Engrafted Word of God sermon notes - Sermons By Delbert Young

Engrafted Word of God sermon notes. It is able to save my soul. Does it mean if I own a Bible my soul is saved? Of course, it doesn’t. The soul is saved by applying its principles to my soul. It must become a part of me. It must root, grow, and bring fruit into my life.

by Delbert Young

Engrafted Word of God

The word is able to save my soul. Does it mean if I own a Bible my soul is saved? Of course, it doesn’t. Indeed, the soul is saved by the engrafted word meaning the word I graft into and apply to my soul is able to save my soul.

Scriptures: James 1:21, 1 Timothy 5:23, Psalms 119:1-3, Psalms 119:4-6

JAM 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.

The word is able to save our souls. Did you know that? Most think it is a “sinner’s prayer”. There is nothing wrong with a “sinner’s prayer,” but a “sinner’s prayer” will not save our souls.

The word is able to save my soul. Does that mean that if I own a Bible my soul is saved? If I take my Bible to church every Sunday and place my Bible on my nightstand next to my bed at night as I sleep, does that mean my soul is saved? Of course, these things do not mean my soul is saved. The soul is saved by the engrafted word. That means the word that I graft into my soul will save my soul.

The word must be grafted into our souls. We are not born knowing the word.

What is the soul?

1TH 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The soul is not the spirit. Also, the soul is not the body. It consists of the mind, the emotions, the will, the attitude of man. It is where we collect information and assemble that information that directs our lives. This is what the word is able to save.

Engrafted Word of God

ENGRAFTED

What is James attempting to relay to us when he said, engrafted? James relates the thought of grafting a branch from a different tree into an existing tree.

graft picture 1

First, there is a cutting — a circumcision of the heart. Into this cut, a wedge is driven. It is not comfortable for the tree. It is not comfortable for the soul. However, it is necessary if the graft is to be taken. The wedge is Jesus Christ who did not come to bring peace, but a sword — a wedge. He brings division. He separates children and fathers, and He separates mothers-in-law from daughters-in-law. Also, He separates brothers. When Jesus is properly received, he will wedge open our souls.

graft picture 2

After the wedge, the graft must be inserted. If the graft is not inserted, only a wedge exists. The graft is the word of God. The word is foreign to the soul. Initially, the existing tree will attempt to reject the foreign substance. The tree will release fluids in an attempt to wash the graft out, but that only brings nutrients to the graft. Our soul does not want the word, its rejection only shows that the word is taking graft.

graft picture 3

After insertion, the graft must be pruned. Dead parts must be pruned away. As a matter of fact, we have been given much dead doctrine today in our church age. As soon as possible the dead doctrine must be cut off. If not the false and dead doctrine will damage the good graft.

graft picture 4

Of course, the tree must be secured and the graft protected from insects and disease. As well, the believer must place his or her soul in a body of secure believers. Also, the believer must attach the soul for security.

It is in the secure place of a secure church the graft is protected from insects and disease. As a matter of fact, the enemy will come immediately to remove the graft, infect the graft, or send demon insects (locus) to destroy the graft. Also, the engrafted word must be protected from the cankerworm and the palmerworm. Indeed, the graft must be protected from the disease of spiritual AIDS — infected “believers” putting their diseased seed into us.

Within a few days, the graft takes. The graft becomes a part of the tree and in the next season will bear fruit. Once grafted in, the word will take. It will become a part of the soul and the thinking process. When this happens, the next season when this fruit is needed, the graft produces fruit.

So, how valuable is the engrafted word? But, how does it become engrafted? How are we to respond to the word? Similarly, what hinders me from receiving the engrafted word? These are the things I want to talk about for the next few weeks.

Engrafted Word of God

PSALM 119

What I would like for us all to do is read Psalm 119 several times over the next few weeks. Of course, it is a very long Psalm — 176 verses. However, it speaks about the engrafted word, how the word becomes engrafted, how we should respond to the word, and things that hinder us from receiving the word.

Psalms 119:1-3

1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

BLESSED

The word blessed is much better understood if said Happy indeed. The Hebrew word is ‘esher (Strong’s 835) and means “happiness; how happy!.”
happiness – 0835 ‘esher
happiness; how happy!

The people of God are supposed to be happy. We are happy because we are blessed! We are blessed because we walk in the law of the Lord.

Engrafted Word of God

LAW

The word law is better understood if said precept or statute or ways (v.3). The Hebrew word is towrah (Strong’s 8451) and means “precept or statute.”
law – 8451 towrah
a precept or statute

The term law makes it sound as though we are made or forced to obey God if we want to be his children. That is simply not true. Because our children do not always obey us they continue to be our children. However, when they disobey they should be punished. Another way of putting this is a child’s obedience is rewarded. It is exactly this way with the Lord. Those who walk in his ways (law) are blessed — happy indeed! Those who do not are not blessed. The rebellious person decides that he or she will not walk in the ways of the Lord, thus not activating the blessings of God upon the life.

Every child of God desires to be happy and blessed. However, we can obviously see that all are not.

Why? Should we be blessed? Then why are we not? The answer is in the next section. We do not direct our lives according to his statutes.

Psalms 119:4-6

4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

Engrafted Word of God

O THAT MY WAYS WERE DIRECTED

David knows that being happy indeed is because a person walks in the ways of the Lord. So, David says, O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! The NIV says, Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!

(NIV) PSA 119:5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!

There is not a person who does not recognize that true happiness and true blessings come when that person walks in the ways of the Lord. Knowing this is one thing. Directing our ways to walk in the Lord’s ways is another. Of course, every believer struggles someplace. It is that place that hinders our happiness. It is also that place we must graft in the word.

ASHAMED

We don’t need someone to tell us what it is plugging our blessings. We already know. It is the thing we ask the Lord to forgive us for every time we pray. It is the thing that makes us be ashamed when we come to the Lord. The Living Bible says, Then I will not be disgraced, for I will have a clean record.

(TLB) PSA 119:6 Then I will not be disgraced, for I will have a clean record.

Now I understand that you all need to look at me like you don’t know what I am talking about and that this does not apply to you. Of course, I understand your husband or your wife or your children or your mom or dad is here and you need to seem perfect. So I won’t blow your cover, but when you get done today and you get alone with the Lord, you can say, “Yes Lord, I know what makes me ashamed.”

We all have one. Paul had a thorn in his flesh and for you or I to act like we don’t have one then we are being a hypocrite and we need therapy. Every person in the scriptures except Jesus and maybe Daniel had at least one. Adam had one. Eve had one. Noah had one. Abraham had one. Peter had one. John had one. Paul had one. You have one and I have one and it hinders our happiness!

So, what we must do is circumcise the soul, allow the wedge of Christ to open us up, insert the graft of the word, and allow that word to save our soul. Certainly, it is there the blessing abides.