Discipleship: Implanted

Implanted word. That's when life begins, but the word is when is nourished and is in rich and you become the five portion of the upcoming message title discipleship complaint. Pastor Abbott on shop church in Henderson, North Carolina Clearview. Our focus is on making Christ visible powerful worship in genuine community. Come check us out at 3485 Oxford Rd. in Henderson or visit us online@clearviewbc.org join us for the rest of this week's message. Do you know someone who struggles with selective memory.

Does anybody have anybody in your life. Supper with selective memory. Nobody apparently you have children they cannot figure out where their homework is, but they know every weapon combination of fortnight.

Anybody else the vanilla fortnight or so. If someone back there does ladies do you have men in your life. This weekend is the birthday party. You told them that 10 times they can remember.

But they know exactly when the favored team is playing and who's gonna be in the starting lineup. They know what they want to know they remember what they care to remember. Know that have to do with this message when it comes to discipleship again.

People do what really matters to them when we get saved.

God's word is implanted in our hearts implanted means it is set securely deep within. That's what the Holy Spirit does. He puts the truth of God into our hearts, where there is darkness and deceit and depth know what this implanted word does it makes Jesus real to us. It assures us of the presence of the Holy Spirit was something else. This implanted word does.

It gives us a craving and desire for the external word, the Bible, it gives us a hunger for the truth between the books of Genesis to Revelation. Now you want this external word in your heart. In fact, the vitality of the implanted word is depended on how much you intake the external word know what is happening. The Scripture memory when you hear me preacher you hear your preachers preach or you go to a Bible study or Sunday school. Some of that word is coming into your heart is reaching the implanted word, but it's not enough. What is needed is Scripture memorization because that's when this word begins to dwell richly in all wisdom inside of you implanted word. That's when Christian life begins, but external word is when it's nourished and is in rich and you become disciples when you tell people Scripture memory all on too old for that. I can remember hardly think we remember what we care to remember. You have your Bibles with you turn to James chapter 1 the messages called implanted me to talk about why it's important to memorize God's word and we can understand how we are to memorize God's words. Let's all stand once again for the reading of God's word. James chapter 1 starting in verse 19, listen to what is says so then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness and I want you to say this with me and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls you say unless we receive with meekness the implanted word unless we feed the implanted word with the external word was gonna come through is the filthiness and the overflow of wickedness is coming from here. Sin is not just out there sin is here that is ever present with me. Here's my question to you before we pray, how often do you read the word of God do you memorize God's word and if you are not saved. The first place to begin. That walk of discipleship is to receive Jesus as your Savior. And at that moment the Holy Spirit does his surgery and he implants the truth in our hearts. That's when Christian life begins in the past few weeks I've been talking about discipleship is a series on discipleship and is been exciting to see how many of you are already begun your groups, your inner circles and it's awesome to see that told some of them to hold off until I finish the series but there like were already going on. So to keep going.

I'll catch up with you. I'll give you all the resources you need, but it's awesome to see.

Already we have we had for last weekend and I were like six or seven is beautiful to see that now some of you still have some questions you're still confused about exactly how do all this, how does it work sought to quickly recap for you. This series began with the great commission. In fact, the incentive to make disciples is the great commission. Matthew 28 verse 19. What is a safe go therefore and make disciples of all nations.

It's a command.

Jesus has given it's not optional, is not a suggestion, if you are a Christian. The command to you is go therefore and make disciples not to go and make disciples is to directly disobey the command of Jesus Christ, you are to go and make disciples. Now the next question is who is a disciple of what does a disciple look like and again from the word of God recruited this acronym water where each letter represents a facet of discipleship W stands for witnesses.

A disciple has a testimony and stands for accountability tea is togetherness. When a someone says I believe in Jesus. I don't have to go to church.

That's like saying I love you man.

I just hate your body, the church is the body of Christ.

E is established in the word and all are stands for reproducing disciples. Next we looked at the importance of disciplines you need disciplines in order to be a disciple so discipline of evangelism, discipline of confession, discipline of weekly church attendance, discipline of daily Bible intake and the discipline of discipling next look at the pathways to get to the discipleship. Jesus modeled the pathways for us. How did Jesus make disciples. He began with the crowd.

