A Review Of Last Sunday's Word

Why are millions of people still miss the blessing of the Bible?
Because it's not automatic. Although the Bible is a book of blessing, promising comfort, strength, hope, wisdom, joy, power, and purpose… just owning one doesn't mean you're going to get its benefits.

In our continued study in James we see a key to being blessed by the Bible. “The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard but doing it, will be blessed in what he does.”

James says we must receive the Word with the right attitude.

He instructs us to Be quick to listen. 1:19. An article in Reader's Digest said when you listen, it actually lowers your blood pressure, where talking raises it. What is your emotional state when you come to church? Sunday morning in many homes is pretty hectic. Then we come in all stirred up expecting to hear a word.

Get rid of all moral filth 1:21. The word “filth” James uses, actually the Greek word meaning “earwax”. And finally we need to be teachable, yielded, humble, willing to be changed. James says, humbly accept the word of God.

James compares God's word to a mirror. What is the purpose of a mirror? Evaluation We assess the damage from the night before, then we fix it. What good is a mirror if we don't do anything about what we see?

“To Hear the Word and Not Act upon it, robs us of
understanding and effectiveness!”

There are two ways you look at a mirror. Gaze at it or Glance. We’ve all done both. It's human nature that you can't walk by a mirror and not look at it. When you glance at it, you immediately walk away and forget what you've seen. It didn't do you any good. Many people read the Bible like that.


Review it “...and continues to do so…” v25. That means over and over and over. The Bible calls this meditation. If you know how to worry, you can meditate. Worry is just taking a negative idea and think about it over and over. Take God's Word and think about it over and over and it's called meditation. Jesus said, “if you continue in My word, then you're truly My disciples.”

Respond to God’s Word I must do something about it, act on it, live it, practice it. “Don’t merely listen to what the word says and so deceive yourselves” v22.

I heard about the guy who came in just as the service was completing. He said to an usher, “Is the sermon done, yet?” The wise usher said, “The sermon has been preached, but it is yet to be done.”

We at the Gathering Place desire to be doers of the word. In order to do the word, find a place of ministry where you can get involved.

Impression without expression leads to depression: If you're always taking in, one study after another, and never get out in ministry, it's going to dry up your spiritual life.

This was Part 5 of “A Christianity That Works”, please join us on Sunday for Part 6 “How To Treat People Right”.

P.S.
The Gathering Place would like to extend a warm welcome to Jim and Elaine Caruso the new pastors of Osoyoos Christian Centre.