Good morning to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for that joyful worship to hear the people of God lifting their voices together in hearty songs of praise to our God. There is no more joyous or glorious sound on the earth than that, I think. This morning we are in James again, James chapter 1. There is not enough time to say about this text all that we should, but God willing and by His grace, we'll get to what we need to hear this morning. I'll be reading from James 1, verses 18-25. Our focus this morning will be on verse 25. So, James 1, 18-25, this is James. writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this, beloved, is the very word of our God. James writes, beginning at verse 18, in the exercise of his will, he brought us forth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits among his creatures. You know this, my beloved brethren, But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But, but, prove yourselves doers of the word and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror. For once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. but one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and continues in it, not having become a forgetful hearer, but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. Let me pray for us, following which we will sing the Gloria Patri. And if you would, please stand. Let me pray. Our God and Father, Oh, how we love your law. It is our meditation day and night. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I observe your testimonies. I have more insight than the aged because I have observed your precepts. Remove the false way from me and graciously grant me your law. I have chosen the faithful way. I have placed your commandments before me. I cling to your testimonies. Oh Lord, do not put me to shame. And there are, Father, many other texts in your Word that speak to the power and the necessity and the centrality of your Word in the lives of your people. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, but his delight, his delight, his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. There is such blessedness, as James says, the blessedness of being a doer of your word. Oh, may we know, Father. the blessedness of those whose way is blameless in your word, that we would walk in integrity because by your spirit and your word, we are walking in agreement with your word and your will. Make our hearts good ground this morning to receive the good seed of your word. Plant it deep into our souls and cause it to bear fruit, fruit that will last to all eternity. We love you and praise you and pray in Jesus' name. Amen and amen. In verse 25, James gives us the final lesson, his final lesson on how we are to profit from God's Word. He has taught us that profiting from the sanctifying power of God's Word requires a whole-souled effort on our part, a renewed mind prepared to hear and heed God's Word, a cleansed heart prepared to eagerly receive it, and a submissive will prepared to obey it. Thus we are taught by James that what counts as obedience to God's word involves the whole man, his mind, His heart and His will, not just outward actions. There is then in every act of obedience, a beautiful harmony between the Word of God and the whole man thinking, desiring, willing, and acting to obey it. So obedience is from the heart out, not from the skin out. Before we look at verse 25, I want to say something briefly about love. James writes in verse 12, blessed is a man who perseveres under trial, for once he has been approved or passes the test, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. To those who love Him. He doesn't say to those who obey Him, although that's certainly true, isn't it? He says to those who love him, from which we must conclude that love is before obedience. Love is the source and the fountain, not only of obedience, but of the perseverance that results in spiritual maturity and the expectation of receiving from Christ on that great day, the crown of life. The whole-souled obedience of which James speaks deals and flows from a supreme love for Jesus Christ, not self-interested duty. This divine Spiritual and supernatural love present in the soul of a believer is the powerful undercurrent constantly impelling him to prepare his mind, to prepare his heart, to prepare his will, to prepare even his life to obey God's Word. As Christ says in John 14, 15, If you love me, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. In verse 25 that I have just read for us, James adds to his previous lessons a final one, which I will term lifelong permanence. To profit from God's word, ultimately, Jane says, to experience the riches of God's blessing in Jesus Christ, promise to those who do his word. That experience and that promise requires that Christians develop what I will call a lifestyle of doing God's Word. A lifestyle of doing God's Word built on an habitual practice, an established pattern, a disciplined program of studying God's Word. By this, a Christian avoids the danger of being a self-deceived hearer, against which James warns us in verses 22 through 24. By this, a Christian keeps his mind, his heart, and his will prepared to obey God's word. By this, a Christian perseveres in trials, to attain to spiritual maturity in Christ and to reach solid assurance of his salvation. In verse 25, James gives us five distinguishing characteristics of the Christian whose lifestyle is built on doing God's Word. And I take these characteristics right from the text. Look at verse 25. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, there's the first one. He looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty. The second one is found in the next phrase, and continues in it. The third is found next, not having become a forgetful hearer. The fourth characteristic is, he is an effectual doer. And the fifth speaks to the fruitfulness of his life. James says, this man. this man will be blessed in what he does. There is the promise of God, right? There's a promise inherent in this text. The message this morning, as I said to the first service, is something of a consolidation of four separate messages that I preached on verse 25. So this morning, we will look at the first two characteristics. that a Christian whose lifestyle is characterized by this habit built on the careful study of the Word of God will look at the first two characteristics, the looking intently and then continuing in it. And I'll do it under this heading. A doer of God's Word continues in the careful study of God's Word. A doer of God's Word continues in the careful study of God's Word. A doer, James says, is in the habit of looking intently at God's Word, looking intently. The Greek word translated look intently means to stoop down with head and body bent forward. It means to stoop down for the purpose of studying closely. It means to look into something carefully. It means to inspect curiously. So a person who looks intently at anything has a much different purpose and