, for if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer. And you see that therefore at the beginning of 21, that means what? What does that mean? What does that tell us? Is there a connection? Therefore, is a coordinating conjunction. Conjunctions do what? Remember, were any of you like me growing up in the days when you watched Conjunction Junction? What's your function? Anybody else see that? I grew up in the 70s watching cartoons on Saturday morning.

Did you ever see that one? Everybody saw that one. And, and, but, and, or. But a coordinating conjunction, they connect.

And they had this picture of a train and the engineer and the cars came together and it had, they connect. They connect the cars of the train together. And so the very fact that you have a connecting word at the beginning of 21 tells you that whatever he's saying about receiving the implanted word in 21 connects right back to what he said previous to that in 20.

And because 20 starts with the word for, another coordinating conjunction, it tells us. Brethren, what it tells us is that verses 19 and 20 are not out there isolated all by themselves. They're connected.

And so you see what's on the table here. You know what James is doing? I mean, the main verb in 21 is receive. What are we supposed to be receiving? The implanted word.

And so James is teaching us what's necessary to a proper reception of the word. Lay that down, folks. That's the context here.

So when 19 says, be quick to hear, hear what? It's the idea of being quick to hear God speak. That's the connection. Be ready, be eager, be diligent for this.

To hear, you want to have your ears open. You want to be where God's word is being proclaimed. That's the context.

Literally be quick to the hearing. This is the idea. You need to be quick to be in this book.

You need to be daily in this book. Frequently in this book. Often in that book.

Go to your Bible, read it. Not just to advance the bookmarks. I've got bookmarks all over my Bible.

But that's not why we go to it. Just so I can say, get that bookmark to the next place because I got to do my daily reading and I got to get to the next chapter, my next four chapters or whatever it is. It's not that.

You want to go to it to really hear it. You want to come to the sermon. Be quick to it, to the Bible study.

Don't delay when the church has special meetings. You know, Joshua was talking about there from Hebrews chapter 10. You got people who don't forsake the assembling together of yourselves as is the habit of some.

There were some real people in the church at the time. Now brethren, I know in a church like this, it's possible, I often say, have you seen, I say to my wife, have you seen so-and-so lately? And she's like, yeah, Psalm Sunday. I didn't see him at all.

And sometimes you can think people are not here. But brethren, we don't want to be that guy, that gal, that one, that family who, well, you know, we just kind of have a family get-together today. It's Father's Day.

We're not going to church today. Brethren, that's not being quick to hear. That's not being quick to the Word.

That's not being quick in this thing. Put yourself quickly there. Be in haste about this.

This is the reality. You've got to get there. That's the context.

That's the issue at hand. And that's what we're going to engage ourselves with right now. So, brethren, I was thinking all the way back, just the focus of this ministry.

And I can tell you this, when we first started this church, I remember, we were coming out of Community Baptist Church, all of our charter members. And since then, some others have come over from Community Baptist Church. Craig did and John did and others.

But, I remember when we were starting in those early days. And you know what? There was pressure. There was a pressure to believe a certain way.

There was a way the Sovereign Grace churches believed. There was a way Reformed churches believed. And I had been cutting my teeth a lot on the Reformed guys, the Reformed preachers, the Puritans.

And there were expectations. There were expectations about what translation you read from. There were expectations about what the church name was and whether you had Baptist in it or not or how you viewed certain things.

And I can remember feeling this pressure to conform. But I'll tell you this, I came to recognize I'm not sitting out there in the seat anymore. I'm standing in the pulpit.

It's one thing to sit out there and hear the guy preaching and you're like, well, I don't know if I agree with that or I agree with that. And you're kind of wrestling with different things. It's a whole other matter when you come up here and you've got to represent God.

And I recognize this. You know what? It doesn't matter to me what people believe about gifts or baptism or the church or the law or the Sabbath or the 1689 London Baptist Confession. It doesn't matter.

I have got to go to this book and hear God and stand in the pulpit and say what God says. And even if another man can find things in the Bible, but I can't see it. God hasn't shown it to me.

I cannot go in the pulpit and preach what God has not shown me. And I came to the place where it's like, I am going to say what God's Word says. I am not going to try to conform to a system.

I am not going to let the pressures of conforming to a system be that which guides me. I'm not going to do that. I'm going to preach what God shows, take it seriously.

And you know what? You know what I have found? This church has typically attracted people that want to be biblical. And I notice, you see, we were in another church last week up in Michigan. And one of the things I noticed, not everybody had a Bible.

