Pentecost 14 9/10/06 Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-17 Title: Walking the Talk
Pentecost 14
9/10/2006
Text: 2 Timothy 3: 14-17
Title: Walking the Talk
Grace, mercy, and peace from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
Today is Rally Sunday, the one Sunday a year that we set aside to focus on Christian Education.
I bet you did not know that we have 40 children from age 3 to 18 in our congregation. That is right, 40, and how many do you think are attending on a somewhat regular basis, our Sunday School? Eighteen, twenty, thirty, how about, 13, that is right, only 13 out of 40 children attend Sunday School on a regular basis.
We shake our heads in disbelief. But wait that is not the really bad news, for out of the 335 adults that claim membership in Saint John, the 140 that attend worship on Sunday morning we have at most 40 attending the adult Bible classes on Sunday morning. There is the problem, as Pogo the comic strip character once said, “We have met the enemy and it is us.”
Do we really want the children, our young people, the future of this congregation, our guests to think that God is really not important enough to learn about? I am sure that each one of you sitting there this morning, even those who do not presently attending any of the Bible classes offered on Sunday or during the week would say, “Of course we don’t want that. We want them to know how important God is in our lives”. Well, they know, don’t they?
Let us see what God has to say about the importance of studying his Word. In Ephesians 4:11-15, we are told, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” It sounds like God thinks it is important for us to study his words to us.
In 2 Timothy 3:14-17, we hear Paul telling a young pastor named Timothy, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” That passage leaves no doubt as to the importance of God’s Word. It is necessary for salvation, teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that we are equipped to do God’s work.
Having a good understanding of God’s Word is crucial to our lives, not just because it pertains to our eternal lives, as important as that is, but to the lives we are living right now. We need God to cure us of our sin-ridden bodies so that we can live better lives right here and now. You know that, don’t you, but how many take it seriously? How many realize that it is a matter of life and death?
Let me put it this way. If you had, or one of those you love, particularly a child, had some terrible disease, would you not study everything you could to learn more about the disease, to see if there is a cure for it. Of course, you would. And, if you found the cure, would you not read everything you could about the medicine or medical procedure so that you are your loved one was able to be cured? Of course you would, you know you would, for you would do what ever it takes to save a life.
If that is what we would do to cure a physical disease, then why is it that we do not take our spiritual sickness seriously? Why is it that even though we know where we can find the cure for our sickness we do not carefully study the book that offers the cure?
Let me stop right here and make one thing perfectly clear. You do not have to be a biblical scholar to be saved. You only have to grab hold of the cross where Jesus died, acknowledging him as your Savior to be saved. That is all you have to do to be saved, but according to the two passages I read just a few minutes ago that is not all that God wants you to do, for you see, he wants you to have a mature faith.
Jesus knows how tough life is. He knows about loved ones dying. He knows about accidents and terrible diseases, he knows about temptations and suffering. He knows all those things and he wants you to be equipped to weather life.
God wants us to have a mature faith so that we, “then will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God wants you to know about him and his will for you. He has given you a great book, his Holy inspired Word, so that you can know about him and his will for you. He wants you to study his words because it makes you wise unto salvation. He is not talking about worldly wisdom, for too many of those who consider themselves to be wise, think that God’s book is foolishness, that it is just a collection of stories as to how people that lived long ago saw God. He is talking about heavenly wisdom the wisdom you receive from the Holy Spirit as you study God’s words to you.
God’s inerrant Word makes known to you Jesus Christ, and in doing so gives you eternal life in His name. That is what John himself says in John 20:31, “But these are written (John is speaking of the signs Jesus did) that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Is there anything more important than or more valuable than eternal life? Is it not worth at least one hour a week?
