The implanted Word

5 September 2012

 

Opening Prayer/Worship

 

Hymn: When we walk with the Lord

In the light of His Word…

 

Theme: Be filled with the Holy Spirit

 

Topic: The implanted Word

 

Reading: James 1:17-27

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.^*18In fulfilment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. ¹⁹ You must understand this, my beloved:^* let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;²⁰for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.²¹Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. ²² But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.²³For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves^* in a mirror;²⁴for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.²⁵But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing. ²⁶ If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.²⁷Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

 

Introduction

If we are to be filled with the Spirit of God, it is crucial that we spend time meditating on the word of the Lord regularly. Scripture is one of the commonest means of hearing from God at any given time and on any given issue or challenge we are dealing with. But in addition to studying the Holy Scripture, we also experience the Spirit of God through prayer, hymns, worship, songs, praises, sermon, preaching, Holy Communion, testimonies and whenever we gather to seek God in fellowship. Scripture describes the word of God as a double-edged sword that cuts through the bone and marrow. Through studying the word of God, we receive wisdom, understanding, knowledge, confidence, power, direction, guidance and boldness from the Lord. God created the world through the Word; and when man fell away in sin, God restored His fellowship with us through the Word which became flesh- Jesus Christ. When the word of God is implanted in our lives, we experience the Holy Spirit in a richer and fuller way than when we lack the word.

 

Questions/Discussion

1.    How does the phrase ‘the implanted word’ apply to us today?

Psalm 119:105-112

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
¹⁰⁶ I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
to observe your righteous ordinances.
¹⁰⁷ I am severely afflicted;
give me life, O Lord, according to your word.
¹⁰⁸ Accept my offerings of praise, O Lord,
and teach me your ordinances.
¹⁰⁹ I hold my life in my hand continually,
but I do not forget your law.
¹¹⁰ The wicked have laid a snare for me,
but I do not stray from your precepts.
¹¹¹ Your decrees are my heritage for ever;
they are the joy of my heart.
¹¹² I incline my heart to perform your statutes
for ever, to the end.

 

John 1:1-5, 10-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.²He was in the beginning with God.³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being⁴in him was life,^* and the life was the light of all people.⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.¹¹He came to what was his own,^* and his own people did not accept him.¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,¹³who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,^* full of grace and truth.¹⁵(John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’)¹⁶From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.¹⁷The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.¹⁸No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son,^* who is close to the Father’s heart,^* who has made him known.

 

James 1:21

Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

 

2.    Does it really matter whether the word is implanted in us or not?

Psalm 119:9-16

⁹ How can young people keep their way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
¹⁰ With my whole heart I seek you;
do not let me stray from your commandments.
¹¹ I treasure your word in my heart,
so that I may not sin against you.
¹² Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes.
¹³ With my lips I declare
all the ordinances of your mouth.
¹⁴ I delight in the way of your decrees
as much as in all riches.
¹⁵ I will meditate on your precepts,
and fix my eyes on your ways.
¹⁶ I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.

 

John 15:1-8

‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower.²He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes^* to make it bear more fruit.³You have already been cleansed^* by the word that I have spoken to you.⁴Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.⁵I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.⁶Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.⁷If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.⁸My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become^* my disciples.

 

Acts 19:13-20

Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.’¹⁴Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.¹⁵But the evil spirit said to them in reply, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’¹⁶Then the man with the evil spirit leapt on them, mastered them all, and so overpowered them that they fled out of the house naked and wounded.¹⁷When this became known to all residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, everyone was awestruck; and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised.¹⁸Also many of those who became believers confessed and disclosed their practices.¹⁹A number of those who practised magic collected their books and burned them publicly; when the value of these books^* was calculated, it was found to come to fifty thousand silver coins.²⁰So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

 

3.    Discuss some of the factors that can hinder us from knowing and obeying the word of God.

Proverbs 18:19

¹⁹ An ally offended is stronger than a city;^*
such quarrelling is like the bars of a castle.

 

Matthew 21:28-32

‘What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.”²⁹He answered, “I will not”; but later he changed his mind and went.³⁰The father^* went to the second and said the same; and he answered, “I go, sir”; but he did not go.³¹Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.³²For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

 

Romans 10:13-21

For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ ¹⁴ But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?¹⁵And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’¹⁶But not all have obeyed the good news;^* for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’¹⁷So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.^*

¹⁸ But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for
‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.’
¹⁹Again I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
‘I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a foolish nation I will make you angry.’
²⁰Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
‘I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.’
²¹But of Israel he says, ‘All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.’

 

James 1:19-26

You must understand this, my beloved:^* let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;²⁰for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.²¹Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. ²² But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.²³For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves^* in a mirror;²⁴for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.²⁵But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing. ²⁶ If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.

 

Intercession/Worship

 

Conclusion

God speaks to us daily through various means. As His children, we ought to have a listening heart and the desire and will to obey His word always through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.

 

Closing Prayer

Father, Your word is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path. Give each of us a heart that will not only hear but also obey Your word, that we may continually be filled with Your Spirit. This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.