When I watch people walk in here, people have Bibles. You want to keep that Bible. You want to read that Bible.

You want to be quick to be in that Bible. You want to be quick to where it's being taught. That needs to be the emphasis.

We have to take it seriously. Brethren, we want to be those people that the Psalm 1, think about it, all the Psalms, all the Psalms, the longest, 119, and the first, Psalm 1. Think about the material, the matter that's there. I mean, Psalm 1, you've got this reality, brethren, that His delight is in the law of the Lord.

And on His law, He meditates day and night. You see, we were hearing in the first hour about people that drift. You know, I don't know where one of the places comes with drift.

Yes, you fall away from the glories of Christ that are in chapter one, but where are those glories of Christ to be found? They're to be found in this book. Oh, beware. Beware.

If you're living this life and you're not so quick to be in the Word anymore, you're not so quick to hear it, you're not so quick to delight in it, you're not so quick to meditate on it. Brethren, this is not a matter of, well, did I read my Bible today so that you can put a notch on your belt? This is a matter of, did I meditate? Did I hear God speak? Have I been quick to hear God? And the thing is, brethren, Scripture has been the heart and soul of this ministry from day one. And clearly, James is making the case that it ought to be the heart and soul for each one of us.

And since James is going here and he's laying this matter before us, I just say it's this, it's a perfect opportunity for me to kind of do a survey of Scripture and the place of Scripture in the life of the true child of God. Just a quick survey before we actually dive into what James is saying here. And here's the thing, I'm going to make an assertion right now.

And I want you to test this assertion out. We got to be thinking people, folks. My assertion is this, and I'm going to back it up with Scripture in the end.

A person's attitude towards the Word of God is a test of authenticity. You all got that, right? I mean, look, there are people in this room that are going to go to heaven and there are people in this room that are not. And if we're looking for the marks of what's genuine, well, folks, I'll guarantee you, our attitude towards our relationship with the Word of God when somebody is truly born again, it radically changes.

Your response to the Word of God identifies the genuineness or the falseness of your claim to be a Christian. Do you believe that? You will believe that if you're quick to hear God on this matter. You will believe that.

Listen, the Thessalonians, we know. You remember how Paul comes into the first letter to the Thessalonians and he says this, we know you're genuine. Really? How? Because of their relationship to the Word of God.

And just two things I want to say here. We know beloved of God or loved by God that He has chosen you. Why? Because our gospel, there's the Word.

It came to you not in word, but also in power and the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. But then in 1 Thessalonians 2.13, you receive the Word of God, which you heard from us. You accepted it, not as the Word of men, but as what it really is, the Word of God, which is at work in you believers.

Listen, if on a regular basis you leave here and you say, that was Tim's opinion. That was Craig's opinion. That was Jane's opinion.

Brethren, you see what's being said. The mouths of men spoke these words, but Paul's recognizing authenticity in them because they were able to hear and perceive the voice of God in the words that men spoke. Are you able? Look, men can bring their own opinions.

We have to be Berean. We have to see what a man says from the pulpit. But it's amazing to me the number of times that people have found issue with me when all I said is what Scripture said.

One of the brethren here, who was it, that said they were sitting next to a priest on an airplane and they just quoted Scripture. That's all they did. And that priest said, well, that's your opinion.

Who was that? Anyways, it was one of you. But the Thessalonians, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it really is, the Word of God, which is at work in you believers. And that's over against the Jews in Stephen's day that were debating with him.

Remember those guys? You know what it said? You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears. Now that is interesting. Uncircumcised ears.

That's not what the Thessalonians had. What is an uncircumcised ear? Now nobody here is going to admit they have one. But some of you do.

What is that? What is an uncircumcised ear? By what's said next, you always resist the Holy Spirit. See, the Holy Spirit inspires this word and there's resistance to it. That's an uncircumcised ear.

You hear what God says. Very convenient to say, I don't like what that man preaches. Nobody wants to really say, I don't like what God teaches.

It's very easy to look at the messenger, look at the ambassador and find the issue with him. But that's what these guys were saying. And you know what it says? They cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears.

They actually, they didn't want to hear what he had to say. That's what people do. And you know, you don't have to be out there holding your ears.

You just go out and you don't like it. You resist it. You resist what's said.

Or you know what? You just don't take it seriously. It just goes over your head. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

This is blah, blah, blah, blah. And you go out and there's no effect. There's no impact on you.

Remember Cornelius? He said to Peter, we're all here in the presence of God to hear all that you've been commanded by the Lord. We're ready. Peter, preach it.