The Bible discloses God’s own nature to those who properly study his Word. And in doing so it transforms their lives, both inward and outward. I speak from experience here, for as I was growing up I had a severe case of devilitis. As hard as I tried I could not get rid of it, that is until I started studying God’s Word, and when I mean studying, I mean letting myself be open to God’s words as they are written in the Bible. When I let that happen my life changed dramatically, for God became more than just some abstract thought, he became real and active in my life, and I have never been the same since. Try it for yourself.
You see when the Bible is studied with an open mind to God’s will, your life will be different and people will notice. Even before I became a pastor I had people come up to me and say, “It must be nice to have the time to study the Word of God every day. I cannot do it because I am so busy, I work hard, I am way over booked, I barely have time to read the newspaper and watch the news on the television. I have no time to read God’s Word.” I would look them in the eye and say, “You have time to read the newspaper, and watch television, but do not have time to read God’s book to you?” You see like every thing else in life it is a matter of priorities, of choice, the world or God.
God’s words in the Bible will make your heart pure and keep your life free of outright sin. That is the power of God’s book, a power that no other book possesses. It is the only book that is completely truthful. It is the only book that can bring you true peace to your troubled heart, no matter how storms may rage without and within you. Listen to David as he sang in the midst of the wildest conflicts, Psalm 27:1-3 “The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.”
The peace that David is talking about is not just some wishful thought, it is a practical peace for a troubled heart that is being tossed back and forth. Listen and believe in God’s words and you will find that even in the great storms of life there will be a calmness that cannot be taken away from you.
Finally, yet just as important, the Bible, when properly studied, brings joy into your life. Listen to the words of Jeremiah as he discovered joy in the midst of the disintegration and shame and agony of the nation he passionately loved. Jeremiah 15:16, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy words were unto me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart.”
There is no other book that you can study that will bring as much joy into your life than the Bible. When you get into digging out the nuggets found in the scripture you will truly be blessed as we are told in Psalm 1, verses 1 and 2, “Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
I could go on and on, giving you reason upon reason why you should be studying the Word of God, for there is no end to them. However, I am not. I am going to stop right here and let the Holy Spirit do his job, as he tries to mold and shape you into the person God wants you to be. Amen.
9/10/2006
Text: 2 Timothy 3: 14-17
Title: Walking the Talk
Grace, mercy, and peace from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
Today is Rally Sunday, the one Sunday a year that we set aside to focus on Christian Education.
I bet you did not know that we have 40 children from age 3 to 18 in our congregation. That is right, 40, and how many do you think are attending on a somewhat regular basis, our Sunday School? Eighteen, twenty, thirty, how about, 13, that is right, only 13 out of 40 children attend Sunday School on a regular basis.
We shake our heads in disbelief. But wait that is not the really bad news, for out of the 335 adults that claim membership in Saint John, the 140 that attend worship on Sunday morning we have at most 40 attending the adult Bible classes on Sunday morning. There is the problem, as Pogo the comic strip character once said, “We have met the enemy and it is us.”
Do we really want the children, our young people, the future of this congregation, our guests to think that God is really not important enough to learn about? I am sure that each one of you sitting there this morning, even those who do not presently attending any of the Bible classes offered on Sunday or during the week would say, “Of course we don’t want that. We want them to know how important God is in our lives”. Well, they know, don’t they?
Let us see what God has to say about the importance of studying his Word. In Ephesians 4:11-15, we are told, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” It sounds like God thinks it is important for us to study his words to us.
In 2 Timothy 3:14-17, we hear Paul telling a young pastor named Timothy, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” That passage leaves no doubt as to the importance of God’s Word. It is necessary for salvation, teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that we are equipped to do God’s work.
Having a good understanding of God’s Word is crucial to our lives, not just because it pertains to our eternal lives, as important as that is, but to the lives we are living right now. We need God to cure us of our sin-ridden bodies so that we can live better lives right here and now. You know that, don’t you, but how many take it seriously? How many realize that it is a matter of life and death?
