Embrace the Word

Intro

We are a modeling culture. I don’t mean like America’s Next Top Model, what I mean is that we mimic. We look at someone or something that we like, and we tend to copy it.

Does anyone know what the biggest mimic scheme in our culture is today? Influencers! If you are on Social Media, especially TikTok and Instagram, you know that we are a culture that looks at someone or something well known and we tend to make it our personality as well.

We talk a lot about children and parents in this respect. Children model the behaviors of their parents. And, in America, there is a crisis, the absent father crisis. Nearly a quarter of all children in the United States live without a father or father figure in their home. This is a cyclical problem, sons don’t know how to be fathers because their fathers weren't there. Therefore, many of them will be absent, simply because that is what was modeled to them.

Do you see the system we live in? We model.

God knows this, so in Scripture He gives us wise advice on what to do with that mindset. He doesn’t tell us to quit modeling, rather, He not only sets examples through the person and work of Jesus Christ, He gives us His word and gives us a call to action in James chapter one to embrace the Word of God in our lives. To model it. To allow it to become a major part of who we are and how we behave.

But, embracing something as a model is about more than just blindly listening to those who claim to know it. It is about more than merely reading the Word and hoping for the best. The Word of God is serious, and as such should be treated seriously. So, as we embrace the Word of God, we must do so with some standards.

As we embrace the Word of God as a practice for our lives, we must do so with true humility, we must do so continually through our life, and we must do so fully.

James 1:19-25.

Embrace the Word with Humility

Humility, we know what this is. We know that it is no humiliation, but rather is a response to life void of pride. Giving credit where it is due. Trusting that where we inevitably fail, God will not.

And, as we begin to model the Word of God, as we are reading and studying it, we must embrace it with true humility. Giving credit to the Lord, and trusting that when and where we fail, the Word absolutely does not.

James, in verses 19-21, gives us some clear instruction. You may be quick to say “yes pastor we see it, be slow to anger” but I am not convinced that the main idea of this text resides in verse 19. No, I think we have some reverse cause and effect taking place here.

Look at James 1:21 “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

Listen closely to that, receive with meekness, or humility, the engrafted, or implanted word.

This is the effect, which will cause each thing we read about in verse 19.

Humbly receiving the Word of God is the primary defense against quick anger, quick and harmful speech, slow hearing, and all filthiness. James is telling us clearly, “If you want to be slow to speak anger and quick to listen to others, if you want to avoid worldly behavior and filth, you must humbly receive the Word of God.

There is an interesting word in verse 21, engrafted, or some translations say “implanted.” What does this mean? This means that the Word of God is more than just a book that our Sunday School teacher gives us, it is more than words on a page, it is more than just pages. It is something that we must take seriously. It is implanted within us, it is grafted to our heart, it must be deeply set within us. Fixed to us. Implanted in our hearts and minds.

And there is only one way to allow this thing to happen, by embracing the Word (which means reading it, studying it, believing it, and modeling it) but doing so, as God commands through James, with humility. This Word is not ours, but Gods and it has been given to us not because we deserve it but because we need it.

For, without the Word, we remain as filthy rags, bound for punishment. But, with the Word, life is found in Christ. You need the Word of God, so embrace it daily, with full humility.

Embrace the Word Continually.

James continues these thoughts by encouraging us, commanding us, to not just embrace the word occasionally, that wouldn’t make sense, but to do so continually.

To embrace something is to make it a part of who you are, like James says, to allow it to be implanted in you, the imagery being like a surgical implant.

So, we must allow that to take place continually.

James 1:22–25 KJV 1900

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

So many people claim to read the Bible. So many atheists have read the Bible cover to cover. So, why do so many still not believe? Is there a problem with the Word of God? Absolutely not.

Rather, James tells us what the problem is.

We read the word and don’t absorb the word.

James spoke of first century mirrors in this passage, something we spoke about a few Wednesday nights ago. A first century mirror was nothing more than polished metal, not perfect by any standards. It was easy to miss blemishes, it was easy to forget what you saw because you aren’t entirely sure what was there to begin with.