That's a quickness to hear. Man, can you imagine them? They're all sitting in that house and they're waiting for Peter to get there. You remember the days when it was like that? I remember the days it was like there was a dearth in the land.

It's just you wanted to hear something good. And those early days in Michigan, and it's just anything. I was eating up John MacArthur.

But if I could go anywhere, I was checking for churches. And one of the reasons I ended down here is I couldn't find a good church. But you go in there and you're just ready to hear the Word of God preached and you're hungry, you're thirsty.

And that's how Cornelius, ready to hear over against Pharaoh. Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice? That's the kind of thing that's said. You see, there's a big comparison.

Jesus identifies the main characteristics. You remember John 17? And Jesus is talking about His disciples. Do you remember what the main description of them that He gives? They have kept Thy Word.

Brethren, I'll tell you, that is going to be the description of every person in this place that makes it to the finish line. It will be able to be said of you, they, as a rule, as a practice, we know the blemishes in the lives of those guys. But you know what? Jesus wasn't lying.

The main characteristic of their life was that they held fast to God's Word. Psalm 119, you have that comparison. It's not specifically said to be written by David.

We know that Psalm 19 is, and Psalm 119 sounds a whole lot like it. It's almost definitely David. But listen to what David says in Psalm 119.

I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes. I will not forget your word.

Over against, in Psalm 119, 155, salvation is far from the wicked. They do not seek your statutes. You see the comparison? One meditates on them, delights in them, is ready to hear them.

The other one shuns them. And you can sit in the church and shun them just as much as the guy who never darkens the door. That's a reality, folks.

And so, here's the question. Here's the question to you. I mean, I have to ask myself this.

I have to preach to you. I mean, brethren, I know this. When God saved me back in 1990, if there was anything that happened in my life, this word became precious.

Suddenly, it was a living book. It became alive. I longed to be in it.

I had a hunger for it. And the question is this. Do you have a compelling desire to hear and obey? Because He's going to tell us in just two verses.

If you hear and you don't obey, you're deceiving yourself. Jesus said the same thing. We're going to get to that.

But brethren, the question on the table right now is do you have a compelling desire to hear and obey the word of the Lord? Do you hear God's voice? Are you moved by it? Are you convicted by it? Are you motivated? Is it personal? Have you ever heard God speaking to you in this book? That should be a regular thing. So, just think for a moment about Jesus. You know, somewhere like John 8, do you remember what Jesus said in John 8 to the Jews who believed on Him? Oh, it's so wonderful that you've believed on Me.

I'm so happy. See, no, what He said was, you prove to be My true disciples if My word abides in you. Now, you know what? There are people that come along and they say, well, see, that's just discipleship.

That's not salvation. Anybody that says that has never read the rest of the chapter. Because you know what? Jesus looks at these people and He says very directly, I know you're the offspring of Abraham, yet you seek to kill Me because My word finds no place in you.

Is that good or bad? Next verse, I speak of what I have seen with My Father. You do what you have heard from your Father. Isn't that interesting? Put all that together.

You know what He's saying? My word abides in you. You're real. You're Mine.

There's two Fathers. Jesus is saying what I say came from My Father. If you hear Me, you hear My Father.

You guys don't hear Me. You hear your Father. And they're like, hey, well... And you know what Jesus is talking about there.

He goes on to say this, why do you not understand what I say? It's because you cannot bear to hear My word. And then He says this, whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them, you're not of God.

Obviously, they heard the sounds of the words. They weren't deaf. But you know what? They were not quick to actually hear.

It is amazing. It is amazing how you can speak the word and then you just encounter people that sat there and listened, but they did not hear it. They just did not comprehend it.

Have you ever been there? Have you ever spoken the truth? I still remember putting John MacArthur in. It was a message from the Sermon on the Mount on the straight gate. I had my dad in there in the truck with me and I shoved that tape in there and it was one of the most clear ten minutes of the Gospel.

I was just rejoicing my dad was hearing it. He ejected that thing and said, I can't understand a word that guy is saying. And you know what? That can happen to churchgoers and even people that are members of our church.

You just can't hear. This is what Jesus is saying. God's people are marked by a compelling desire to hear and follow what they hear.

Remember, Jesus said this, if anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. And then again, He says, whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. Brethren, this isn't just about some shallow idea of discipleship where you've kind of moved up to a greater level, but it really has nothing to do with your salvation.

