Sermon Recap

Continuing on the "Gospel OUT" Series: Walking with the Word (part 1)

Reread: James 1:19-25

Recall: The question that was brought up in the beginning was why read the bible? and so before answering this question, Pastor Steve guided us through the Scripture to see what the bible said about the bible :)

• 2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness"
• 1 Thessalonians 2:13 "And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers"
• Proverbs 6:23 "For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life"
• Proverbs 30:5-6 "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar"
• Psalm 19:7 "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple"
• Psalm 19:10 "More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb"
• Isaiah 55:11 "so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it"
• Romans 16:26 "but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith"
• Psalm 119:103 "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth"
• Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path"
• Jeremiah 15:16 "Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts"
• Jeremiah 23:29 "Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"
• Ephesians 6:17 "and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"
• Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart"
• 1 Peter 2:2 "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation"
• James 1:21 "Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls"

Restate/Relay: So what is the purpose of reading the Bible? It is to produce and live out the righteousness of God (v20) in order to save our souls (v21). How can we do this? To be quick to listen, slow to speak, and therefore slow to be angry (v19). Meaning we gotta rid ourselves of that self-seeking mindset where we are quick to speak and slow to listen, quick to give our opinion and slow to understand without partiality.. kinda stems out from the heart-attitude of things, i.e. serving self vs. serving God & hence other ppl. Same way goes with reading the Bible... often times i find myself slow to really listen to what's being said in the word, but rather quickly speaking to what I impose on it to mean (hence prone to error of misinterpretation, which isn't so good), or perhaps quick to get onto the rest of my day as the things i've read in the morning fade away as if i'd never read the words on the page to begin with. That and my moral filth (from the influences of social norms, culture, education, tradition, and especially my pride... which ultimately beckons for a love of the self vs. a love for God), like earwax, gets in the way and blocks me from truly listening to His clear words which become muffled and muted from the gradual buildup of wax causing desensitization to His voice, and resulting in disobedience (of which perhaps was in itself the cause of wax buildup?).

What do we do then? What can I do? Simply put from James 1:21-22... (1) repent! (2) receive with meekness the implanted word, not the word that settles on the surface and is blown away by the slightest wind, but the deeply rooted and implanted living word of God in us. (3) apply His teachings to our lives, not merely being hearers and thus deceiving ourselves, but being doers as well! And in that step-wise fashion, before we can even think of doing anything, we need to receive first in obedience. And what is this obedience? It is to look intently into the word, not reading, hearing & forgetting .. but internalizing and letting His living and life-transforming words abide in us.

Pastor Steve gave us some helpful steps to assist in having the word implanted in us (v21b).

1. Hear - Romans 10:17 "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ", Jeremiah 3:15 "And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding"
2. Read - Revelation 1:3 "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near"
3. Study - Acts 17:11 "Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so", 2 Timothy 2:15 "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth"
4. Memorize - Psalm 119:11 "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you", Proverbs 7:1-3 "My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart"
5. Meditate - Joshua 1:8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it", Psalm 1:1-6 "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish"
6. Obey - James 1:22 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves".. making a conscious effort to change our character!

Respond: In an effort to put this into practice, E proposed we start memorizing scripture :) What a wonderful idea! Funny how I make my sunday school class memorize bible verses, yet chose to neglect this in my own life. It's never too late to start though :)

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires. Therefore put away all filthiness & rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hears only, deceiving yourselves." -- James 1:19-22