True Faith 2: Study and Memorization

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SLIDE 1 - As I go up

Good morning and welcome to Fayette Community Church! I’m pastor Brian. If you’re new welcome if you're a returning guest, welcome back, and if this is your usual place of worship; welcome home!

We’re in a series called True Faith: Disciplines of a True Disciple looking at what are called spiritual disciplines, which we defined last week as SLIDE 2

(Spiritual disciplines are) Biblical practices that put us in a position to experience God—leading to a greater maturity and affection for Him.

This week we’re going to be looking at the practice of studying and memorizing scripture. To some of us here reading the Bible is the highlight of our day, to others it is something we do on occasion, and to some it is a foreign concept; so we want to answer what should our relationship be with scripture and how do we live up to that truth. Let me share some statistics I learned recently. These is according to a study done by the American Bible Society in the last few months. SLIDE 3

First: What percent of Americans do you think are considered ‘Bible Users’, this term refers to those who read or listen to it… not as like use the Bible as a coaster or to balance a table leg… but what percent of Americans read or listen to the Bible 3 or more times per year… not per week, not month, per year… SLIDE 4 39%… 2 in 5 people read or listen to the Bible 3 or more times a year… that’s the same as last year, but down from a 50% average that had been holding since 2011.

Second Data Point: Why don’t people read the Bible. This I found really interesting they created 3 groups of people, Scripture engaged, people who interact with the Bible often. The Movable middle… read it some, but not much. And the Bionically Disengaged, people who don’t use it at all. Each group had a different MAIN reason for not reading the Bible. SLIDE 5 The engaged didn’t read it because they lacked time, now again these are people who are already doing so; so they don’t do it more out of a lack of time, they only have time to read it 3 times a year... The middle, they don’t do it because they lack time and don’t know where to start; in their defense its a big book, but like most books you can start at the beginning, that’s an option! The disengaged meanwhile, they don’t read it because they don’t care to - it isn’t exciting, they likely don’t thing it is true, so why care. They are disengaged because they don’t think it is true, so naturally they just don’t want to read it. Sadly I feel this last group is the most honest of the three! Really… your schedule is too busy to fit in 5 to 10 minutes to read the Bible… and you don’t know how to begin at the beginning… or how to call a pastor or friend and ask for help on starting… sorry I’m getting on a soapbox… and don’t take this as an attack I make these exact same excuses sometimes! So before I attack myself and my bad excuses anymore lets get to

Data Point Three: Is the Bible good for America.... Interesting question isn’t it. SLIDE 6 "Without the Bible would America be worse off, the same, or better off?” The results: 44% said worse off, that’s 44% of Americans saying we need the Bible. 41% however say if we got rid of the Bible America would be the same - the Bible has no impact for good or bad, and 14%; say America would be better off without the Bible - that is about 3 of 20 people believe that one of the best things we can do for our nation is rid it of these! That scares and amazes me - 3 of every 20 people think the Bible harms America more than helps it! They think we, those who value this book are part of the problem! Wow!

There is a lot in this study, the full report is over 100 pages, but here is the last point I’ll share today, 86% of Americans, that’s just over six out of every 7 Americans agree on something. Think about that for a second, when is the last time 86% of our nation agreed on something?! That’s crazy, but what 86% of Americans agree on is that America is in a state of moral decline. 86% of Americans agree that as a nation our morality is getting worse - we are less moral today than we were in the past! They do still find room to disagree, however, they disagree on the primary cause of that decline. SLIDE 7

26% say it is primarily due to a lack of positive parental involvement

23% say it is primarily due to negative influence in the media, movies, music, news, etc.

16% say it is primarily due to unhealthy reliance on social media for information

14% say it is primarily due to a low level of respect for the Bible as a guide for moral development

13% Say it is primarily due to negative influence to government leaders - and this is true across the aisle - both sides blame the other equally

8% say other reasons....

The fact that the Bible is so low, 14%, that scares me - just as many people think we need the Bible more for moral growth as think the Bible is harmful!

