Built Up in Faith, Doers of the Word
June 26, 2024 · 1:36:16 · Watch on YouTube ↗
Summary
The Wednesday service opened by inviting weary, anxious hearts to lay down their burdens and find rest at the feet of Jesus. Two messages followed, both anchored in God's Word. The first, from the letter of Jude, urged believers to build themselves up in their most holy faith, to pray in the Holy Spirit, to keep themselves in God's love, and to wait for the mercy of Christ. We live in the in-between time, from our first salvation to our final salvation - a season of waiting and spiritual struggle in which we must contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.
The preacher warned about people who quietly slip into the church - hidden stains at the love feasts, clouds without water, fruitless autumn trees - and against drifting after whatever popular online preacher catches the ear. Using the picture of searching for solid building blocks in Haiti, he called the church to become strong, worthy stones in God's house, to remember the words of the apostles of the Lord Jesus, and to endure to the very end.
The second message, from the letter of James, called the church to receive the implanted Word with meekness and to be doers of it, not hearers only. Like newborns longing for pure milk, we grow toward salvation only through Scripture. The Word is a mirror that shows us what to change, yet many merely judge others while ignoring their own lives. God's kindness leads us to repentance, and as we gaze into His Word we are transformed from glory to glory.
Key Points
- Build yourself up first in your most holy faith before you try to build up anyone else.
- Pray in the Holy Spirit, who intercedes for us when we do not know what to pray.
- Keep yourself in God's love by walking in His commandments and not turning aside from the truth.
- Contend for the faith once delivered to the saints, and do not fall silent when truth is mocked.
- Hold to the words of the apostles of Jesus, not to whichever popular preacher catches your ear.
- Receive the Word with meekness, the way a child receives milk - argue less and obey more.
- Be a doer of the Word, not a hearer only; let Scripture be a mirror that changes your own life.
Devotional
Where is my heart tonight - restless and weighed down, or resting at the feet of Jesus? God invites me to enter His rest, to build my life on His Word, and to stay inside the circle of His love. It is not enough to admire good preaching or to defend the truth against others; I am called to let Scripture be a mirror that changes me. So let me receive His Word with a meek and teachable heart, pray in the Spirit, and endure to the end. As I keep gazing on His glory, He will quietly transform me from glory to glory.
“Before I can build up anyone else, I have to first build myself up in the faith.”
“God's Word is a mirror - it never changes you if you only glance and walk away.”
“One day at the feet of Jesus is better than a thousand days without Him.”