Then he narrowed it down to the congregation the multitudes that followed him the heart his word. This saw his miracles they witnessed the amazing things he did that he narrowed that circle even further to community the disciples. 70 and the 12 disciples, and he didn't stop there. He narrowed it even further to the inner circle who was in Jesus's inner circle. Peter, James and John first. Discipleship doesn't happen in large communities, narrow you have to go in order to make disciples.

We talk about the inner circles what is an inner circle and inner circle is a 3 to 5 member gender specific group. Men only women only. It's a close group one should begin.

You don't keep adding people to it like a Sunday service or Sunday school. It exists by invitation only to believers.

I cannot make a disciple out of someone who is lost. You gotta be safe and then you learn what it means to follow Jesus Christ.

It exists by invitation only to believers, and it meets weekly.

It is for indefinite period of time.

You don't meet perpetually. You don't meet forever. It means 10 months, 12 months, 18 months and then it is done. What happens now as God leads each member in that group goes from being a student to being a teacher.

They spawn and start new inner circle.

See that's what we have to do we want to make disciples of we need to make disciples who will make disciples. Now, in the inner circle. What happens for things happen when you meet in the 3 to 5 member gender specific groups, what happens first thing you do is you study the Bible.

Second thing you do is you memorize the Bible. Third thing you do is you ask questions of accountability. Again, these questions are provided and not invasive, but they hold you and check in for as you pray last week and I explained to you what it means to study the Bible, how do you stay the Bible. At the simplest level, number one, you read the Bible number two you understand the Bible go back and listen to that message and number three as you apply the Bible. Simple as that. This morning I will focus on memorizing the Bible when you meet together study memorize how do you memorize. Why do you memorize let's look at that for a moment again when you tell people it is important to be a disciple to memorize the Bible to go on to old I can remember like I use to go. I read the Bible and that's good enough for me.

I want to show you from the Bible why it is important to memorize the word of God. Number one is this Scripture memory was a distinguishing mark of the Old Testament saints. The oldest book in the Bible.

I believe the book of Job right when a Job say this in the Job chapter 23 verse 12 he said, I have not departed from the commandment of his lips, was the word. Next, I have treasured how do you store treasure you have to put it away. You have to hide it somewhere. Joe 2500 BC somewhere about their he says I have treasured the words of his mouth, means God's mouth more than my necessary food Joe memorize the word of God or something else Scripture memory was the secret to success in life. In the Old Testament.

The secret to success by the way, success is not more money and more stuff and more popularity with sexes really means is finishing well in life finishing well in your marriage finishing well with your children. What is the secret to success is in the Joe I'm sorry Joshua chapter 1 verse eight the book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate.

Keep that word in your mind will come to than the moment you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it for then if you do this if you meditate on the word, then you will have good success, then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Now what is the difference between memorization and meditation in the Bible it talks more about meditation than memorization.

You can memorize for test and forget it by the end of the day. What is meditation meditation is much more than memorization.

Meditation is taking is section a portion, a verse of the Bible and ruminating on it mulling over it chewing on it and then making it part of your life.

Listen to Psalms 1 and verse one Blessed is the man who walks out of the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord knocking outside with me and in his law he meditates day and night.

Meditation is not emptying your mind calming the ripples of your soul and letting from deep within.

Come knowledge and wisdom, and peace and joy. Meditation is not transcendental meditation.

Meditation is not Eastern mysticism or him the philosophy or yoga or Buddhism meditation does not reach deep within to find something because if you reach deep within. What you gonna find is a lot of job bows. If I call my soul and go deep within.

What's gonna come out letter crud will come out so know if you reach inside you know you got a lot of stuff. No, no, listen to what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 15 in verse 19 Jesus said, out of the heart out of the heart.

