Tese are my sermon notes from John Baker at the Katy church of Christ, and I thought it was easy to follow and apply. Listen Here. Think carefully about what it means to "welcome" or "receive" God's Word into our hearts: How do you listen to the word of God?
- Positively - We accept it as being His Word.
Acts 2:40 Gladly receive the Word of God. When was the last time you were glad you received God's word?
With many other words, he warned them, and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
James 1:23 Meekness - Not just listen, do.
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror.
Acts 17:11 Daily - Searching as they are teaching.
Now, the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Psalm 119:11 Hide on Heart so that you might not sin.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Matthew 7:24-27 Obediently - Be able to think differently. What's different in your life this week because you follow the Lord? Are you accepting and allowing change to happen continuously?
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
2. Negatively - Are you skeptical?
1 Thess. 2:13 Word of Men.
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.
Luke 24:11 Skeptically not sure. But they did not believe the women because their words seemed nonsense to them.
Mark 5:40 Mocking. But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him and went in where the child was.
2 Peter 3:16 Twisting - Twists to our own destruction.
16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Jeremiah 36:23-24 Try to Destroy. Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. 24 The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes.
Mark 10:20-21 Become Sad. “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Acts 7:54 Become angry.
When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.
3. Promises - Based on faith
Romans 10:17 Faith is produced. Is your faith weak? What are you reading? Listening to?
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
James 1:18-19 Souls saved.
18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.
Listening and Doing
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
John 8:31-32 Discipleship - Not just what we say, it's what we do.
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Psalm 119:9 Strength in temptation. How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
John 15:1-8 Bear fruit.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Matt. 4:1-11 Strenght in scripture. Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Heb. 5:11- 6:1 Maturity, life is not about us; it's about others.
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
6 Therefore, let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,[a] and of faith in God,
Matt. 24:35 A Foundation. God's word is a foundation; you have a direction and a place to stand because you have the Lord in your heart.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
2 Tim. 3:15 Wisdom
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Acts 20:32 Grace for our hearts. What are you reading? Eyes and Ears filter everything. Simple.
“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Romans 12:1-2 Transformed.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by renewing your mind. Then, you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.
Romans 8:29 Conformed to the image of Christ saved so we can be saved from Jesus. Make us more like Jesus.
29 For those God foreknew, he was also predestined to conform to the image of his Son, who might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
How are you receiving God's message today? Open Bibles and Open Hearts?