The Most Important Question

Intro: There is one question that each of us must answer before Jesus Christ. That question comes from the last line of a song written in 1926 by B.B. McKinney, and it says this. "The question comes to me, as I think of Calvary, is my Master satisfied with me?" I pray you will seriously consider this question as you hear this message today.

I. We are to be doers of the word. (James 1:22a)

 a. We are to let our light shine before men so they can see our good works.

 b. Shining our light and doing good works brings glory to your Father in Heaven. (Matt.5:16)

Jesus called His disciples then and today to live out their faith.

The practice of our faith should support our profession of faith. The way we live as believers can attract people and draw them closer to God or we can distract people by our actions and keep them away from God.

II. We are not to be hearers of the word only. (James1:22b)

 a. Hearing God’s word only and not doing is deceiving one’s self.

There are many who sit under the Word of God week after week, and they learn and know as much of the Word as anyone. They think that their listening and learning makes them acceptable to God, that it makes them safe and secure. When they slip into sin, they feel that they can ask God for forgiveness and that He will forgive them. They just feel that God would never reject them.

b. The person who only hears the Word soon forgets what he has heard. James 1:23-24 (NKJV) ²³ 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; ²⁴ for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. It is just forgotten, and it never becomes a part of the person's life, and it never changes him.We hear the Word and are convicted of some defect, some shortcoming, and some failure that we need to clean up. But as soon as we walk out from under the Word, we are distracted by the world and its affairs and we soon forget to do what the Word of God told us to do.

III. The doer of God’s word will be blessed. James 1:25 (NKJV)  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.           a. The person who hears and does the Word of God is blessed. Note that the Word of God is called the perfect law of liberty. This means that the Word of God will set a person free from the bondages of sin and death. The Word of God will free a person from all the temptations of this life and give him the full and victorious life for which his soul longs—an abundant life that will continue on and on eternally with God.

A person who does and lives the Word of God will find that he is freed from all that enslaves his soul upon earth. He will discover love, joy, and peace—a soul that soars with a sense of... freedom and liberty, purpose and meaning, security and safety, victory over temptation, joy and assurance. The Word of God is the law of liberty, the law that sets a man free to know and fellowship with God forever and ever.

We must continue to live just like the word of God says. If we do, then we shall be blessed, made abundantly and eternally joyous. If we do not then we will miss God’s blessings and then face judgment for our lack of good works that He saved us to do! Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Invitation: Is Jesus satisfied with the way you are living? Each of us must answer that question now and make necessary changes or face Jesus at His judgment seat and face the consequences of our actions. Are you 100% sure you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord? If not now is the time to make sure! Your eternal destiny depends on it!