THE BIBLE BLESSING

Sermon Notes, September 14, 2014

Rev. Jan Sinozich

Pastor Jan’s message was titled “The Bible Blessing,” and was based on James 1:19-25.  As she packs in preparation for her move to Ohio after her marriage in October, she has come across many different Bibles among her books.  The Bible is a book of blessing; it is God’s desire to bless His people through His Word, giving them comfort, strength, hope, wisdom, joy, power and purpose.  We must accept the Word and act upon it to receive His blessing.

Accept God’s Word (James 1:19-22) Be careful: quick to listen and slow to speak.  Be calm: slow to anger.  We don’t listen very well when we’re talking, or when we’re angry.  Be clean: get rid of all moral filth.  When sin is in your life, it blocks your hearing; it prevents God’s Word from getting into your heart.  How can we get clean?  By confession (1 John 1:9).  He tells us to Be compliant: teachable, yielded, humble, willing to be changed.  You can’t learn anything if you think you know it all.  If we want to be blessed through God’s Word, we have to accept His Word, through the four “hearing aids:” be careful, be calm, be clean, and be compliant.

Act on God’s Word (James 1:23-25) His word is like a mirror, and we should live in the reflection of it.  Read it.  There are two ways to look at a mirror: you can glance at it, or you can gaze into it.  Many people try to read the Bible by glancing into it, but we also need to gaze into it, study it intently, dwell on it.  Review it. Continue reading it, over and over.  This is called meditation.  The Bible says to meditate on God’s Word. (Psalm 119:97)  Read it and review it continually; live in it.  Remember it.  Memorize it. (Psalm 119:11) Take notes, write things down, sing it.  Respond to it.  Act on it, practice it, live in it.  Don’t just audit it (like some audit a college class), coming to church, hearing the Word, then walking out with no intention of making changes.  We must accept God’s Word, choose to live in it, and let it change us if we’re going to be blessed by it.  Otherwise we’re deceiving ourselves.  Let the Bible change you.

  Knowledge increases responsibility.  The more we know, the more we’re accountable for.  What are you doing about what you know?  To be blessed, you can’t just hear the Word, or remember it.  You must DO it.  (John 15:5)  James’ message is simple God’s blessing of the Bible comes when we accept it and begin to live in it.