God First in Your Bible Reading

Your Relationship with God’s Word

INTRODUCTION

This year our theme at Faith Baptist is “God First”

This morning, we will look at the most elemental part of putting God first in 2023.

I want to administer a test this morning to everyone in this crow today...

It’s a very simple test

This test only has one parameter.

This is not a scaled test. It is a pass/fail test.

Based on this one parameter, you will either pass or you will fail.

On the test the one question reads:

Is God’s Word a part of your daily life?

If you can honestly tell yourself that God’s word is part of your daily life then you have passed this test.

But, If God’s Word is not a part of your daily life, then you are failing.

Unfortunately, many Christians fail this test.

The statistics are not good. The statistics say that the majority of Christians have never even read their Bible through.

This year, if you want to put God first, you will read your Bible every day.

To put God first you must read and apply the Basic Operaters Manual

ILL: Now I am a man....men are famously known for disregarding the owner’s manual....it’s the first thing that hits the trash can....and sometimes we can get away with it....sometimes we cannot.

Today, wether you are a man or a women, we must realize that this is one manual that we cannot skip over.

The Bible is the essential manual for your life.

BIBLE=Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth

The Bible was written by God through human authors and has been preserved for us. It is infallible and unchanging.

· In this sermon, we will see our relationship to God's Word--how it touches us personally.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.

Let=to allow

the word of Christ=The Bible

dwell in you=to live in you, to live through you

richly=to the maximum

in all wisdom=God’s Word has all wisdom

God's Word is not only true; it is life changing.

It can meet the deepest needs of your life and answer the greatest questions of

your heart. In this sermon, let's examine how God's Word meets your needs, how you can access its power and wisdom, and how it will transform your life.

I. God's Word Can Meet Your Needs

A. The Bible is profitable for your life.

· The Bible has the answers to guide us in every area of life.

(Turn) 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

Notice these four areas in which God's Word helps us.

Doctrine - It teaches us what to believe.

Reproof - It shows us where we are wrong.

Correction - It tells us how to get back on track when we are wrong.

Instruction - It gives direction for daily living the truth.

Every one of these are vital for a Christian who wants to build their

life upon a foundation of truth.

B. The Bible nourishes your spiritual growth

· Just as a baby will not grow without milk, so a Christian will not grow without taking in God's Word.

· We should hunger for God's Word spiritually, just as we hunger for food physically.

1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Lasting growth in a Christian's life can only come through the transforming power of God's Word. Let's now look at how we can make God's Word part of our regular routines of life.

I. Gods Word Can Meet Your Needs

II. God's Word Should Be in Your Routines

· For the Word of God to impact you personally, you must encounter it regularly.

· In other words, it must be part of your daily living.

· There are several ways that God instructs us to include God's Word as part of our lives.

A. Read it daily.

· Even as we need physical nourishment daily, so we should be daily taking in the nourishment of God's Word.

Job 23:12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

· One of the best habits you can develop to help your spiritual growth is to set aside time to daily read the Word of God.

· This is not simply a one-month assignment; it is a lifelong habit of growing Christians.

Here are some brief tips to help you gain the most from your Bible reading:

1. Set a time and place to read regularly.

2. Follow a Bible reading plan.

3. Ask God to guide you before you read.

(See Psalm 119:18) Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

4. Ask questions about what you read.

5. Keep a journal or notebook to record verses and passages that the Holy Spirit applies to your life.

B. Hear it consistently.

· In addition to your daily Bible reading, you need to hear the preaching and teaching of God's Word at church.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

C. Meditate on it continually.

· Refuse to simply let God's Word go in one ear and out the other.

· The key to letting God's Word transform your heart, mind, and actions is to meditate…to think…on it so we can obey it.

(Turn) Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Psalm 1:2-3 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law ‘. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

One of the disciplines of meditation is to begin memorizing Scripture so you have it available to think on.

Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

· Determine now that you will make Scripture memory a lifelong habit.

· Choose verses to memorize based on what you are learning or areas you know you need growth in.

· For instance, if you are struggling with worry, you might memorize Philippians 4:6 (Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God) .and 1 Peter 5:7 (Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.)

· So, you have those verses in your mind and heart to think on when you begin to worry.

· God's Word has the truths you need for every area of your life!

D. Study it regularly.

· In addition to your Bible reading, church attendance, and Bible memory, you will come across times in your life or areas of confusion when you need to know what the Bible says about a particular topic or truth.

· Although you may not dig deeper into Bible study every day, have times in your life when you do study God's Word beyond simply reading it.

· This kind of Bible study often takes place in adult Bible classes at church. It is also something you should do on your own with various topics or words. You can use the concordance in the back of your Bible to help.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

E. Apply it faithfully.

· When it comes to the Bible, it's not just about what we know; it is about what we do with what we know.

(Turn, not in slides) James 1:22-25

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

· So, read it, hear it, memorize and meditate on it, and study it.

· But don't neglect to obey it!

I. God's Word Can Meet Your Needs

II. God's Word Should Be in Your Routines

III. God's Word Will Transform Your Life

· As you grow in your knowledge and application of God's Word, you will find that it will literally transform your life.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

· God's plan for our transformation as Christians is that it would come from the inside out, that as our minds are renewed by the truths of the Word of God, those truths would then impact our actions and change our lives.

· God's Word is to be so much a part of our lives, particularly our thinking, that it is like a branch engrafted into a tree.

James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

There are many ways that God's Word can transform our lives but notice three in particular:

1. Understanding the Bible increases your knowledge of God.

· We don't read God's Word merely like a textbook. We read it to know our Lord better.

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

2. Obeying the Bible produces Christlike maturity.

· When you become a Christian, you are "born again" into the family of God.

· From that point forward, God desires for you to be on a path of spiritual maturity, becoming more like Jesus Christ.

· As you let the Holy Spirit use God's Word to transform your life, you become more and more like Jesus.

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

3. Continued use of the Bible produces spiritual discernment.

· As you continue to read, study, meditate on, and obey God's Word, your ability to apply it to specific life situations and to discern right from wrong in sensitive areas of your life will develop.

Hebrews 5:13-14

13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

· Always remember that the goal of reading, studying, and memorizing God's Word is not merely knowledge; it is transformation.

• A growing Christian will always be able to point to recent transformation in their life that has come about by the Word of God.

APPLICATION

One of the key decisions a Christian can make to continue growing in their walk with God is to make God's Word part of the regular routines of life.

Set a regular time for reading your Bible.

· Have a daily time and place that you read the Word of God.

· If possible, it's good to combine this with the prayer time that you began last week.

· Prayer and Bible reading go hand in hand because they are both communication with God.

· Prayer is our way of talking to God, and Bible reading is His way of talking to us.

Develop a habit of applying God's Word.

· It is not enough to simply read or hear the Word of God.

· We must apply it to our lives.

· Begin a habit of asking yourself the question, "How can I apply this today?" after you read God's Word or hear it preached.

Make Scripture memory an ongoing practice in your life.

· Memorizing God's Word allows us to meditate on it throughout the day and to use it when we don't have ready access to our Bibles.

· Some Christians feel that Bible memory is difficult or impossible for anyone older than school-aged.

· In reality, however, we all memorize things that are important to us. (You know your phone number and address and probably some favorite sports teams.)

· Scripture memory is always worth the effort. It just requires patient discipline and commitment.

I. God's Word Can Meet Your Needs

II. God's Word Will Transform Your Life