March 22, 2014

"so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

The Word of God saves!

The Word of God shapes!

And the Word of God sharpens!

You become sharper as you study and learn more about the Word of God. You get sharper as you study and teach the Word to others.

You become sharper as truth challenges your thinking, as truth confronts your conduct and as truth convicts you of immorality.

The work of a thoroughly completed servant of God is to sharpen other believers in the way he has been sharpened.

How is that?

He sharpens other believers by teaching the Word faithfully and effectively so the Word can rebuke them and correct them and train them in righteousness.

To me, that sounds a lot like the Great Commission!

It sounds a lot like the work of making disciples.

Every Christian should have a plan for sharpening himself and others!

Every Christian should have a person that is sharpening him and a person he is sharpening!

Every Christian should have a place where he can be sharpened and sharpen others!

Let me ask you a couple of important questions:

Where are you sharper in your faith than you were a year ago?

Who have you made sharper over this past year?

Do you have a plan to be spiritually sharpened?

Do you have a person to help sharpen?

Do you have a place where you can be sharpened spiritually?

March 21, 2014

^“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”  II Timothy 3:16

From Paul's letter to Timothy we get three big purposes for the Word of God:

1) To save you

2) To shape you

3) To sharpen you

In my last post I focused on the necessity of finding salvation through Christ and how only the Word of God will lead you to that relationship.

What happens after you come to faith in Christ?

Does that render the Word of God less important?

Not at all!

In fact, it makes it MORE important because you need it to shape this new life that has birthed within you. 

Paul informs Timothy that Scripture is "God breathed". So, whenever you read the Word God is literally breathing into your Spirit!

That brings us to the second purpose of the Word. The Word shapes you!

It will shape your beliefs!  The Word is profitable for teaching - “teaching” = challenge with truth. You MUST begin with a solid foundation of true Biblical teaching to have your beliefs correctly shaped.

It will shape your thinking! The Word is profitable for “rebuking” = confront thinking. You need the Word to keep you thinking properly. Having a corrupted mind you are prone to think in the wrong way and about the wrong things. You need the truth to confront your "stinking thinking".

It will shape your conduct ! The Word is profitable for “correcting” = confront conduct. When you believe correctly and think Biblically you are more likely to act rightly. But when your conduct is unseemly the Word of God will convict you. 

It will shape your character! The Word is profitable for - “training” = calling to righteousness. When you are believing right and thinking right and living right it is evident that the Word has shaped your character!

When the Word of God is "breathed" into your mind and your intellect and your will and into your spirit it will shape you! And it will shape you into the righteousness of Christ!

So, what sort of shape are you in this morning?

March 20, 2014

“and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”  II Timothy 3:15

Paul, writing to the young believer Timothy, outlines three purposes for the Word of God. Those three purposes are:

1) To save you, V, 15

2) To shape you, V. 16

3) To sharpen you, V. 17

Let's look at that first purpose in this post!

The purpose of the Word is to save you!

Save you from what?

 Your sin!

Romans 3:23 declares, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

Sin separates you from a holy God. Since He cannot become unholy, the only hope you have of having a relationship with Him is to have your sins forgiven. And the only chance you have of knowing how to find forgiveness is to read the Word of God. 

The Gospel is the "power of God unto salvation".

Your selfishness!

s   Selfishness is a function of sin. Selfishness tries to use God  instead of allowing God to use you. The temptation that enticed Eve was the thought that she could become like God and as God, she could do whatever she wished without consequences.

      

   A regular student of God's Word will find himself consistently challenged to reject sin and selfishness   humbly obey the Word.

     Your stupidity!

Yes, I said, stupidity!

The definition of stupid includes; "dense", "dull", "ignorant", and you are all those things AND MORE apart from the Word of God.

Your stupid, depraved human nature will tell you that you're good enough to please God - or you can be with a little work!

Reading God's Word will confront your pride and foolishness bound up in your human nature.

You need the truth and wisdom of God's Word to save you from your sin and your selfishness and your stupidity! 

It is sinfully stupid not to depend on the Word of God!

March 19, 2014

“But as for you, continue to hold to the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced, knowing from whom you learned [them], And how from your childhood you have had a knowledge of and been acquainted with the sacred Writings, which are able to instruct you and give you the understanding for salvation which comes through faith in Christ Jesus [through the leaning of the entire human personality on God in Christ Jesus in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action), So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” II Timothy 3:14-17 (AMPLIFIED VERSION)

I like the Amplified Version of the Bible when I study simply because it more clearly reflects the Greek meanings.

The insight given to the meaning of wisdom is “leaning of the entire human personality on God in Christ Jesus in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness”.

So, Paul’s idea of wisdom that leads to salvation involves an understanding of Scriptural truth that results in you having the wisdom to trust His wisdom rather than your own!

Wisdom that leads to salvation is wisdom to know you can’t save your soul and only He can!