Monday morning, I had to get up earlier for work than usual after having gone to bed later than usual. As I got up, I had planned on looking very nice for the day as we had our accreditation agency at Harvest for reaccredidation purposes. So, the night before I got my nice clothes ready, and the morning of I had planned on shaving, getting nice and ready, and getting on the road.

However, once I got to my last stop of the morning before arriving at work I looked in the truck mirror and noticed that I had somehow missed a large spot shaving … I looked as if I had mange. I was mortified.

I then arrive at work and look down to the shock that I had word two different shoes! Oh I was in pain…

I looked through my expensive glasses into a perfect mirror and missed a spot.

I looked in my shoe closet and missed my second new shoe.

How? I was rushing. I was not taking my time to do things the best way, I was rushing and stressed.

This is the imagery James shares. When we look to the Word as our scape goat, a defense mechanism, a check list, or we look to it for loopholes for sin, we have looked into a mirror and gone away quickly not absorbing what we saw. We looked to the Word of God for the wrong purposes and went away lacking.

If I would have done a single once-over before leaving Monday morning I would not have embarrassed myself.

When we look to the Word as we are supposed to, for the means of salvation and sustenance for life, then we can daily, continually embrace it as our life’s practice.

Matthew 6:5–13 KJV 1900

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Just as we hear from Jesus in Matthew 6, we are to receive daily provision from the Lord, with true humility, not looking for a pat on the back or an attaboy from your pastor. We hear from Jesus through James to embrace the Word as our daily bread, for constant and continual provision.

We are to go to the Word for encouragement, knowledge, sustenance, reminders, obedience, and love for God. Why? Remember, the Word of God is for you because you need it and you need it daily!

So go to the Word, don’t come away not knowing what you just read. Ask trusted Christians questions. Seek the Lord’s wisdom. And, in obedience to God, and for your good, come away knowing something more as you embrace and model the Word of God.

Embrace the Word Fully

As we humbly embrace the Word of God and do so continually with our lives, we can’t do so half heartedly, we must embrace God’s Word fully!

James 1:22 “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

When we model someone, we don’t want to cut corners. We want to embrace them to the fullest!

in 2024, nearly 310,000 Toyota Camrys were sold in the US. That’s a lot of cars..

What if there was a small tweak in manufacturing in between each car made? That is 310,000 modifications between the first and the last car produced in a year!

If even one worker on one assembly line refused to model fully the blueprints for that Camry, there would be catastrophic results.

The same goes when we attempt to embrace the Word of God.

We cannot embrace the parts we like and ignore the parts we don’t. We can’t embrace it today and not tomorrow. We must model the Scriptures fully and with each day we live.

Is there any room for error? Of course there is, we have the grace of God, something a Toyota Camry doesn’t have. But, as Paul preached, we cannot let grace be an excuse for sin! We cannot allow grace to excuse our laziness. We cannot allow grace to excuse us from fully embracing the Word of God.

James calls us to be doers of the Word, for if we only hear it, we hurt ourselves. We hurt our families. We hurt the generations that follow. We deceive ourselves when we use the Word of God for any purpose other than the means for our life and salvation.

And, as we do this, we must embrace the Word. Each aspect. Each command. Each principle. Each doctrine. And we must do so with each aspect of our lives, with the way we think, the way we live, the things we chose to indulge in, the things we avoid, the things we embrace must model the Word of God as we embrace it.

It must be our rule for life.

This morning, as our world moves away from the things of God, be encouraged, the Lord is still working, He is still moving, He is still speaking through His Word. So, know it, study it, embrace it humbly, daily, and fully as you work to model the principles and commands of Scripture.

SONG

Conclusion

As you learn the Word of God more, the greatest news you will ever hear will be found in those pages.

Today is the day of salvation.

Repent and confess.

Surrender to the Lord.

Maybe those topics are unfamiliar to you, allow me to explain the Gospel briefly this morning.

*salvation plea*

Maybe you are a Christian today and you struggle to digest the Word of God. I encourage you to fail forward, to not give up, to try and try again. Trusting God and His word. Maybe you need to come seek the Lord for help and encouragement, would you come pray?

Maybe reading is your struggle, try listening to it read to you. Do what you need to do to embrace the Word of God.