a desire than a person who only briefly glances at it. Now, that is the intended contrast, is it not, between the mere hearer described in verses 22 and 24 and the doer described in verse 25, this looking intently. And so it comes down to the purpose and the desire of looking. The person who stoops down to closely study something really wants to know and understand the object of his study. He is seeking, in other words, to experience and enjoy the beauty and the benefit of the thing he's studying, right? Of course, more is required than careful study. Otherwise, a high school student who crams for his history exam the night before may claim that he is an historian because he has carefully studied his history notes for a few hours. But we know that an historian is one who devotes his entire life to the study of history. The same is true of a doer of God's word, James says. He has, in other words, established and diligently maintains a program of careful study of God's word as the habit of his life. Seeking in the words of Paul, and here's the purpose of the study, seeking, as Paul writes, to bring every thought every desire, every word, every action into captivity to the obedience of Jesus Christ. Thus, James not only teaches us that a doer, one who is prepared to profit from God's word, looks intently, studies closely God's word, he also says that he continues in it. He continues in it throughout his life. At this point, we might be tempted to ask with pious Peter, and I'll call him pious Peter for this purpose. We might be tempted to ask, Lord, how often should I study my Bible? Up to an hour a day? Now, James doesn't tell us How often is often enough, does he? And indeed, we would search the scripture in vain to find any such rule to guide us. My view is that the frequency of studying God's word will vary among Christians depending on such things as the grace given to them in Christ, their giftedness, their function in the body of Christ, their spiritual maturity, their access to God's word, their ability to attend Christian preaching and teaching, their opportunity to fellowship with other Christians, and their personal and physical circumstances. So those are some of the factors that will create variation among Christians as to the frequency and duration of the study of God's word. Now, before you think I've let you off the hook, let me say this. I do not believe we are left without any guidance on this question, such that every Christian is free to do whatever he or she pleases. No Christian should comfort himself or herself in the neglect of God's word, just because we do not find a fixed rule stated in God's word. Let me refer to two things that I believe provide us with sure guidance on this issue. One is our experience and the other is the testimony of the Word of God. So let me begin by looking at the experience. But both of these teach us what it means for a person so to continue in the study of God's Word that it has become a distinctive life-shaping habit and recognizable pattern of conduct characteristic of his life. Now let me say one more thing by way of preliminary discussion. More than that, more than what experience teaches us about habit, and more than what the word of God teaches us about habit, it is true that each one of you, each one of you knows yourself well enough to know whether you are actively building your life on God's word or not. You know whether you are or not. So let's look at experience, what it teaches us about the answer to the question, how often is often enough? That's the question. And the question is raised by what James says. But one who looks intently at the perfect law and continues in it, well, James, what do you mean continues in it? How often is often enough? All of us recognize when a person has a habit of doing something. His actions and his words unmistakably declare it. Whatever the habit, the evidence for it is the same. We easily identify something as a person's habit when we see that his time, His affections, his attention, his resources, and his energy are all regularly devoted to it. Moreover, we can engage from observing a person, we can engage from observing a person, the priority and the power of a habit in shaping, influencing, and directing his life. If your son or daughter came to you and asked, Dad, Mom, what should I do to become a great basketball player? Would you say, well, there really is no formula for success. You'll just have to figure it out on your own. I doubt that. My guess is you would tell him or her about the years of practice, hard work, and self-discipline that will be required, you would likely instruct him or her to begin by mastering the basics of the game, right? Learn to dribble, to pass, to shoot. You would tell him or her to become a student of the game, maybe even suggest that he or she read the biographies of the great players like Jordan and Bird and Maravich and learn from their example the sacrifice and dedication required to be the best. You would probably encourage him or her to practice every day and to play pickup games and organize ball as much as possible. You may offer advice on exercise and diet that develop and promote the strength and agility needed to excel as a player. You would spend time teaching him or her and showing him or her what you know. In other words, you would seek to instill and encourage the development of those habits you know are essential for success while discouraging the habits you know are opposed to it. Here's another example. Addictions are sinful habits on steroids. Whether it is alcohol or prescription drugs, meth or crack or heroin or fentanyl, the behaviors and the signs of addiction are unmistakable, aren't they? Let me ask you, can you tell when a person is addicted to something? And the answer is, I'm sure, yes. Have you seen someone start down the road to drug or alcohol addiction and watched as he became consumed by it, body and soul, so that his addiction destroyed everyone and everything in his life? Addictions transform everything about a person, don't they? The drug or alcohol becomes the person's God. He serves this God faithfully with all his mind, with all his heart, and with all his will. He will sacrifice his wife, his children, his family, his parents, his job, his community. He will sacrifice everything for this God. He will steal from his family and do things he never imagined he would ever do in service of his God. He's willing to ruin his own life and reputation for his God. And you know the funny thing about it? No one's forcing him to do it. No one's telling him what to do. No one says how often is often enough, right? No one needs to remind him what to do. His mind and his heart are constantly fixed on his addiction. It is his life. And I would say to us, beloved, what we observe in addicts, is a powerful but a negative example of transforming habits, of the answer to the question, how often is often enough? Let's turn for a moment to the testimony of scripture. Some of you may be asking yourselves, Tom, are you saying to us that we must all become addicted to God's word? And my answer is, sort of. I'm sort of saying that. I think, frankly for me, it is more helpful to think about what it means to look intently at the Word of God in terms of the negative example of addiction than it is to think about it merely in academic or intellectual terms. In other words, the study of doctrinal truth. And let me hasten to add, it is that, isn't it? It is the study of doctrinal truth, but it is infinitely more than that. For example, Jesus's answer to Satan, to the first temptation in the wilderness, according to Matthew's account, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Does that answer sound more like the powerful drive of an addiction or more like a dry academic study? Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. In other words, the word of God is more necessary. It is more essential to our physical lives and our spiritual lives than the food that we eat every day. So while it is true that God's Word does not give us a daily or weekly Bible study plan, what it does do is set before us a lavish feast of life-giving, soul-saving truth and bids us to eat and drink to the full. Let me briefly mention two other texts that I think helpfully instruct us in answering the question, how often is often enough? In Philippians chapter 3, verses 7 through 11, Paul uses language reminiscent of the language we use to describe addictive behavior when he says of himself, But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. But indeed, I also count all things loss for the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish. that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith, that I may know Him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. If you think about it for a moment, an addict might easily say much the same thing about his unquenchable desire for and pursuit of his drug god. But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for meth, but indeed I also count all things loss for the surpassing excellence of having meth, and so on. You see? You see the intensity of desire, the degree to which Paul is controlled by the Word of God, fueled by the love of Christ. The Lord Christ metaphor of the vine and its branches also, I think, helpfully speaks to this issue. How often is often enough? He says, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit for apart from me, you can do nothing. If you abide in me, if you abide in me, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. My father and your father, right? My Father is glorified in this. This is how God is glorified in us, beloved, that we bear much fruit, that you and I bear much fruit, and so prove, and so prove to be the disciples of Jesus Christ. And if the study of God's word is an essential means to our abiding in Christ, in other words, of maintaining a fruitful life-giving connection to him, and it is, is it not? It is. Then it is not first a question of developing a good reading plan. or finding the right program, or scheduling enough time. The first and priority question, what drives Christians to study God's word, to do things like developing a good reading plan, finding a good program, or scheduling enough time? What drives Christians at bottom to do that? is love for Christ that supremely values the fruitfulness and fellowship of abiding in Him. Love for Christ that supremely, above all things, values the fruitfulness and fellowship of abiding in Him. Jesus said it this way, and I want, as I read this text, this is from John 14, 21 through 23, I want you to hear the connection between the Word of God and fellowship and intimacy with God in Christ, because that connection is made clearly and unmistakably in this text. Jesus said this, he who has my commandments and keeps them He is the one who loves me, and he who loves me will be loved by my father, and I will love him and will disclose myself to him. If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Let me close in this way, a couple of things. It is not fashionable in our day to be zealous for anything. In fact, it's considered fashionable and intellectual to be stoic and indifferent about everything. But that's not what God's Word says about us, is it? Jesus said to his disciples, zeal for your house father has consumed me. David writes, my zeal has consumed me because my adversaries have forgotten your word. We are called to an unfashionable zeal in our day. Second, very quickly, I'm just going to ask the question, how's your love for Christ? Because your love for Christ is tied to the study of His Word, isn't it? One more thing. There is nothing more practical I can say to us and nothing more promising and powerful to change the course of our present lives and our prospects for the life to come than this. Let's be about building our lives on God's word. Let's be about the work of building our lives on God's word, the careful study of his word. For those of you who may not be doing this, you will be like the kid who wants to learn to play basketball. Like him, you must start with the basics and not expect to try out for the Mavs next week. But I would encourage you to begin. For those who do study, I urge you to go deeper. Even as Paul says after he finishes that extraordinary testimony in Philippians 3, 7 through 11, he says, brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do. I push forward to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me. So there is never a time for us, however long we've been walking with Christ, when we can say, oh, I know all I need to know. For those who once studied but have stopped, let me encourage you to begin again. It is not too late for any of us to start, to go deeper, or to begin again. Let me pray. And after our prayer, we will stand and sing hymn number 164, O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing. Let me pray for us. Our God, We would say with David that we rejoice at your word as one who finds great spoil. We would say that we will never forget your word for by it you have revived us. We will say with David that your word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. We would cry out with David, how blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. How blessed are those who observe his testimonies, who seek him with all their heart. We would say, Lord, we have sought you with all our heart. Be gracious to us according to your word. Make us hungry and thirsty for your righteousness. Make your word our delight and our meditation day and night. and cause our love to abound, that in abounding love our desire for you, our longing for you, our striving after you may be in accordance with the greatness of your name and the glory of your grace. We love you and praise you. And I thank you for these, your beloved children, whom you have redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. And to you, Lord Christ, you loved us and gave yourself for us. And we praise you and pray all this in your name. Amen and amen.