{"id":967447,"date":"2016-01-08T13:24:59","date_gmt":"2016-01-08T19:24:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/provbaptist.org\/?p=967447"},"modified":"2019-03-13T14:43:32","modified_gmt":"2019-03-13T19:43:32","slug":"how-to-receive-gods-word-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/provbaptist.org\/?p=967447","title":{"rendered":"How to Receive God’s Word"},"content":{"rendered":"

19<\/sup><\/strong> Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20<\/sup><\/strong> for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.<\/h3>\n

21<\/sup><\/strong> Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. [James 1:19-21, ESV]<\/h3>\n

\"open-golden-bible\"God speaks today through His written Word, the Bible. Anyone who wants to receive a message from God needs only to open their Bible.<\/h3>\n

If you want to hear God speak to you audibly, then read your\u00c2\u00a0Bible out loud. It is through Scripture that\u00c2\u00a0God speaks to us objectively.<\/h3>\n

In James 1:19-21, James gives us five keys to receiving God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s written Word. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll consider\u00c2\u00a0the first of these in this blog.<\/h3>\n

These observations are designed to help us better receive the implanted Word, stated at the end of verse 21.<\/h3>\n

The first key deals with the beginning of verse 19. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d So here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the first observation\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/h3>\n

I. \u00c2\u00a0Believers who willingly submit to God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Word must be quick to hear<\/em><\/strong> (19a).<\/h3>\n

In the ESV, which I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m using here, the opening phrase is rendered, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153know this.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d In the NIV it says, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153take note of this.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d In the NASB it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s translated, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This you know.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h3>\n

Once again, James is using an imperative statement. He has used the imperative earlier in chapter one as well.<\/h3>\n

The imperative is like a verbal highlighter that underscores what the writer is about to say. James grabs the reader\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s attention and requires action on our part.<\/h3>\n

He says, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153know this\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d because there were and are Christians who don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t<\/em> know how to receive God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Word profitably. This is something every Christian needs to hear.<\/h3>\n

James loves these Christians. He calls them \u00e2\u20ac\u0153my beloved brothers.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t writing in anger, but he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pleading; he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s urging like a concerned father for their progress in the faith. There are spiritual dangers James urges believers to avoid. These instructions relate to receiving God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Word, both publicly and privately.<\/h3>\n

The first key to receiving God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Word (in verse 19) is the determination to be \u00e2\u20ac\u0153quick to hear.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d The idea behind this phrase is that of an eagerness<\/em> to learn.<\/h3>\n

When we read the Bible for personal study, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153quick to hear\u00e2\u20ac\u009d describes how our heart should be toward God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Word.<\/h3>\n

In the private setting, we hear<\/em> with our eyes as we read the Bible. Hearing can be active or passive. Passive hearing is when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not trying to hear but it happens anyway.<\/h3>\n

Every day, I passively<\/em> hear train whistles in the background, especially at night. At home, I passively<\/em> hear dogs bark in the background. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t try<\/em> to hear these sounds.\u00c2\u00a0In fact, I prefer not to\u00c2\u00a0hear them; but I hear them anyway. So James is calling for active<\/em> hearing\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 where we strive to hear with an embracing heart.<\/h3>\n

Likewise, when I listen to a sermon, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153quick to hear\u00e2\u20ac\u009d means my heart is prepared<\/em>\u00c2\u00a0and eager to listen. My mind should be\u00c2\u00a0awake and fully engaged, but not to criticize or to pass judgment on the text or the speaker, but to receive instruction as the Spirit applies the truth to my own heart.<\/h3>\n

This attitude presupposes the desire to be taught.<\/h3>\n

Winston Churchill revealed something about himself when he confessed, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am always willing to learn, although I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not always willing to be taught.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h3>\n

Many of us can relate to that sentiment.<\/h3>\n

There is wisdom in knowing<\/em> that we need to be taught. Learning requires a high degree of listening (or taking knowledge in<\/em> rather than putting information out<\/em>) where talking is restrained on the part of the learner, except in interactive contexts, and only then when it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s absolutely necessary to facilitate learning.<\/h3>\n

I remember in seminary, Dr. Howard Hendricks said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153When I was a boy, my father taught me to take every opportunity to stand in the presence of wise men.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Then he said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Always keep your mouth shut, except to ask a perceptive question.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h3>\n

In Proverbs 10:19 Solomon wrote, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h3>\n

The ability to keep silent is a prerequisite to learning. The more proud and foolish a person is, the less willing they are to retrain their lips and listen to others.<\/h3>\n

In a book published back in 1970, Dr. Paul Tournier wrote: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Listen to the conversations of our world, between nations as well as between couples. They are, for the most part, dialogues of the deaf<\/em>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a description of people who are \u00e2\u20ac\u0153hard of listening.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h3>\n

Why is listening \u00e2\u20ac\u201c being quick to hear \u00e2\u20ac\u201c so important to receiving God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Word?<\/h3>\n

When James wrote these words to the dispersed Jewish believers throughout the Roman Empire, apart from the OT, there were no canonical Scriptures for the NT at this early date in the church\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s infancy. James was first<\/em> in terms of writing.<\/h3>\n

The epistles hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t been written yet and even the gospels hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t been written yet.<\/h3>\n

Therefore, all instruction in the gospel of Christ and in doctrine was oral<\/em> as believers met from house to house. They gathered\u00c2\u00a0to listen<\/em> to the apostles\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 teaching as it was conveyed orally.<\/h3>\n

Listening<\/em> became a matter of spiritual life or death. Those who didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t listen didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t receive God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s truth. Those who don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know how to listen to God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Word in any era become spiritually weak and divisive. Listening is still spiritually vital in our day.<\/h3>\n

Little or nothing can be learned by a person who refuses to stop\u00c2\u00a0talking.<\/h3>\n

Have you heard from God today?<\/h3>\n

Have you taken the time to read your\u00c2\u00a0Bible?<\/h3>\n

Take up and read! Be quick to hear and slow to speak.<\/h3>\n

May God use this teaching to enable us to profitably\u00c2\u00a0receive His Word.<\/h3>\n

For the glory of Christ,
\nPastor Kevin<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

.<\/span><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “How to Receive God’s Word”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":967152,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/provbaptist.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/967447"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/provbaptist.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/provbaptist.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/provbaptist.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/provbaptist.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=967447"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/provbaptist.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/967447\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":967700,"href":"http:\/\/provbaptist.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/967447\/revisions\/967700"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/provbaptist.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/967152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/provbaptist.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=967447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/provbaptist.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=967447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/provbaptist.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=967447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}