HOFC Sermon Archive: Book of James Part 7: The Implanted Word

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SERMON TIMELINE

1. Introduction to the Book of James

2. Trials and Temptation

3. Gaining Wisdom

4. Poverty & Wealth

5. Dealing with Temptation

6. Slow to Anger

7. The Implanted Word

INTRODUCTION

Today is Sunday. June 30^th, 2024

We are continuing our series in the Book of James, and before we read today's verse, I want us to take a quick look at what James has revealed to us so far, because the important thing about James is context.

He opens with the fact our faith will be tested with various trials. We, as believers, should consider it a joyous occasion because when we persevere, it grows us spiritually, and our faith becomes stronger.

James tells us that we are able to persevere trials and temptation through the wisdom of the Word of God. But we must trust that word, and not be double minded about things.

“…ask in faith, doubting nothing, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:6-7

Remember, the Greek word used for double minded literally translates, two-spirits. Or, two-paths, which we know from scripture is the path of our flesh and its desires, which are contrary to the Spirit of God and His desires.

Being double minded is a person who knows the Word of God, knows what God’s Will is, but does what they want instead. They follow their flesh and its desires. The Word of God says, if you do this, don’t expect to receive anything from the Lord.

In context? What will you not receive? The Wisdom from the Word of God to withstand and persevere in trials and temptations. In other words, follow your flesh instead of the Spirit and you are on your own in life with your trials and temptations.

James then gives us insight into why they follow their flesh as opposed to the Spirit.

James 1:9-11 tells us the man who chases money is like a flower dying in the scorching heat of the sun. The “beauty” of its appearance is destroyed.

Money and all it brings is the desire of the double-minded, who forgets that the beauty of riches are nothing but an appearance that are destroyed, as the one pursuing it fades away.

Why does the scorching heat of the sun destroy the flower? No water.

There is no help from the Holy Spirit, just as the warning states of the double-minded in verse 7-8, “For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Because they were not humble (James1:10) and followed their flesh and its desires, they were on their own against the trials, tribulation and temptations of life, and apart from God, we can do nothing. So they are destroyed.

James then continues telling us how blessed the man who perseveres is, and how after he perseveres, he will receive the Crown of Life which the Lord has promised him, to be a kind of first fruits among creation.

This brings us to the part of the letter where James now wants to encourage us to be “Doers of the Word” so that we are not double-minded, following our flesh as opposed to the Spirit, and will be able to persevere all the things we must face in life with success, receiving the Crown of Life.

If you remember last weeks message, James tells believers they “everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

Remembering the context, obtaining Wisdom through the Word of God to overcome trials and temptations.

So, believers MUST BE quick to hear the Word of God; Slow to speak the Word of God; and slow to anger about the Word of God, because anger does not achieve the righteousness of God.

Don’t fight with people about scripture. Don’t argue on social media about God’s Word. Don’t get mad and fight about any of it.

Stating truth is one thing, disputes, dissentious, arguing, this is something else, and that anger is not “righteous anger” and it will not achieve the righteousness of God.

THEREFORE

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

James 1:21-25

“Therefore, laying aside all filthiness and {all that remains of wickedness} LIT: abundant evil, in gentleness receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But become doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he looked at himself and has gone away, he immediately forgot what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

I. THEREFORE (James 1:21)

a. Lay aside filthiness and all that remains of wickedness

i. Filthiness (G4507): filth, unclean, defiled, perverted

ii. LIT: abundant evil (G2549): vicious disposition, malice (meanness, nastiness), spite (hurting others)

b. Receive the implanted Word

i. Receive (G1209): I take, accept, welcome

ii. Implanted Word: Implies it was planted (placed) within you

c. Which is able to save your souls

i. According to this verse in James, we MUST rid our lives of filth and perversion, viciousness, malice and spite, and RECEIVE (or accept and welcome) the Word of God which HE IMPLANTS within us.

ii. This Word gives us wisdom

iii. This Word enables us to persevere trials, and temptations

iv. And this Word is able to “save our souls”

II. BECOME DOERS OF THE WORD

a. Not merely hearers who delude (G3884) themselves

i. Delude (para-logid-zo-mahee): I deceive, beguile, mislead, reason falsely

ii. If you hear the Word of God, but do not live it out, you are deceiving yourself into thinking you have wisdom from God’s Word, and are walking in the Spirit, able to persevere trials and temptations.

1. You are misleading yourself…lying to yourself

b. Those who hear but do not do

i. Hearing and not doing is the same as looking into a mirror, as long as you look, you see yourself, but the moment you walk away you forget what you look like.

ii. Hearing the word of God, your all for it and on fire while listening. The moment you no longer hear it, you return to living by your flesh and its desires and wants.

c. Immediately forgetting what kind of person you are

i. It is easy to be a carnal Christian in a safe-space

ii. It is simple to be a carnal-Christian as long as you are reading or listening to the Word of God

iii. You can easily attend events, worship services, bible studies, listen to Christian music in your car…

iv. However, when the storms come, and you are faced with trials, tribulation, temptation, the carnal-Christian is weak.

1. A carnal Christian is actually weaker than a non-believer, because they are misleading themselves into thinking they are right with God

2. Scripture is clear though, they never fair well in storms, and cannot persevere in trials and temptations, because they do not live the Word, but follow their own desires and wants.

3. Walking in the flesh always leads to destruction.

So James, once more, encourages the readers to gain their Wisdom from the Word of God, and DO what the Word says so that they may persevere trials and temptations by living out the Word of God.

In James 1:25, James says to “look intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom.”

III. Look intently at the perfect law (God’s Word)

a. The Law of Freedom

i. We know God’s Word is perfect

1. By the way, translations are NOT inspired by the Holy Spirit

2. Translations are NOT infallible and without error

3. Only the ORIGINAL text in it’s original language by the original authors was the perfect and infallible Word of God.

ii. Why is it the “law of freedom”?

1. Because the Word of God is our Wisdom

2. When it is “implanted” into us, it “saves our souls.”

iii. That Salvation from the Word frees us from the bondage of sin, and from the promise of Gehenna and the Second Death to those who do not have it.

b. Abide by it (James 1:25)

i. This is more than just receiving the Word, hearing the Word, abiding in is is deep.

ii. Abide means to take it, accept it, stand on it!

1. Abide (G3887): I remain by, I persevere in

2. Similar to “abode” which means an action of waiting, or a place you wait, a residence or home.

iii. Abide in the Word that was implanted within you

iv. Live in the Word, and live the Word out in your life

c. Not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work

i. Forgetful G1953: (LIT: forget, oblivion)

ii. Those who follow their own desires, their flesh, ignore the Word of God as if it never existed. Gone, into oblivion.

James 1:25 “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

CONCLUSION

Read or listen to the Word of God. Accept it, receive it, allow God to implant it in your hearts. Then live that Wisdom, abide in the Word, walk in the Spirit not the flesh, and you will be able to persevere trials, temptations and the storms that come in this life, all because you received the Word of God and lived it out in your life.

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