This has to do with whether you're of God or of the devil. This has to do with this. Do you love Christ or don't you? My mother and my brother, who are those? Well, Luke's Gospel tells us, my mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.

In other words, show me God's word. Here's the thing. Show me God's word.

Show me your life. Brethren, you know what? Through the years, I've been extremely encouraged by the vast majority of this church. But in any given time, those who have pastoral responsibilities of this church, there's usually a handful of people in the church that I know this, what I know about Scripture and what it says about the word of God abiding in you, what it says about the reality of your love, whether you're really in the family of Christ.

And I look at your life and I compare it to the word of God. There are some who I can just say, I wouldn't want to be in your shoes at judgment day. Why? Because the word of God isn't abiding in you.

Your life does not square with it. Vast majority of people in the church, it does. But some, it doesn't.

And this is what we're faced with here. The will of the Father. Remember that? Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, we'll enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Well, where's that found? Where's the will of the Father found? Jesus comes right behind that and says, you know what? There's a wise man and there's a foolish man. And if you hear and do what I say, you're that wise man. Where's the will of God found? It's found in what Jesus says.

That's what the Father said, hear Him. Brethren, this is no small thing. How we respond, whether we're quick to hear or not.

This is life and death. So back to James. Let's, we're going to cruise through this.

James is bringing the same message. He's driving home the same mark of true salvation. And I want you to notice the connection here with verse 18 and verse 19.

Of His own will, He brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be kind of first fruits of His creatures. What I want to kind of focus in on is know this. Look at verse 19.

Know this, my beloved brothers. Now, if you've got the New American Standard and you're sitting here and you're saying, mine doesn't say know this. Mine says this you know.

And if you're sitting here with the new King James, yours says so then. And if you're sitting here with the old King James, I think you have something like wherefore. Well, brethren, there is a textual matter here.

But you know what? Whichever one of these you go with, know this. Know what? It's the idea of this. Know that you were birthed into the kingdom by the word of God.

Therefore, be quick to listen to it. Even now, because there is an ongoing reality that just as at the start, God poured His power through that word, so now being saved, you need to be quick to hear because the energies of God, those sanctifying powers, sanctify them and by thy word, thy word is truth. Or by thy truth, thy word is truth.

Brethren, we know the text. We know that there is an ongoing reality of the power of God flowing through this. And it's like what he's saying is, since you were born in the beginning by this word, therefore, wherefore, so then, or knowing this, this you know, because you know that reality, so don't be slow to hear now.

Brethren, didn't it bring and result in powerful changes in your life in the beginning? And so, brethren, what you need to recognize is that in this word is the power of God flowing through words, in sentences, in paragraphs, that as you read and as you understand, the Spirit of God applies these in your life, you behold the glory of the Lord and things happen to you. You behold the commandments of God and things happen to you. There's a witness there inside.

There's conviction. There's glory. Things are revealed to you.

You see things. God speaks to you. God changes things in your life.

God convicts you of places that aren't right, of sin that's in the life. Brethren, this is the reason. This is the connection.

There's a distinct connection between verse 18 and verse 19. We've got to get the right attitude by hearing this life-giving word. The energies of the new nature, they get stimulated into action.

That's what verse 18 is all about. How God saved you. By exercising His great power through the word.

Notice verse 21. Receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls. Okay, now you need to stop there because these people got saved back in verse 18.

And you know that because verse 19 addresses them as what? My beloved brothers. You know how you were born, how you were begotten in the beginning by the word. You are my brethren.

So what? What is it? It's able to save your souls. Did you know that? Did you know that now, though you claim to have been saved in the past, did you know the word of God is saving you today? Have you, do you even think that way? What do you think it means if you turn away from it? What do you think it means if you drift, like the Hebrews, away from this word that contains all these glories of Christ? What do you think happens? What do you think if you get cold and you start to stay away from the word for extended seasons? I mean, brethren, make the connection. If it says it's able to save your souls, what's the key word? Receive.

Receive it. It saves. If you stop receiving it and you begin to drift, what? Brethren, so often we like to come along and we like to, you know, perseverance of the saints.

And we like to step in and we say, well, you know, I got saved back then. I can't lose my salvation. And people want to talk that way all the time.

And they can't even hear. They won't sit and be quick to hear what God says. Listen, so often we're ready to make these proclamations about ourself separate from what God says is reality.

And you're trying to live this Christian life and you can live it detached and separate and not being a quick hearer. Then you need to hear what's being said. You know what Peter says? Like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk of the Word that by it you may grow up into salvation.