Wisdom that understands the need to trust God for salvation is the wisdom that manifests in confession of sins and true repentance.

Such wisdom only comes from studying the Scriptures and believing those Scriptures are divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit of God!

The truths expressed in this portion of Scripture would be a New Testament equivalent of this Proverb –“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Wisdom in the Bible is associated with investing your faith in God, loving Him, trusting Him, living for Him and serving Him! Wisdom means trusting Him in your heart and in your head and with your habits!

Wisdom begins with learning from the Word and then leans upon the Word and then loves the Word and, as a result, lives out the Word in daily living!

That’s a Word to the wise!

March 18, 2014

“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 servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” II Timothy 3:14-17

Are you enjoying the reading of the New Testament yet?

I’m not tired of preaching about it!

In week one I talked about the importance of being to the Word to help you overcome the pressures and temptations of the world.

In week two I shared four proofs for the truth of the Word.

Sunday I preached about the Person of the Word, Jesus, God’s Son.

So, we have learned about proofs of the Word and the Person of the Word. Next Sunday we will learn about the purpose of the Word.

According to verses 14 and 15, Paul writes to the young Timothy to say the first purpose of the Word is to lead you to salvation.

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” Romans 10:17

The Word of God brings you to salvation because it convicts you of your sin.

       

The Word of God brings you to salvation because it introduces you to the Savior. You learn about Jesus through the Word of God.

The Word of God brings you to salvation because the Spirit of God speaks through the Word calling you repentance.

Have you received God’s salvation?

Have you confessed your sins to Him?

Have you repented and turned from your sins?

Have you trusted Christ as your Savior and only hope for Heaven?

Has His Spirit witnessed to your Spirit that you are a child of God?

March 17, 2014

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." Matthew 6:14

A famous British general once told John Wesley, "I never forgive!" To which Wesley replied, "Then, Sir, you had better never sin."

Three of the sweetest, most welcome and healing words in the universe are, "I forgive you!"

Those words heal the one to when they are spoken but the also bring relief and healing to the one who speaks them!

When was the last time someone let you off the hook? Is there someone you need to forgive?

Remember a time when someone spoke those welcome words to you? Remember how good that felt?

What does it take to become a forgiver?

First, be forgiven!

Forgiven people are the only ones who can forgive. You can't offer what you don't have.

So, how do I get forgiveness? Receive it as a gift!

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:8-9

You can have forgiveness when you realize you need it and honestly, humbly ask for it. Have you done that?

So, how do I forgive someone else?

Once you have received forgiveness you have received the love and grace of God. Once you have been forgiven you have the presence of Christ in your life. With His presence and in His grace you CAN forgive. In fact, you are required to do so.

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-15

Forgiven people are able to forgive.

Third, forgiving becomes a way of life for forgiven people.

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32

Being forgiven changes you. Receiving Christ changes you. Extending grace to others in forgiveness changes you. And it also changes others through you!

Imagine what a world this would be if forgiveness was the rule rather than the exception. Think how great it would be if everyone could receive forgiveness. Think how different it would be if all those who received forgiveness forgave others. How freeing would that be?

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you."—Unknown

Have you received God's forgiveness?

Have you forgiven yourself?

Who else do you need to forgive? Are any unresolved issues with your spouse?

Freedom could come to your home today with just one act of forgiveness.

March 16, 2014

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

Just seventeen words comprise this important introduction to the Gospel of John but in them are the crux of the Biblical story! The crux of the story is the central role occupied by Jesus, the Son of God!

Briefly, here are the details.

First, there is the eternity of Christ - “In the beginning was the Word…..”. While Genesis begins with Creation, John goes back before creation. In other words, "before there was a beginning the was the Word! And the word he uses from the Greek is "logos":

“logos” = “word” - i.e. – creative word,  creative thought, idea,  the creative concept

The Son of God was the creative force behind the creation of the universe. Before it existed it existed in His mind.

Second, there is the eminence of Christ - “…..the Word was with God…..”

“with God” = co-existent and co-equal with God

Literally – “face to face” “shoulder to shoulder” with God

God's Son was with God and  was like God and was of equal standing and perfectly united but possessed a separate identity.

Third, there is the essence of Christ - “…..the Word was God.”

The Son of God shared the same nature and the identical character of God!

God is love - so is Christ! 

He said so!

God is light - so is Christ!

He said so!

God is life - so is Christ!

He said so!

You know you should read the Bible - "the Word of God" because it is what Christians do. So, you read it out of a sense of religious duty and sometimes your enjoy it but sometimes you don't.

Let me give you a new way of thinking about the Bible. It is not just a book to be read, It is a Person "The Word of God" to relate to! Since He is the "Word", when you read the Word you are having an encounter with Him! You are not just connecting with concepts, you are connecting with Christ!

How do you think that should effect your attitude and approach when you read the Bible?

What needs to change in your mind or your spirit?