Let me put it this way. If you had, or one of those you love, particularly a child, had some terrible disease, would you not study everything you could to learn more about the disease, to see if there is a cure for it. Of course, you would. And, if you found the cure, would you not read everything you could about the medicine or medical procedure so that you are your loved one was able to be cured? Of course you would, you know you would, for you would do what ever it takes to save a life.
If that is what we would do to cure a physical disease, then why is it that we do not take our spiritual sickness seriously? Why is it that even though we know where we can find the cure for our sickness we do not carefully study the book that offers the cure?
Let me stop right here and make one thing perfectly clear. You do not have to be a biblical scholar to be saved. You only have to grab hold of the cross where Jesus died, acknowledging him as your Savior to be saved. That is all you have to do to be saved, but according to the two passages I read just a few minutes ago that is not all that God wants you to do, for you see, he wants you to have a mature faith.
Jesus knows how tough life is. He knows about loved ones dying. He knows about accidents and terrible diseases, he knows about temptations and suffering. He knows all those things and he wants you to be equipped to weather life.
God wants us to have a mature faith so that we, “then will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God wants you to know about him and his will for you. He has given you a great book, his Holy inspired Word, so that you can know about him and his will for you. He wants you to study his words because it makes you wise unto salvation. He is not talking about worldly wisdom, for too many of those who consider themselves to be wise, think that God’s book is foolishness, that it is just a collection of stories as to how people that lived long ago saw God. He is talking about heavenly wisdom the wisdom you receive from the Holy Spirit as you study God’s words to you.
God’s inerrant Word makes known to you Jesus Christ, and in doing so gives you eternal life in His name. That is what John himself says in John 20:31, “But these are written (John is speaking of the signs Jesus did) that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Is there anything more important than or more valuable than eternal life? Is it not worth at least one hour a week?
The Bible discloses God’s own nature to those who properly study his Word. And in doing so it transforms their lives, both inward and outward. I speak from experience here, for as I was growing up I had a severe case of devilitis. As hard as I tried I could not get rid of it, that is until I started studying God’s Word, and when I mean studying, I mean letting myself be open to God’s words as they are written in the Bible. When I let that happen my life changed dramatically, for God became more than just some abstract thought, he became real and active in my life, and I have never been the same since. Try it for yourself.
You see when the Bible is studied with an open mind to God’s will, your life will be different and people will notice. Even before I became a pastor I had people come up to me and say, “It must be nice to have the time to study the Word of God every day. I cannot do it because I am so busy, I work hard, I am way over booked, I barely have time to read the newspaper and watch the news on the television. I have no time to read God’s Word.” I would look them in the eye and say, “You have time to read the newspaper, and watch television, but do not have time to read God’s book to you?” You see like every thing else in life it is a matter of priorities, of choice, the world or God.
God’s words in the Bible will make your heart pure and keep your life free of outright sin. That is the power of God’s book, a power that no other book possesses. It is the only book that is completely truthful. It is the only book that can bring you true peace to your troubled heart, no matter how storms may rage without and within you. Listen to David as he sang in the midst of the wildest conflicts, Psalm 27:1-3 “The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.”
The peace that David is talking about is not just some wishful thought, it is a practical peace for a troubled heart that is being tossed back and forth. Listen and believe in God’s words and you will find that even in the great storms of life there will be a calmness that cannot be taken away from you.
Finally, yet just as important, the Bible, when properly studied, brings joy into your life. Listen to the words of Jeremiah as he discovered joy in the midst of the disintegration and shame and agony of the nation he passionately loved. Jeremiah 15:16, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy words were unto me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart.”
There is no other book that you can study that will bring as much joy into your life than the Bible. When you get into digging out the nuggets found in the scripture you will truly be blessed as we are told in Psalm 1, verses 1 and 2, “Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
I could go on and on, giving you reason upon reason why you should be studying the Word of God, for there is no end to them. However, I am not. I am going to stop right here and let the Holy Spirit do his job, as he tries to mold and shape you into the person God wants you to be. Amen.
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 6:23 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home