Grace and Truth
(Chapter 6 from Dr. Hyle's excellent book, Grace and Truth)
HEAR AND DO
Deuteronomy 30:11-14, "For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
Verse 12 closes with the words, "that we may hear it." Verse 13 closes with the words, "that hear it, and do it." Verse 14 ends with the t thou mayest do it." Notice that the hearing is left off there. Perhaps the dear Lord is saying to us that He has told us twice to hear and do and that is enough hearing; it is now time to do!
America is full of these who hear and never do. Hundreds of thousands of our church members have heard until their ears must ache, but they do nothing for God. Beloved, the Gospel is not a treasure to be buried, but a treasure to be carried. The Gospel is not an anchor to hang in the boat house; it is an anchor to carry on the boat and be used. It is not food to store in the cellar but food to share with others. It is not a garment to hang in the closet but rather a robe of righteousness to give to others. It is not a weapon to display in a museum; it is a sword to be used in battle. The Gospel is not a lagoon for the feeding of ducks; it is a river that is to flow to the entire world. It is not a relic to be examined; it is a redemption to be spread. It is not an ascetic experience to be enjoyed; it is an estatic experience to be shared. It is not a request to come, but a command to go. It is not a small reading light, but a bright headlight.
Listen to the Word of God. Psalm 143:10, "Teach me to do Thy will, 0 God." Notice this does not say, "Teach me to be in Thy will, 0 God," but "Teach me to do Thy will, 0 God."
Philippians 4:13 reminds us that we can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us. The Apostle does not say, "I can bear all things through Christ." He did not say, "I can be all things through Christ," or "I can know all things through Christ." Certainly these are also true, but he carefully chose to say, "I can do all things through Christ."
In Acts 9:6 the newly converted Saul of Tarsus, who is someday to become the great apostle Paul, asks, "What wilt Thou have me to do?" His first question was not, "What wilt Thou have me hear?" "What wilt Thou have me to learn?" or "What wilt Thou have me to be?" but "What wilt Thou have me to do?"
In James 1:22 we are admonished to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. In James 4:17 we are told that to him who knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
John 14:12 reminds us, "Verily, verily, I say unto e that beheveth on Me, the works that I do do also; and greater works than these shall he I go unto My Father." Note that we are works of Jesus. God's people are to do some did not say the facts that He learned we are the teaching He taught we are to teach, the that He went we are to go. Now these are true t the great fact is that we are to do what He 1:1, "The former treatise have I made, 0 , of all that Jesus began both to do and notice that Jesus began to do and to teach. to do and to teach. Notice the do comes before teach. Beloved, the Word of God is not an be defended; it is a weapon to be used.
We have enough great preachers; now we need doers. We have enough great teachers; now we need some great doers. We have enough great singers; now we need some great doers. Perhaps we ought to change the ordination paper of a preacher from "Ordained to preach" to "Ordained to do."
We have many Christians whose favorite Scripture is Psalm 23. Perhaps we need some whose favorite is Ecclesiastes 9:10, "Whatsoever thy hand do, do it with thy might; for there is no device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."
We have many Christians whose life's verse is Romans 8:28. Maybe some ought to choose as their life's verse, Matthew 28:19, 20. Perhaps we ought to life verses like Daniel 12:3; Proverbs 11:30 and John 9:4, "I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work."
Maybe we have preached enough on the Sabbath Day, and it is time to emphasize the other six days. Perhaps we have stressed too much the day of rest when we ought to stress more the six days of work. Maybe our favorite song ought to be, "We'll Work 'Til Jesus Comes," instead of "Asleep in Jesus." Maybe we ought to sing less of "Sweet Peace, the Gift of God's Love," and more of "Sound the Battle Cry, See the Foe is Nigh, Raise the Standard High for the Lord." We have emphasized the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit, and well we should. Why doesn't somebody now emphasize the power of the Spirit!
We have dwelt on the woman at the well. Now perhaps we ought to dwell on the woman in town who left the well and went soul winning. Maybe we have talked too much about David's harp and not enough about David's sling. Maybe we have emphasized to our young people too much the importance of making a straight "A" instead of making a straight way to tell sinners how to be saved.
Maybe we have been holding the fort too long; we should take some forts. Maybe we have been gathering around the Word too much when we ought to get the Word and gather around sinners.
We have heard and heard; row it is time to do. What are you doing for God? How long has it been since you won a soul to Christ? Do you teach a growing Sunday school class? Do you have a bus route? Do you go soul winning every week? We have heard. Now it is time to do.
More Life Changing Sermons and books by Dr. Jack Hyles:
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