In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of preparing one's heart to receive the word of God. He uses the analogy of sowing seeds on different types of ground to illustrate how the condition of the heart determines the outcome of receiving the word. The preacher highlights the need for hearts to be plowed and prepared, so that the seed of God's word can take root and bring about true conversion. He encourages the audience to lay aside sin, be swift to hear and slow to rebel, and approach the word of God with childlike faith and neatness. The sermon concludes with a reminder that salvation comes through believing in God's truth and being receptive to His word.

What I finally decided on is the mind of the Lord. At any rate, I want to speak very carefully as I can tonight on the subject of preparing one's heart to receive God. Preparing your heart to receive the engrafted word which is able to save the soul. Let's begin reading in the first chapter of James at, uh, well, we'll begin with verse 16 of James chapter 1. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will beget he us, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. Wherefore, now listen to this carefully, if it be true that of God's own will, by the use and means of truth, into the kingdom of God, how desperately we need to hear if we value our souls. That's 19th verse. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to receive, not the righteousness of God. He's exhorting now. He's advising now. He's speaking to us now. And receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your soul. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving selves. Today I'm sure that we would not address we using what which we have about us and children yet, not by faith in the Lord. Early Jewish preachers, these terms, they didn't mean that they believed they were in Christ, but they were fellow Jews. Well, whether that be true or not, you notice here it says in verse 16, he addresses them as, and he's talking to some by interpretation to this. And here in verse 19, wherefore, my beloved brethren, down through verse 21, three verses in which we find some excellent advice from united to the Lord Jesus. Here's three, by way of advice, here are three things in these verses that are addressed to unsaved men and women who would prepare their hearts to receive what he calls in verse 21, the engrafted, and he says that this engrafted word, that it's able to save your soul. Now it may seem strange, but to be united to Christ, for we already did. We believe with all of our hearts that multitudes of people regenerated you, men and women, the interpretations of the word, the injunction, did you get it? You'll spend all the days of your life talking about it. That introduces me to the biggest tragedy. If you didn't prepare your heart, you don't get a thing out of anybody. We're reminded of course, to seek him till he comes. And now, I see chapters of the book where they gather the word. If any kind of spiritual ministry campaigns all over, I had never seen. He says, now pick up my Bible, does the same chapter. It's true, even that preacher. You can attend services till you're blue in the face, and do what you call listen. But until you take seriously the fact, you ought to say that the doorbells, and the next night he goes to the, and the next night he goes somewhere else. This is fundamental. This is fundamental. Now James says in these verses, verse 19 through 21, he lays down three things, that men who were interested in preparing their hearts, drafted, or the word that we'd understand a little bit, the seed was sown, and it took root. Is that right? You plant a grain of corn in the dirt, and that's why it, it, it takes root. Is that right? You plant a little sapling, and it takes root. If you have a tree, it's got to go down. The preacher tells me that man could do that, because now that wouldn't say you're not bearing fruit, if you're not bearing fruit. So I'm interested, as I go up and down the country, in telling them what James says. He says there's three things that an unsaved man ought to look again at. Verse, man's attitude toward truth must be changed, and there's no power on earth that could keep the violent sinner out of hell, from making all the effort that a man can make. There's the best a man can do, that's the best, and he could make. James says about it, in, in, in view of the fact that you get to get a clean out of his hair, that he can get the wax make an effort to hear. Men are not, and this word must be heard, and she was in terrible shape. It turned out later that the preacher had warned her about what terrible fella, he came, let him voices ignorant, that, that, that, that one be dead, sure you go well, turned out with the woman, that she began to quote. And then, uh, and then, and then she said some of the things you I said, well, what you've got to find fault, James says, in view of what, you're verse 18. Now, I think about which men rebel. Slave men say, stick out your tongue. Said, the ass knows you can't take it. You were on rebelling against it till you wind up in hell. You get your block and tackle. You just can't take that. Says, you're a best righteousness. Said, you're very proud. Be swift to hear what's been conceived in the mix. Then there's another teaching of the word of God that's wrapped up in this business of the need of. And the terrible severity. All you've got to do is act it with and become. And yet, you've got to face it. Be swift to hear how severe God's law is. If it's as strict as the Bible. As severe as the Bible says it is. My, how terrible. There's a third Bible truth that cannot be received. And that's the absolute. We live in a day now when. I think the sovereignty of the Lord. There's a people in my meetings more than buried in there. We're born for the will of God. Men just can't take that. And therefore, it's left out. James also said, what you do. You be swift. Lay apart. But hear that a man must be. But that's so nobody to say. But what James has got to have him come to. As long. What about this rooted word? The word gets in. Not arguing about anything. But it's simple. You know one characteristic. Talking about here. And I know my Lord talked about in his ministry. You know what. What a little child will do. Of course, he gets a little old. Don't argue about it. My little girl was a little tiger. And I was on the road. I never made a trip. But I quit rebelling against truth. Get the wax out of the air. Lay aside. Whatever. Sin or sin. Your trouble is not that you don't understand. You're not going to go to hell. Because you don't understand the doctrines of the Bible. If you go to hell. There will be to pay for you. God says if you just. You'll be able to come to the assurance. Of God's wonderful salvation. James would say. Slow to rebel. Laying aside. By being like a little bitty. May God bless you. I don't know. What kind of ground. This little. Talk has fallen on. I don't know who's here tonight. I can't look inside. People's hearts. I don't know how it is. In the name of the Lord. Be pleased. By thrice holy. And wonderfully merciful God. Lord. If there be those. To my Lord. Fall on hearts that have been prepared. For it's by that truth. That we're born again. That's the way we're saved. Thus we pray our Father. For Jesus.