There it is, that idea of salvation again. James is concerned we have a proper reaction to this Word that saves our souls, that causes us to grow up into salvation. We're talking about how you receive the Word.

That's the issue. True Christian, there's always going to be a receptiveness to the Word. And I'm not saying we don't have ups and downs.

I recognize that the Christian life is not this static thing. We have valleys, we have peaks. I recognize that kind of thing.

But I'm saying that as a whole, we have some truth that's coming at us here about a receptivity. God gives a hunger. The Word of God resonates with us spiritually.

We get in tune with the Word of God. But here's the thing, if there's anything about verse 19 that ought to hit us right between the eyes, it's that this is not automatic. There's a part to play and a responsibility on our part.

It takes our effort. It takes spiritual energy on our part. That's the point of verse 19.

My beloved brothers, let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. Quick, quick! That's the speed of the activity. No delay.

Do it at once, without reluctance. Don't ignore the opportunities. Listen, delay is no good.

When you delay to hear the Word of God, what is that communicating about your willingness to submit to Him? I don't really want to hear what He says. Brethren, we need to be quick, not slow. Put a high priority on listening.

What I find in my Bible is preachers are supposed to preach in season and out of season. And certainly, if we're supposed to preach in season and out of season, when are you supposed to be really diligent and quick to hear? Well, if I'm supposed to be speaking, then you're supposed to be hearing in season and out of season. You can put that together.

That's not rocket science. Like Samuel of old. Remember what Eli told him he should do? Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.

Your servant is listening. Don't debate when God speaks. You remember how it was with Peter? Peter heard the Lord's voice.

What did he do? He dove in the water. He didn't let the waves or the distance or anything. I mean, he heard that voice, bang, he went.

The other guys, they came more slowly in the boat. There's some pretty commendable things about Peter. The idea is God's speaking and he has something worth talking about.

I mean, brethren, does it matter? Does it matter that God in this book? And by the way, what is this book? This book is the one certain source of truth in this whole world. You have no other. There's truth here.

I can't guarantee it's going to be found in any other book, any other form of media. It's here. And what does God tell us about here? He tells us about life and death, how to get to heaven, how to get to hell, how to lose your soul, how to gain your soul.

He tells us about his son. He tells us about the cross. He tells us about the remedy of sin.

Brethren, anybody think that matters? I mean, God isn't just talking about the weather and some stupid thing, meaningless thing, trivial thing. He talks about life and death. You realize you have a soul.

What will a man give in exchange for his soul? You realize what God's talking to us about. He's talking about the most important things that man can ever imagine. Quick to hear.

I'll tell you, quick to hear. Hearing. Think about hearing is exactly the attitude of dependence.

Is it not? You see, when you won't hear, independent, proud, I want to do it my way. I don't want to hear what he has to say. Hearing is the perfect disposition for the child of God.

The person that's been born again, like verse 18 says. Perfect disposition. Don't be in a hurry to announce your interpretation.

Brethren, remember, hearing. Sometimes we can't hear because we're just talking too much. And I know that's the next point.

We need to be slow to speak. The servant of God needs to be one that's constantly in a state of dependence where we're looking up. I need that all the time.

Lord, show me what to do. Help, oh God. Did you get that? One of the reasons we sang that song, I just like that line, help, oh God, this weak endeavor.

I think of that line all the time. I need God's help. I need God to speak.

I need God to help. I need, don't, brethren, too many people are in this tragic condition of hearing, but they're not quick to hear. Attending the Bible study, attending sermons, but never, have you ever noticed that? People that they do sit under the preaching, but they don't seem to grow.

Is it the fault of the preacher? It might be. It could be. But is there something in Scripture called dull of hearing? I find that too, brethren.

And we can get to that place. It's just allow the decay in the spiritual life. You begin to listen to so many other voices, and you get a good taste of the world, and you get a good taste of the stuff.

Remember the stuff that just kind of strangles us? The stuff that saps the life out of us in the parable of the soils? Brethren, quick to hear. It can mean just quick to get to the secret place. How much do we know about that prayerful, quiet, silent, waiting on God? Oh Lord, you're just asking, listening for His voice.

Lord, longing that God is gonna come along and speak to me in such a way as to impress truth on me that I need to hear. Have you been there? I've been there lots of times, where it's like I have this confidence that the Lord says if you acknowledge Him in all of His ways, He's gonna direct your path. How does He direct our paths? Well, I know providentially that can be the case.