What comes out. Proceed evil talks, murders, adultery's fornication taps false witness, blasphemies, nothing good dwells in me. I beg you please don't try to quiet your soul and reach deeper than what you'll find is this job. Meditation is when you take this book the word of God, mull over it and make it a party of system sin is not out there sin is not out in the streets or in the movies sinners here the evil that resides within me, says Paul, Scripture memory is the secret to success in life something else. So Scripture memory is also a safeguard against the pitfalls of life. Listen to what David said in Psalm 37 the mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice, listen to, there's the law of his God is in his heart. None of his steps shall lie, which means that there will be time you will fall but you will not permanently fall is a safeguard against the pitfalls of life and here's one that is my favorite Scripture memory was an internal armor against sin is an internal armor against sin. The question is asked in Psalm 119. How can a young man keep his way, and you can say how can a young woman keep her way or cleanse his way or her way, what is the answer. Psalm 119 in verse 11. I went on to say this with me as loud as you can read in verse 11 your word. I have a hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you were doing everything possible to protect our children were protecting them by being there the ballgames being there to pick him up from school being there when they go to the children's birthday parties old sleepover on the were always there were hovering protecting them from all the bad element did you know that the worst element is coming from within the place where you should be giving them the armor is deep. When Dan out of the heart proceed.

All this mess and here's one more Scripture memory is the source of joy to God's people Jeremiah chapter 1516 says your words were found, and I ate them at your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. Now every night about 9 o'clock. My heart or my stomach. More like once I scream anybody else here is a problem. I don't know how it just like goes off like ice cream I got to get ice cream. What Nicole has done is you stopping ice from the house only to talk to her and said don't do that to our pastor don't get my script anyways so I don't know what to do so. Now begins the search and not after. Not I'm eating cereal bowls on and that's that's not good, but there comes a close is right is in a bowl has milk in it.

It's cold and then there's a smile on my face and I go to bed happy to imagine folks if we were to come to the word of God with that same desire the same craving that if I want to be happy. Are y'all awake this morning. If I truly want to have joy and rejoicing. This is the book that I have to find and eat this one. Bring joy and rejoicing in my heart.

I'm not a leave my house no matter how much a habit do things is a busy day. I didn't get enough night sleep I am going to stop and feed upon this bill because this will bring joy and rejoicing.

No wonder many Christians. They are a very poor representation of the gospel. Now Tom sure someone might say in all that is in the Old Testament, UU court of everything from the Old Testament in the New Testament we don't have to do these things is all the Holy Spirit actually the New Testament assumes many of the habits and ways of thinking of the Old Testament. Here's a question, do you who were the first believers.

They were all Jewish people. They were all people, Peter, James, John, Mary mag, were all people who were saved in Satan this Bach. So even though it's the Holy Spirit who inspired them to write the Gospels and the letters there was still riding within the worldview of the Old Testament Scripture memory was part of their lives. The Holy Spirit does not negate the need to memorize the word of God when he quickly give you some examples in the New Testament of Scripture memorization. The first one of course is Jesus. Did you know that Jesus memorize Scripture. Jesus was a Jewish boy and all Jewish children men Boys and Girls Club required to memorize Scripture on until the age of puberty. The girls could memorize and that the stop but the boys kept on memorizing Scripture you say all Jesus, God, beautifully God, he did not need to memorize Scripture. He knows the whole Bible. Jesus was also fully human. Listen to what Luke says in chapter 2 in verse 52 Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. Of course, is God.

He was at one moment walking the streets of Palestine in the same moment he is encompassing the entire universe but also as fully human. He restricted himself and he memorize Scripture. Did you know anybody can tell me where we see that clearly demonstrated when he was tempted. What happened when Scripture was when when Jesus was tempted what what did he say he each time he told the devil it is written, and he quoted Scripture. Jesus even expected his disciples to memorize Scripture. John 831 Jesus said to those Jews who believed in it. If you abide in my word abiding is another way of saying if you remember and keep my word as a treasure in your heart you are my disciples indeed this is what Paul said again they are working from a Judeo worldview.