So where should we stand on the Bible? Well… you’re at a church, I don’t think I need to pause for tension or to build effect, we need more Bible in our lives, we need more Bible in our community, we need more Bible in our nation! We need God and this is where we will find Him! (pause)

So today we’re going to be looking at the Bible. We’re going to be asking what should our relationship with the scripture be and how can The Bible Lead us to spiritual growth and deeper affection for God. Feel free to turn first to Second Timothy 3. But as you are turning there let me read you an excerpt from a book titled Celebration of Discipline by Robert Foster. This is a great primer, an introduction to Spiritual disciplines, and one of the resources I used while preparing this series. SLIDE 8

Many Christians remain in bondage to fears and anxieties simply because they do not avail themselves of the Discipline of study. They may be faithful in church attendance and earnest in fulfilling their religious duties, and still they are not changed. I am not here speaking only of those who are going through mere religious forms, but of those who are genuinely seeking to worship and obey Jesus Christ as Lord and Master. They may sing with gusto, pray in the Spirit, live as obediently as they know, even receive divine visions and revelations, and yet the tenor of their lives remains unchanged. Why? Because they have never taken up one of the central ways God uses to change us: study. Jesus made it unmistakably clear that the knowledge of the truth will set us free. “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). Good feelings will not free us. Ecstatic experiences will not free us. Getting “high on Jesus” will not free us. Without a knowledge of the truth, we will not be free.

Many Christians remain in bondage, in slavery, to fear, to anxiety, I would add a multitude of other sins and temptations to that list, because we do not study scripture. Because we don’t have time… really… you don’t have 10 minutes to spare… we don’t know where to start… anywhere is better than nowhere.... or more likely for many… we don’t care. But As Foster reminds us, Jesus words in John 8:32 and I’ll add verse 31,

“If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

This is our key to freedom - you can choose freedom or enslavement - as for me, I choose to be free! Foster continues in that chapter to explain that this is true not only spiritually but in many other fields of study and many other relationships; our growth is slowed or hindered due to lack of knowledge, knowledge helps us unlock admiration, love, and further knowledge. It is the end-all be-all, but a path on the road to growth.

So Let’s read , SLIDE 9 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and begin to see what scripture says.

“16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

We see seven truths in this passage. SLIDE 10

Truth 1: All scripture is inspired by God. I love how the NIV translators worded this, scripture is God breathed! Just as God breathed life into Adam, God breathed scripture into the minds and hearts of those who wrote it down.

Truth 2: Scripture is profitable for Teaching.

Truth 3: Scripture is profitable for rebuking.

Truth 4: Scripture is profitable for correcting.

Truth 5: Scripture is profitable for training in righteousness.

Truth 6: Scripture uses those four attributes to make us complete

Truth 7: Scripture equips us for every good work

We don’t have time to dive into all of these, and some will be touched on in future sermons in this series. Today we will focus on truths 2 through 5, scriptures profitability for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. SLIDE 11

Scripture is profitable for teaching. In the verses just before 16 and 17, starting in verse 13 Paul warns Timothy;

13 Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, 15 and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Then only a couple verses after in the beginning of chapter 4 Paul adds to the warning SLIDE 12

3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. 4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But as for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Scripture should ALWAYS be our source of truth. Now, does the Holy Spirit reveal things to us in the modern era, yes, BUT, God will never change truth from scripture to today . So if the Bible calls something a sin, that is FOREVER a sin, while some preachers will preach a new thing, saying that something is no ok… ask… is that new thing sound doctrine… is that thing aligning with scripture OR are they tickling the ears of those who hear and deceiving us? Some of these people are wolves in sheaps clothing - teaching what they know is a lie for personal gain, others are deceived themselves! They think they are teaching truth, but I’ll let you in on a secret. Pastors make mistakes sometimes… and some pastors spend more time running the church than being the church. Making budgets, organizing meetings, being in the community - those things are all good, but if pastors are not rooted and returning to scripture - were are we getting our input from… the world… or the word… In Acts Paul told the church in Berea that they were of more noble character than others because when they heard Paul preach they didn’t believe him right away… rather they recieved his word eagerly, then examined the scriptures to see if what Paul said was true, and upon seeing it was, bought all in - they didn’t listen with skepticism, but also not with blind faith - they listens eagerly, but cautiously. Scripture is profitable for teaching - it is the source of truth - so check EVERYTHING else we hear against it.

So what is truth… that’s a loaded question… books upon books have been written dissecting and answering that question. So let me give you what I will call the Paulian summary - meaning this is how Paul summarized the key truths of scripture found in First Corinthians 15.

3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me.