I know it can come through the counsel of other people, but typically, even if it comes through the counsel of other people, it's God speaking through them. They're gonna speak something of truth, something of the Word of God. But have you been in the place where it's just like, Lord, you open the Bible, and I need to hear from you, and you're waiting.

That can be quick to hear, just getting to the... Brethren, can I be quick to hear if I'm not reading my Bible every day? I often make this assumption, oh, that people at GCC read their Bibles every day. And then, a lot of times, it's the ladies in my family that say, well, Dad, when... Or Ruby will say, I don't know. And it comes from the testimony of some of the people that they talk to.

And it's just, really? How can that be? Man doesn't live by bread alone. By every word that proceeds from the mouth. How are they living? How are they functioning? How are they surviving? I know this, my wife is distinctly different if she does not have her time with the Lord.

So I want her to have her time with the Lord. And you should want your wife to have her time with the Lord. And you know what, there should be a reality that we are different people if we don't spend our time with the Lord.

Brethren, that ought to be a reality, because it says something about what happens when we're connecting with God through His Word. That something real is happening. Something that is life-giving, life-breathing.

Brethren, I read this, Psalm 119.89, forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Anybody need, affirm the foundation. That's why I sing, anybody need some firmness under their feet? After the tossing seed, did you ever come through it? You have so many voices, so many people saying this, so much uncertainty.

The psalmist is here and he stands on a rock. God's Word is not uncertain, folks. It's settled, it's fixed, it's sure, it's solid.

Anybody need that? I need that. I need it every single day. I need to get out there.

Man's teachings, I mean, what are those? The Lord's Word is from old, the same, and you see it here, it's fixed in the heavens. It remains unchanged forever. The power and the glory of heaven confirm each and every word that comes out of the mouth of the Lord.

It stands settled in heaven. Man, you need that? I need that. I got so many uncertainties and so many questions and left to myself, it's not good, slow to speak.

And that's a necessary next admonition. Why? It's difficult to hear God when you're talking. I find some people don't even spend enough time to go home and meditate and cogitate on what they heard.

Before they even hit the door, something's coming out of their mouth that shows they're not even listening. They're ready to fight before they listen. Brethren, we need to be listeners.

That's the reality. The sayings in the Proverbs abound. I found a rabbinical saying, talk little, work much.

There's some guy named Baba Metzia. He writes, the righteous speak little and do much. The wicked speak much and do little.

Another guy by the name of Zeno. We have two ears, but only one mouth that we may hear more, speak less. John Gill says that the Jews had a saying, if a word is worth one shekel, silence is worth two.

And I read somewhere that tribute was once paid to a great linguist that he could be silent in seven different languages. Brethren, I'll just say this. Remember, we're dealing with God speaking.

We're before the Lord. You ought to gulp before you're quick to speak. He has something to say.

And brethren, there is a big contrast between Him, holy, holy, and me. We are so quick with our mouths. What a wonder.

Have you thought about the fact? What a wonder it is that God has stooped to speak to you. Him and all He is coming to such insignificance as us. Stooping to speak to a bunch of nothing.

It's only appropriate, brethren, that we start as hearers and learners before we rise up as instructors. A person that keeps talking just makes for a bad listener. The guy, you know it, the guy, the gal, the great talker, they rarely make for a great listener.

They're just on and on. You simply can't listen carefully while your mouth is moving. Or even while, you ever been in a conversation with a guy and you can tell, even though he's not talking right now, he's not hearing you.

All he's doing is thinking about how he's going to answer you when he gets a chance. And we don't want to be like that before God. The thing is we need to be silent on the inside and the outside.

We need to hear Him. Not be coming up with our debate and our reasons why. Brethren, remember this has to do with God's Word.

There's a huge tendency for people to speak quickly about God's Word. Don't rush to announce your own interpretation. Don't hurry to announce your unbelief.

Don't be in a hurry to say, thus saith the Lord. Be Berean. We need to be searchers.

We need to be study or study. Isn't that what the Scripture says? Study to show yourself approved. Don't we want to be people that are rightly dividing the Word? And James is going to come along right here in chapter three and say, don't be many teachers.

Why? Because there shouldn't be so many people talking so much. That's the idea. And this has to do with the Word of God.

Not just talking about any old thing. Brethren, our Bibles and what God says have to be interpreted correctly. I'm amazed, absolutely amazed at the dogmatic statements people make that are just plain wrong.

It happens. You hear it happen. And so interpreting our Bible any old way, that is not communicating God's will.

