No Excuses: True followers of Jesus are doers
Week 1 - No Excuses Intro
You say you’re a follower of Jesus, but are you living as a disciple who loves God and loves others? Are you sharing the gospel and making disciples? While we know the right things to do, we sometimes fool ourselves into thinking that knowing is enough. We can get to doing those things later, right? Have you put your spiritual development on hold? What keeps you from reading your Bible, sharing the gospel, or growing alongside of other believers? Are you busy? Distracted? Afraid? Uncertain? We’ll see this week, that true followers are doers of the Word, not just hearers and there is no excuse for not growing in your walk with the Lord.
Scriptures
James 1 | 22But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
Romans 2:4-16 | 4Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
5But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. 9There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.a 10But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11For God does not show favoritism.
12When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. 13For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. 14Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. 15They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. 16And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.
Discussion
What is a doer? Are you more of a hearer or a doer?
Do you ever feel like an imposter… that you’re masquerading as a follower of Jesus but missing the mark?
According to Romans 2:10 and 13, how can you have peace and be sure you’re right in God’s sight?
After answering #3, what does this practically look like for you?
Are you ready to put in the work and be a doer? What do you think this will mean (or cost) in your life?