That is the most important truth. The first truth. The doorway tot he room filled with all the other truths. If I am looking at my friend, my family member, my neighbor, and they don’t know Jesus and they cote differently than me… If I am looking at them and they don’t know Jesus and they disagree with me on whatever issue… what truth should I share with them first? My stance on gun rights vs gun control… my stance on free speech vs censorship… my stance on consumerism vs charity… or my stance on Jesus vs sin… Why do we… why do I… spend so much time pointing through the window highlight these truths when I should be showing them the door, I should be saying hey look at Jesus, he look at my saviour, hey look to scripture and find God, find truth! And only then - only AFTER they walk through that door, only when we agree on the big truth should we begin to examine the other truths… Scripture is profitable for teaching. But 59% of Americans think that the Bible is of no importance or worse yet harmful on how we ought to live. So we are wasting our time and energy using the Bible to argue over these other things UNTIL they see Jesus! I’m NOT saying don’t use the Bible, if anything I’m saying use it more, but I’m also saying focus on reaching those other people for Jesus and once they see Him, once they believe in Him, then ask what does Jesus, what does the GOD INSPIRED, GOD BREATHED Word say about those other issues… and you know what… if the Bible doesn’t comment on some of those issues… maybe I should comment on them less too…

Second truth: SLIDE 13 Scripture is profitable for rebuking.

Recently I fell down a rabbit hole watching a financial youtuber who audits volunteers in a way to help them get out of debt, he’s a young guy working mostly with young people, but the gist of his show is show my all your credit card statements and sit there as I tell you all the ways you’ve been and are being a financial idiot. It is fun in a weird way, but a lot of these people need this solid financial rebuke! One person had massive credit card debt, and didn’t know why. She wasn’t spending a whole lot on stuff, so where was her money going… then he discovered she got coffee almost every day, and went out tot eat all the time - but she was unaware of how these relatively small expenses could add up, $5 a day 5 days a week on coffee plus 10 dollar lunches three days a week comes to almost 250 a month in just food… and if she’s doing Starbucks $5 is a low guess! Some people realize they’ve been paying for netflix for a year and didn’t know it. But these people NEEDED the rebuke, they needed this guy, Caleb, to yell at them. In the same way we sometimes are oblivious, we’re blind, to our sins. We don’t realize that my anger, my pride, my lust, my greed, my relationship, my choices are sin. We need someone to come alongside us and say - hey, did you know that according to scripture this is wrong? But this is an extension of truth 1: until that person, or us, understands and values scripture, using the Bible as our argument won’t be listened to - so first we need to make sure that person is following Jesus THEN we can help them see their sin as Jesus sees it. And there are 2 ways to rebuke someone… the right way and the wrong way… the right way - show them their sin is sin and, we’ll get to this in a second, empower them to overcome it. The wrong way, call them an idiot, yell at them, and make them feel like a failure who can’t overcome… now. Sometimes we can be loud and harsh with the first method and sometimes we can be quiet and calm with the second. This isn’t a tone of voice thing - this is a content of message thing… with a proper tone. No one I know has ever been debated into accepting Christ. No one I know has been shamed into loving Christ. No one I know has been yelled into loving Christ. But we all need to be rebuked, having come into that love and salvation as we all enter in as sinners in need of a savior, sinners in need or redemption, sinners in need of rebuke, confession, and correction. Scripture is profitable for rebuking.

Now I don’t have time to list off EVERYTHING the Bible calls a sin, and there are what I would call gray area sins. Things which are a sin for some and not for others, Paul touches on this in First Corinthians 8 explaining the concept of eating food offered to idols, a concept foreign to most the modern American audience. But other areas may include what we do or don’t say, what we do or don’t watch, what we do or don’t eat or drink. But then there are areas that scripture is CLEAR on. Key truths about God and man. Key concepts about worshiping Him and no one else. Key concepts about how we do or don’t relate with others. And too often we look at the second group, the clear sins, and pretend they are gray enabling us to do what we shouldn’t. Other times we look at the gray as if they are clear and argue and cause disunity calling others sinners while they did not sin. Rebuking isn’t easy, and it deserves a series in and of itself! I say that a lot.. that something deserves a sermon on its own… I call that job protection… as long as I keep saying that you’ll keep me around until you get those sermons right… But I will touch on one thing here, because it is very important when discussing rebuke, and it comes from SLIDE 13 Matthew 18.

15 “If your brother sins against you, go tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he won’t listen, take one or two others with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established. 17 If he doesn’t pay attention to them, tell the church. If he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like a Gentile and a tax collector to you.