The Old Testament worldview. Let the word of Christ dwell in you dwell in you body implanted and the external word richly in all wisdom and then when Paul listed the armor of God, the breastplate the belt. The helmet, the shoes everything is defensive except for one he mentions one thing which is actually offensive. It's it's and it's a weapon. What is that weapon the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. When you are in a spiritual battle when the enemy is attacking you. The more spiritual you are, the more attacks will come in my nose that if I feel the attack right now in your life in your mind.

This is the sword that helps me fight the enemy and if I have to go. Let me ask the preacher about this one limp. Let me check my app too late.

Your dad, Scripture memory makes the sword readily available to me when the enemy says look ignored you, but I keep ignoring you keep ignoring you.

I well the word of God reminds me, I know the plans I have for you. When the enemy says look at her, looking to keep looking. You know you look at her. Scripture says is not enough just to say don't commit adultery. Even if you look at someone with lust in your heart you already done it.

When Scripture says that when the enemy says oh going to get angry. You know when you get angry rear. When you renew when that outburst of radical people back off back off. They get intimidated, use it, use it always works outburst of wrath is not from God. You see, you need the memorization of Scripture because you can fight the enemy immediately. Finally, the writer of Hebrews tells us something very powerful. He explains a continuous interworking of the word in us continuous interworking of the word. Hebrews 412 for the word of God is living. It is powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, boastful word of God is not just working when I'm preaching to you. Are you listening to your favorite preacher you doing a Bible study, when the word of God is in me, even while asleep. It is already going between the muscles in the joints between the heart and the soul, and it is operating in my life is living and powerful. That's why scriptural memorization is so key to be a disciple of Jesus Christ we see the why and very quickly how you go about memorizing Scripture. The latter techniques out there all you do is Google. There's so much good stuff out there, but basically there are two mediums. Either you can go the old-fashioned way and get index cards right, Scripture, make sure the references there stuck in your back pocket and memorize it all day long look at it. Your memorizing like the ultra-Orthodox the entire Babylonian Talmud. Your memorizing the Scripture John 316. Start with us a free one. Use it already is a lot lose it by the end of the day going out there so many apps out there that help you Scripture memorization, here's here's a trick. How about all you social media addicts.

How about every time before you do this you gotta look at the Scripture. Some of y'all look at it like 40 times a day likes me as well about imagine. Imagine if you were to look at that Scripture 40 times a day do you think you have memorized the how does this work with the inner circle very quickly. Our time is up.

When you are in an inner circle to 3 to 5 member group. Scripture is assigned for every week just to verse for the whole week and when you come together you have to regurgitated you gotta tell what happens the first week of course you forget second week of course you forget by the third week you realize Manas makes me look bad and you start memorizing.

If you say this morning I understood good hormone to which you will stop when there is accountability you do it in our church.

We focus a lot on children memorizing the word in the Sunday school kids have to memorize the word in blaze worship.

They memorize Scripture. Alana is solely based on Scripture memorization.

Here's the funny thing when those kids grow up and get to the big adult church.

We tell them. Guess what kids you don't have to memorize anymore. You know why little children are so quick to say I believe in Jesus Christ. I can see him. I want to be saved. I would know why kids are so eager because the word of God is implanted in their hearts, and the external word is coming at them and their memorizing the Scripture.

Their faith is in is is shining and burning brightly.

It is adults who have trouble not them growing up a groove in a Christian home pastors home. My dad preach this morning a few hours ago mom and dad had scriptures plastered everywhere in the house but you know what happened in the process.

The word of God was penetrating my mind I would be lying to you if I say I never made any mistakes are never Sandra never did something stupid. I did but I never went off the deep end. It was always the word of God that was roping me back in.

We protect our children from the externals and we fail to protect them from the internal and the real enemy is coming from within, and unless the word of God is going into their hearts is not enough to say when you memorize that memory you have. My kids are grown men. Now, you really should do it. Thank you so much for joining us for this message.

Disciples not enough to simply read God's work and have the truth Scripture planted Holy Spirit uses natural focus on God more information, visit us online.org sermons notes Jacob has her sizable shop.com