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MAY 19th
Text: James 1:19-21 Title: "Are You for Real?"

A lady who had just successfully completed a gourmet cooking class decided to be challenged by a dinner party she was hosting. It was an elegant student reception in a physician's home. She had decided to seek to impress the guests with the hors d'oeuvres. Impress she did! Everyone raved about the delicate little crackers with a wedge of imported cheese, bacon chips, an olive and a sliver of pimento on top. Also included was her secret ingredient. She watched as tray-by-tray these little delicacies disappeared. The guests were clamoring for more! Finally she broke the news to everyone after all of the appetizers had been consumed. Her "secret" ingredient was Alpo! I'm sure that there was some gagging going on after that!

This story perfectly illustrates something that transpires daily in another realm. I am speaking about religious fakes. Counterfeit Christians who market their wares on shiny silver platters decorated with persuasion and appearance. Being masters of deceit they serve it up disguised by logical sounding phrases.

James tells us to "take note"| of three important facets of our lives we if want to be real.

1. Be quick to listen
"Take note means to "call to our attention"
Matt 13:9
We must be quick to listen in two areas.
1. Publicly - we must have the eagerness of Samuel
1 Sam 3:10
You must allow the Holy Spirit time to talk to you.
2. Privately - in our prayer life
A way to pray
A - adoration
C - confession
T - thanksgiving
S - supplication - needs of others.
Our response to God is much like the hymn writer who wrote.
"Speak Lord in the stillness,
While I wait on Thee;
Hushed my heart to listen,
In expectancy."

2. We must be slow to Speak
Note what the Scriptures state.
Proverbs 10:19
Proverbs 17:27
Proverbs 21:23
The rabbis have an old saying; "We have two ears given us an done
tongue. Our ears are open and exposed, our tongue is walled in behind
our teeth."
You seek to draw the practical and spiritual application from that!
Please note the warning in Scripture, Matt 12:36
There are two areas of concern.
1. Talking about us. Our conversations are dominated by "I".
2. Talking about others. Our conversations are dominated by opinions,
judgments and criticism
Illus. The lady and the feathers.

3. We must be slow to wrath
Proverbs 14:29
Anger is the opposite of patience.
It is not productive. Peter almost killed a man because of anger. Church
fights erupt form anger.
Illus. Man serving prison term for one punch that killed.
Quote: "Temper is such a valuable thing. It is a shame to lose it!"

Conclusion: James has a garden theme in dealing with this problem. I want to extend his theme to cover what we must do.
1. Pull out the weeds. Stop doing what is wrong. CEASE!
Colossians 3:8
Hebrews 12:1

2. Prepare the soil - CONFESS! Talk to the Lord and repent from you actions.
Proverbs 28:13
1 John 1:9

3. Plant the seed - CAPTURE! Receive the Word of God
Acts 20:32
1 Pet 2:2

If we do these steps we can expect to harvest righteousness, which is the reality of the Christian life.