That's not communicating God's intent. This is the Word of the living God. You don't want to be quick, brethren, to misrepresent Him.

Don't presume to stand up and declare for God. And the truth is, brethren, most of us speak too much, speak too freely. We've got to be heard.

And Jesus comes along and says, look, in the last day, you're going to be judged for every careless word. You may speak a careless word about me, but you don't want to be speaking careless words and misrepresenting God. We don't want to be in that place.

Brethren, any of you ever regretted something you've said? Any of you? And you know what I've found? I've rarely regretted when I've been silent. Any of you agree with that? God speaking. You know, we seem to ourselves to be so wise.

We've got an opinion and it's got to be heard. And it's easy to interrupt Him. We interrupt Him by these thoughts.

Everybody longs to be a teacher in the church. Brother, sister, you do not have to express every proud thought and opinion that occurs to you. And I've seen people, and brethren, I have seen this, I have seen people in the church, they come up with their man-made rules, legalism.

They begin to impress on other people. And it's like, where are you getting that? And they got some text in the Bible that does it have something to do with what they're talking about? It has something to do with it, but it's not saying what they say. Brethren, modesty doesn't mean your dress has to be two inches off the floor.

The woman having long hair doesn't mean it has to be here. I mean, some people, they like to hear these general statements and then they come along and they want to make this thing specific. I remember when there was a girl back over here and she was pressing on one of the sisters, you can't have a nose ring.

And I said, you can't say that. Why? Whether you like nose rings or don't like nose rings, look, you can't be misrepresenting what God says. You can't come along and say, thus saith the Lord, when that isn't, thus saith the Lord.

And that kind of thing happens. You get this, I've known people to express doctrinal positions. Why? Because their system says so.

But it's like, where did you get that in Scripture? And brethren, reformed and Calvinistic systems come up with certain things that I just tell you, you're really hard pressed to find in the Word of God. Things are shoved in here and crammed in there and some obscure texts. Brethren, be careful.

Be careful of ill-conceived logic, carnal logic, to where you come up with things. I've had people tell me a text of Scripture as though it has to do with a certain thing. And it has nothing to do with that certain thing.

Brethren, I have seen men stand in pulpits and try to do Bible studies on subjects they were not qualified to teach on. They just weren't there yet. They didn't have... Brethren, people can be dogmatic.

I've been dogmatic about things I've later changed my opinion on. Have you? I mean, brethren, we want to be slow here. It doesn't mean we can't readily proclaim like the demoniac what God has done for us.

We can proclaim it. Brethren, so to speak doesn't mean we can never speak. It's just you want to be due thought and then slow to anger.

You've probably noticed your ears are never more tightly closed as when you've got passion stirred up in your soul. You ever been angry and been able to hear anything? You can't hear anything. Our ears are shut when we're angry.

And when does anger come in? I mean, when anger does come in, listening just flies out the door. This has to do with anger connected with the Word of God. And the idea is this, don't get bent out of shape when you hear the Word of God.

Step on your toes over something you need to be corrected about. If you just sat still and listened to God plainly enough. Brethren, all of us in this room have sufficient things still wrong in our lives that we need to listen to God about.

And you know what comes up? Well, who told Him about me? Oh, that happens all the time. Well, the Spirit of God did. Nobody, I mean, so yes, sometimes we stand up here and we know certain things about certain people and we say something and it has to do with you.

Yes, that's true. But oftentimes that's not the case. We say something, guy's sitting there and he's singing.

Somebody told him about me and they're getting all ruffled. Their feathers are ruffled. What you gotta do is just stop in your tracks and listen and stop talking and don't let passion stir up.

You need to ask the question, is it true about me? And we get so offended. We are so thin-skinned. Oh, he's talking about me.

Well, yeah, he is. But the thing is, is it true? If it's true, then listen. Don't get angry.

Don't get all bent out of shape. Brethren, anger usually reveals her own guilt. And people like to quarrel over doctrine.

They like to quarrel over their convictions. Listen, brethren, we've got people with different convictions here. And in Romans 14, people had different convictions.

And you know, people can get all bent out of shape and they can get the tendency when you hear something you don't like is what? A certain measure of hostility arises. You hear the preacher. I don't like what he said.

And you got to some certain doctrinal position. I don't like what he said there. And the thing is, you need to recognize.

You know what? Scripture, some people like to say Scripture has Arminian text and Calvinistic text. Well, I don't like that he's preaching from an Arminian text. Folks, is it God speaking? That's the question.

You see where I'm coming from. You don't like what the preacher said. That's his interpretation.

