JAMES SHOWS THAT WE HAVE THREE RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS GOD’S WORD:
1. Receive the Word of God
In James 1:21: He says received the engrafted or “implanted word”
• Let that word get down into your bone marrow
WE HAVE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER MATT 13:1-9
• Jesus compared God’s Word to Seed and the Human Heart was the soil
JESUS DESCRIBED FOUR KINDS OF HEARTS
1. The Hard Heart- which did not understand or receive the Word and therefore bore no fruit- The Devil comes and steals the Word
2. The Shallow Heart– Very emotional but had not depth in time of trials and testing fall away and bore no fruit-
3. The Crowded Heart– Lacked repentance and permitted sin and cares of this life to crowd out the Word
4. The Fruitful Heart- Allowed the Word to take root, and produced a harvest of Fruit
We started talking about The Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount
Fruit of Christian Character and Conduct for the Glory of God
• Purpose is to show the Glory to God
• What God has done
John 15:16 – Parable of the Vine_ The Union Between Jesus and His Church
Jesus said in vs 16: Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
• Jesus chose us and “ordained” or appointed us to bring forth fruit
• Then he gave us the privilege to knock on Heaven’s Door
• “That whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you
Other Fruit may be winning souls for Christ
1. Winning souls to Christ- Romans 1:16: 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
2. Growing in Holy Living– Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
3. Growing in Spiritual Character -Gal 5:22-23- 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Give your heart to Jesus today by saying this prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. Please forgive me. Come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Now, help me to live for you the rest of this life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen.