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| 4001 S. Wadsworth Blvd. ~ Littleton, CO 80123 ~ 303-986-1527 ~ www.sgc.org January 29, 2010 |
Current Sermon Series
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Dear Southern Gables Friends, When I was a kid, my dad would often say to me, "The problem with you is that the things I tell you go in one ear and out the other!" It is thrilling to see hundreds of you reading through the Bible this year. We also have dozens who are involved in a sermon-focused, small group and are discussing each Sunday's message. Several of you have talked about the danger of having God's Word "go in one ear and out the other." One person asked me how to prevent that from happening, so this week, let's talk about how to move the Bible from head to heart. When I took Systematic Theology from Dr. Millard Erickson at Bethel Seminary, we were required to read A Little Exercise for Young Theologians by Helmut Thielicke. It was written at the end of Thielicke's ministry. He tells of a young man who had a passionate and devoted walk with Christ until he went to seminary. The young man found that scholastics and knowledge crowded out his zeal for Christ. Thielicke says this often happens when a person pursues the Bible as an academic discipline alone. If one does not meet the God of Scripture in a personal way, the soul grows cold. Thielicke observes that intellectual pursuit without a seeking heart leads to arrogance and a superior attitude, detaching the Christian from intimacy with God. If one only concentrates on the grammatical, doctrinal and historical facts, God becomes remote. Thielicke, on the other hand, did not see theological study as unhealthy. His point was that a Christian needs both. When we move good Bible study to the next level of righteous living, then we will accomplish what God wants. Right-thinking (orthodoxy) should lead to right-living (orthopraxy). God wanted Israel to live by His commands: "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates." In fact, God went further "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads." (Deuteronomy 11:20). In Psalm 119:11, David, the man after God's own heart wrote: "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." The prophet Jeremiah wrote (15:16) about what happened when he consumed God's word: "When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear Your name, O LORD God Almighty." Our Lord spoke of God's Word living inside a person in John 15:7. Jesus said: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you ..." Paul wrote to the Colossian (3:16) church: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… in all wisdom." Paul wanted this for Timothy (2 Timothy 3:15): "…from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." God wants us to apply the Bible to our souls, our motives and our attitudes. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Remember the Great Commission of Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20, "… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." That means the goal of our teaching is to help people "observe" (put into practice, apply, live out, follow, carry out) what God has taught us. We have to live what Jesus taught us! God's Word has to saturate and fill our lives, values, behavior, speech and relationships. Imagine going to a "jump school" at an airfield to learn skydiving. When you get there, the instructor gives a series of lectures on the history of sky diving, the fabric contents of parachutes, the various kinds and brands of parachutes, the wide-ranging designs of rip cords and an in-depth study of the dimensions of parachutes from the parachute guide. Then imagine the instructor saying, "Tomorrow we jump!" Wouldn't your interest in the practical side of sky-driving suddenly become important? In fact, the way you studied could become a matter of life and death!! That is how it works with the Bible. If we are going to live by faith in the Bible, our passion needs to be about living the Word of God! When we have this kind of mind-set, the Bible will not "go in one ear and out the other." When we read the Bible as our playbook for this day and eternity, we will want to devour it with excitement and urgency. The Bible will change our lives. How can you apply what you read in the Bible? Here is a great set of questions that I have used in my personal Bible reading. They come from Online Bible.org. Try them. They will help you apply what you read each day. Tomorrow morning after you read your Bible, ask yourself, does this passage tell me:
Try this as you read through the Bible this year. Take your answers to these questions and incorporate them into your life, your prayers, your conversation and your to-do list. Let God speak to you so your life begins to "conform to the image of His Son." Become more like Jesus and less like this world. Yield to God's will in the answers to these questions. Then, God through His Holy Spirit, will do the rest and your life will never be the same. I promise! A few years ago, a devastating hurricane hit southern Florida and thousands of homes were destroyed. In one neighborhood, every house was leveled except one. Only one home still stood. The television reporter interviewed the homeowner of the remaining house. She asked him, "Why do you think your house stood and the others fell?" The man answered simply, "I used the building code book. If the code said it was to be a 4 by 6, I put a 4 by 6. If the code book said the 2 by 4s were to be 18 inches a part, I put them 18 inches a part. If the foundation was to be a certain way, I did it the way the code book said and my house stood!" Folks, our code book is God's Word! Read it! Study it! Love it! Apply it! Live it! Well, these are my thoughts for this week. See you this Sunday for worship! We are in a sermon series called "What Jesus Says to Southern Gables and to You!" This Sunday, we will look at the fourth church that Jesus speaks to in Revelation 2 and 3. The church in Thyatira was facing things similar to the things we face, and Jesus gives them important words on how to "Be Strong." Please read Revelation 2:18-29 before you come on Sunday. Bring a smile, a Bible, and an open mind to let God talk to you. Remember, we have two worship choices for you:
I love being your pastor! 
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