You don't like his doctrine. You disagree. But brethren, remember Paul? Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? That's what he said to the Galatians.

That can happen. You say something and people are so offended. He's my enemy.

He's attacking me. No, he's trying to help you. He's simply telling you what God has said.

That's not trying to hurt you. Jesus said something very similar. The world cannot hate you, it hates me.

Why? Because again, he was speaking. He was testifying of his works. Brethren, we don't want to stop trying to justify our anger as righteous anger.

I mean, just let me ask you this. When have you ever seen righteous anger in somebody else? If you say, very rarely. Well, then how often do you think it's a reality in you? Verse 20, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Brethren, beware. Don't trust anger. Anger's not righteous as you imagine.

Anger is full of all sorts of mistakes. Passion blinds us. We imagine we're angry for God's sake.

When the truth is, brethren, so often it's only our sake. The Spirit of God loves humility. It loves meekness.

It all has to do with responding correctly to the Word of God. And so, though James is saying, men often pretend zeal for God and His glory, but God's cause is better served not by your anger, not by your wrath, but by laying all that aside, by meekness. Irritability against the truth.

We see it. Pride of opinion. But anger just in people is usually not a pure emotion.

Jesus had some, but for us, it's usually tainted with self-importance and self-assertion and intolerance and stubbornness. And a holy life, you know what he's saying, doesn't grow out of that. So, okay, I'm done.

But I'm going to end with this. I'll tell you this, Jesus speaks. His Father gave Him words to say.

God is speaking. I just ask you this, does God say anything about purity? Did God ever say that if you can't get some self-control on purity, you go to hell? Scripture says, oh, but I'm saved. You better listen to God.

God has something, young men especially, God has something to say about purity. It is amazing how often, maybe not so amazing, look at all the people that fall and sexual sin. Does God say anything about purity? Ladies, does God say anything about submitting to your husbands in all things? Are we listening to Him? Does Scripture say anything about carrying our cross daily and dying? Does it speak to that? I just ask you this, does God say anything about the great commission of the church? Is He silent on that matter? Do we have a commission? Men, has God said anything about your prayer life being hindered if you don't dwell with your wife in an understanding way? In fact, does God have anything to say to you about the importance of the secret place? Ladies and gentlemen, I have noticed that by about 9 p.m. on Wednesday night, this many people are not in this place.

Does God say anything about corporate prayer in His Word? Brethren, are we listening to His voice? You haven't made it to the end. You've got to endure to the end. You even need to endure to the end.

You need to. Don't fall out. You've got to be listening.

Does He tell you what to do with your time? Has He said anything about when to lay up treasure? Does He speak about our joy? I heard something in the first hour about our joy. Does He say anything about His Son? What does He tell us about His Son? Does He have anything to say about drifting? Does He have anything to say about you using your spiritual gifts? Does He have anything to say to us about how to care for one another and comfort one another and encourage one another? Does He have anything to say in His Word about people that don't make it and what they're like? Does He have anything to say about wisdom? About foolishness? Are we listening or are we incessantly talking? Rattling off our opinions. Does He have anything to say in Scripture about His greatness, about His glory? About what we should be trusting? Where our confidence ought to be found? Does He have anything to say about what we ought to be in the workplace? What kind of fathers? What kind of mothers? Brethren, I'll tell you, this Word speaks all the time.

And the vast majority of this world, they will not tune their ears to this. What we don't want is anybody who comes in here and actually sits and hears and then not be quick to hear, slow to spout off, and slow to be riled up. But we're going to get to it.

We need to hear and we need to do. God is speaking. And Jesus says this, you're His true disciples, if that Word is shaping you.

That's what it means to abide in You. Brethren, we are on the greatest quest man can be on. This race to the finish line, to be received by Christ at the end, it's no small deal.

And what God has done is He said this, I will pour My power through that Word into your life. The energies that God releases to sanctify us and conform us to the image and keep us saved. That's how Scripture talks.

But you've got to be quick to hear it. Be slow to speak. Slow to anger.

Let it hit you between the eyes. Don't think that you always have to get up after the preaching and go to doing this. I heard recently when we had a fellowship meal, one of the brothers left right after the message.

And he said, I just had to get alone and think. You know what? That's healthy. We have a lot of talking.

Talking. Brethren, listen. I need to listen.

We're never too old. We need to be taught. We need to watch the tongue.

Father, I pray, help us be just this. Give us grace. Quick.

Slow. Slow. We ask it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.