Keith Battle - I Pledge Allegiance to the Word - Part 1

I’m starting a new four-part series this week called «I Pledge Allegiance to the Word.» One of the ways we pledge allegiance is by standing for something out of respect for the word. I want to read from James chapter 1, beginning at verse 22 and reading through verse 25. Here’s what it says: «But don’t just listen to God’s word; you must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.» Verse 23 continues, «For if you listen to the word and don’t obey it, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it, not just hearing it.» You may be seated. Amen, amen.

This is the time of year, Ron, when people are making many allegiances and pledging numerous commitments, such as their fitness goals, financial goals, and relationship goals. This year, pledging allegiance pertains to what you are committing to. We don’t just have annual pledges; over the course of our lives, we’ve committed to many things. If you went to school, you had to put your hand over your heart at the beginning of the day and pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands: one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

We pledge allegiance to a spouse by making marital vows and to our families because of our values and principles. We pledge allegiance to causes and movements. There are people who say, «I’m down with that cause; I’m down with that movement,» because it aligns with my beliefs and convictions. I support that; I stand with her on that; I stand with him on that. When you pledge your allegiance to something, you give your time to it. You understand what I’m saying? Sometimes you give money to it. There are people who pledge to fraternities, sororities, and other organizations because they see alignment and a common goal, and they want to be a part of something. I will go online; I’ll let people know; I’ll march. I’ve seen some of those pledges, where people face serious challenges, and that shows the commitment people have in their lives. I’m not saying that always happens, but I will say this: no matter what you have pledged your allegiance to in this life, it is wise to make God the first and foremost allegiance.

One way we pledge allegiance to God is by pledging allegiance to His Word. In part one of this series today, I want to talk about the fact that even though pledging our allegiance to the Word of God is important, it will not happen without opposition. You can expect satanic opposition against your pledge of allegiance to the Word. I’m going to show you in a minute from a parable that Jesus taught. But first, I want to return to James 1:22, as it serves as our foundational verse. James is writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: «Don’t just listen to God’s word.» I think people feel good about listening to God’s Word; it’s sort of like a checkbox. You can check it off: «Yeah, I went to church today.» «Yeah, the pastor gave a good word.» However, listening and doing are not the same, and a lot of people listen without doing. That’s why your life hasn’t changed spiritually. Amen? You are where you’ve always been spiritually. If not, you may have deteriorated somewhat, and this deterioration comes from the non-application of the Word.

It isn’t just that you’re not listening; some people listen to it and smile, then shake my hand after church, saying, «That was a good word, Pastor.» But they have no intention of doing any of it. When I talked about tithing just now, many of y’all were saying, «Yeah, man, go ahead with that, Pastor. Just get to your little sermon.» There are moments in the Word when, if anything makes you uncomfortable or triggers you, you think, «I ain’t doing that.» It’s like ordering a pizza; you only choose the toppings you like. We treat the Word of God the same way — picking only the parts that suit us. That means you’re in charge, not God. So when James says, «Don’t just listen to God’s word; you must do what it says, otherwise you are self-deceived,» he is highlighting that it is self-deceiving to hear God’s Word. When you’re in a Word environment, it gives you a sense of protection. «Yeah, I go to a church where they teach the Word…»