JUST DO IT!

(This is an abridged version of the sermon I preached at Epworth Chapel, Baltimore on 7/22/12. This is the third in a five-part series on the Book of James.)

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 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; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was." (James 1:22-25)

The Book of James offers a virtual smorgasbord of lessons on living. More than being a book rooted in theology and helping us to understand more about the nature of God, James is a book focused on ethics and morality, helping us to know more about how we are to live our lives – how we are to live righteous and good lives - from the way that we are to talk to each other – to how we are to use our tongues… to how we are to deal with anger… to how we are to face and overcome temptations and testing in our lives… to how we are to actualize our faith – in other words – how we are to put our faith in Jesus Christ into real action, and make it become evident in the world.

The matter that the Apostle James addresses with the church in Jerusalem toward the conclusion of the fist chapter of his letter to them is the matter of actually doing our faith. James tells them, and he tells us today, that we are to be not only hearers of the word of God, but we are to be doers of God’s word.

This is one of the most challenging of all of the apostolic admonitions of James – for he calls you and me to move away from our idle worship and pious inactivity, and move toward the actual work of what it means to be a Christian. In other words, James pushes us to move beyond merely talking about our faith, and thinking about our faith, and even just hearing about our faith on Sundays, to actually doing our faith. James is telling you and me in essence to “Just Do It.”

In the mid-1980’s, Nike – the athletic shoe company – made a strategic corporate decision that they were going to compete head-to-head – go toe-to-toe – with the largest athletic shoe companies at that time – Adidas and Converse – in an attempt to gain a larger share of the athletic shoe market.

We might recall that it was at about that same time that a very good and promising basketball player by the name of Michael Jordan was finishing his college career, and beginning to play professionally for the Chicago Bulls. It became evident very quickly that Michael Jordan was unique and special, and that he was not just very good, but that he was great, for it seemed that he jump higher and play better than virtually any basketball player who had come along before him. Many considered him to be the best in the world.

So prodigious were Michael Jordan’s talents, and so high was his ability to jump, so beautiful were his dunks, that Nike began to develop a marketing scheme built around Jordan’s talents, and in a manner that was unprecedented at that time, Nike named a basketball shoe after him, the “Air Jordan.” And young people (and some older people) flocked to shoe stores all over the land to buy “Air Jordans.”

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, professor at Georgetown university and the author of the book, Between God and Gansta Rap, points out that the immense popularity of the “Air Jordan” sneaker was seen in the fact that Michael Jordan not only secured one of the most lucrative endorsement contracts ever – in excess of $30 dollars a year – but in the fact that Nike sold over $200 dollars a year worth of “Air Jordans” at the height of sales of the shoes in the early 1990’s.

Well, as the 1990’s were ushered in, advertising executives at Nike had developed another aspect of their marketing strategy based on a slogan that was designed to encourage and persuade shoppers – both young and old – act upon their impulses and go out and buy Nike athletic gear. Their slogan was three simple words – “Just Do It.”

Don’t think about it – don’t debate it – don’t argue about it – “Just Do It.” Don’t even worry about collaborating and contemplating the situation at hand – “Just Do It.” This is a call to action – a call to movement and activity – a call to get up from one place and get going – “Just Do It.”

In like manner, James essentially tells those in the church in Jerusalem to “Just Do It.” Maybe James knew some people in the first century of Christianity who were like many people today. Maybe, when telling them to be doers of the word and not only hearers, James knew he was speaking to some people who had the propensity and tendency every now and then to some put thing offs. Maybe he was addressing some Christians in Jerusalem who were apt to give more “lip service” to their faith than act out their Christianity.

And so James tells his church, and reminds us today, that we are to “be doers of the word, and not only hearers of the word of God.” You know, I believe God is saying to us today, “Just Do It.” God is calling the church to be a body that not only talks about its faith, but lives out and walks out its faith. God is calling us to actualize our faith – not only in what we preach and sing, but in the way we live. “Just Do It.”

I can remember growing up, and one of my mother and father’s most repeated admonitions were these three words, “Just Do It.” Whenever I would want to fuss and whine… whenever I would want to rationalize and bargain about something they expected me to do… whenever I would want to put things off…whenever my parents had had enough, their response to me would be, “Tony, Just Do It.”

Mom, I’ll take out the trash later. “Just do it.” Dad, I’ll make my bed later, “Just do it (now).” I’ll do my homework later. I’ll wash the dishes later. “Tony, Just do it.”

So the word today is ‘Just Do It.” James closes this section in the first chapter by using a metaphor of a mirror to make his point. He says that those of us who are merely hearers of the word of God, and not doers of the word are like those who look in the mirror, see what they look like, but when they leave the mirror, they forget what they have seen.

Yes, it is faith that unlocks the door to our relationship with Christ, and his people, but it is our works, our acts, our walk that brings our faith alive, and paints a picture for the world to see our relationship with God. The song-writer said it best when it was written, “If you love him, why not serve him.”

The good news is that God has called each of us – you and me to be people of active faith. And God has blessed us with abilities and talents, and gifts and grace to be doers of his word. All we have to do is, “Just Do It!”