How To Be Blessed By the Bible

Some highlights from Sunday's Sermon.  The Bible is a book of blessing, but we to be blessed, we have a part to do!

The Bible is a book of blessing and its promises comfort, give strength, hope, wisdom, joy, power, and purpose. But just because you have a Bible doesn’t mean you’re going to get the benefit from it. The Apostle James, gives us three steps on how to be blessed by the Bible.

1.  WE MUST RECEIVE GOD’S WORD IF I’M GOING TO BE BLESSED BY IT

Circle the word “accept”.  This word in Greek is a hospitality term which literally means “to welcome” ‘come on in’. If we’re going to be blessed by the word of God, first we must welcome the word into our lives. We must be receptive.

James says we must receive the word of God with the right attitude and he gives us four attitudes you need to be blessed by God’s word. They are hearing-aides.

1.  Be careful. 

Give it your full attention. Be alert. Don’t miss it. 

2.Be calm  

” A relaxed attitude increases receptivity. If you’re relaxed, people can communicate with you more. We don’t hear much when we’re angry, upset, bitter or resentful. Bitterness is a barrier, an emotional block that keeps us from hearing God’s word. 

3. Be clean.

Before you can plant the seed you need to do a little weeding

4. ‘Be compliant’

Be teachable, yielding, humble, be willing to be changed. 

God says if you want to be blessed, first you have to receive it, be receptive with these four hearing aids. Reception is not enough. James says we not only need to receive the word of God, but we need to;

2.  REFLECT ON THE WORD OF GOD

James uses an illustration here. He says God’s word is like a mirror. The purpose of a mirror is to evaluate us. We use them to evaluate ourselves. God says a mirror reflects what we’re like on the outside. God’s word reflects what we’re like on the inside.

There are two ways you can look at a mirror. You can gaze at it or you can glance at it.Many people try to have a quiet time that way. They don’t want to gaze at God’s word for any length of time so they just glance at it. They just give God five minutes. God says that He wants us to gaze at the word, to investigate it, to look at it intently and in detail.

3.  I MUST RESPOND TO THE WORD OF GOD

We must do something about it, act on it, live it, practice it. vs. 22 “Do not merely listen to what the word says and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Practice it. What good is a mirror if you look at it and don’t do anything about it? 

 The test of maturity is not knowledge. The test of maturity is character. A lot of people have great Bible knowledge but they are spiritual midgets. We need to practice it, apply it and put it in our lives.