There is an order to the rebuke. First confront them privately, one on one. If they don’t repent, bring 2 or 3 witness, and again confront them privately. If they still don’t repent bring it before the church family; if they still don’t repent, treat them as if they are not a part of the church. That doesn’t mean be a jerk to them! It means, strive to get them to see their sin, but do so as if they don’t think they are a sinner… because they are refusing to repent indicating they don’t know or more likely don’t care they are a sinner. Scripture is profitable for rebuking. And with rebuke comes correction. SLIDE 14

Scripture is profitable for correcting. This is one we forget too often - if we remember to rebuke someone, we then forget to correct them! If you tell someone what not to do, you should follow it up with what they should do! If you rebuke someone you should then correct them. On the flip side; if someone rebukes you and leaves… you should seek correction. Correction being the teaching of what is right while rebuke is the teaching of what is wrong. Lets use an outlandish example - If I believe murder is ok - rebuke is telling me ‘Brian, that person is made in the image of God, a soul God placed in this world so it could have the chance of coming to know and love Him, by shooting it on the street you are sinning against God and man.’ Now, again we’re pretending here, I would hopefully listen to you, maybe push back and ask for you to show me in scripture where it says murder is wrong, and what God constitutes as murder vs what He doesn’t - then I’d again, hopefully stop killing people. I’d put the gun or the knife or the club down. But lets get to a more real example. Let’s say I’m a drug addict or an alcoholic. The rebuke would involve someone sitting me down, explaining how I am made in the image of God, and as a Christian I am a temple, a home, to the Spirit of God, expected to tend the body well and I am dishonoring God, and likely while under the influence setting a bad example, of what it should look like to follow God. But if I’m an addict, I can’t just stop cold turkey. So the correction may involve some hard help, it may involve limiting my freedoms on where I can and can’t go and keeping tabs on me and ensuring I am doing my part to stop, in a bad case it may involve sending me to a rehab facility. In practice, the correction is often far harder than the rebuke, because while it take courage and confidence to rebuke someone it often takes time and sacrifice to help correct them, but both the rebuke and the correction are crucial but also must be done out of scripture. I can’t rebuke someone for liking music I don’t like if the music isn’t sinful. Like if you love opera, I’m sorry I don’t, but I can’t rebuke you for that it isn’t a sin to like bad music… if you like nascar, I’m sorry I don’t, but I can’t rebuke you for liking watching people turn left, and left, and left, and left, and left… it’s not a sin to like boring sports… but then if I rebuke someone for a real sin, my correction NEEDS to be just as biblical as my rebuke. If I rebuke someone for jealousy; I should help correct them and train them in what the Bible says about contentment and trusting in God. Scripture is profitable in correction.

And finally SLIDE 15 Scripture is profitable for training in righteousness. Early on I shared this graphic, I think it was like my second or third sermon here. One of the goals we as Christians should have, however, is becoming disciple makers. We should long to see others become Christians, it should break our hearts when people we love do no know Christ, and we should long for them to know Him, to grow in Him. And as we grow from spiritual infant, new in Christ, to spiritual child, to spiritual young adult we should be growing in righteousness. Meaning we should becoming more and more like Christ, more and more aware of our temptations and sins, and more and more capable of avoiding those temptations and sins. We should becoming more alert to God in the work around us. We should be growing to a greater maturity and affection for Him.... Scripture is powerful! Scripture is the tool that gets us there! Scripture is profitable for training in righteousness. And just like physical training this won’t be easy! No! Just like physical training spiritual training requires work, dedication, sacrifice, and a coach! Someone who has done it before, someone who knows the form, who knows what it takes, who can help guide you on your walk. For many of us as kids, our parents and our Sunday School teachers were that first person, then it may have been our youth leaders, then an older wiser friends, then a pastor - but this is a lifelong journey - but as we grow, we should also find ourselves as the coach. And all that takes is to be one step ahead of another, it doesn’t take an advanced degree or training - when the apostles stood before the crowds it was said they were common ordinary people who had been with Jesus… Have you been with Jesus? Have you spent time in His word? If so you are ready. You are able. Embrace this call, this command. Because it has a purpose. SLIDE 16

The reason for these truths is to prepares us, to complete us, to equip us for every good work. And these are works we will be looking at next week, but let me leave you with a heads up… I said we’d be looking at study and memorization this week… and you are now thinking, oh yeah… he did… and last week I mentioned there would be supplemental materials online, and now you’re thinking oh yeah, he did. This week you will start to see those! So tomorrow you will see on our facebook a video will go live about reading the Bible, a short video about how and where to start - a method that only takes 7 minutes - so I’m solving those first two esxcuses right now! I’m telling you how, and only taking 7 minutes… the video may be longer than 7 minutes… but the method I’ll be teaching is seven minutes! Then Tuesday there will be a video about scripture memorization again with resources on how to get started! So keep an eye out for those!