How to be consistent in your bible reading

Brandon

Sermon • Submitted 3 months ago • Presented 3 months ago

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Meditation

Laziness

1 Timothy 4:7–8 “But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”

Why do you think the guy character was laying down next to a bunch of cheese puffs?

1 Timothy 4:7–8 ESV

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Now we know the Bible is important

But I want you to think of it like this

How often do we get tempted? Every day

How often do we get discouraged? Every day

And yet:

According to a survey, only 18% or less than two out of ten Christians read their bible every day

Why do you think that is?

Now the video said failing to understand

But I think this is more true: ’“Here then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God’s Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy.” - RC Sproul’

And this is why 1 Timothy 4:7-8 says what it says:

1 Timothy 4:7–8 ESV

Now Timothy

was dealing with

a bunch of false teaching in the church.

And the solution

to being deceived

Paul says is to train yourself for godliness.

When you think of train

what comes to mind?

(training pic slide)

This is what comes to my mind

basketball drills

lifting weights

anime.

So many training arcs in anime.

Paul is saying that if you want to grow in godliness

you must train

like how you would train

for basketball

in the gym

and in those anime training arcs.

So that you can be a victorious Christian like: (Nah I’d win)

And yet

God’s Word says

that spiritual training

is even better

than training

your physical body.

Because you can train your body

all you want

you can’t stop it

from getting old

and breaking down.

But the key

is that it requires

discipline.

Between all these training photos

what is common between them all? (Hint: look at the faces)

Pain

struggle.

Not a single one

is smiling!

Now when it comes to the Bible

I’m not saying

that you won’t smile

or you will receive

nothing but pain.

Because the Bible

is something you enjoy!

Psalm 119:103 (ESV)

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

The sweetness of the Bible

is something

that makes you smile!

However

you may not always

get that pleased feeling

or quiet peace

from reading.

There may be times

where you feel nothing

or even a little confused.

And that’s ok.

Because like the girl in the video

who tried to learn how to longboard

at first ran had trouble

at first

falling down

getting scrapes.

Eventually

she got it.

2 Peter 1:5–8 (ESV)

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The first few verses Peter writes are about Christian qualities.

And Peter than explains that the Christian life are these qualities

and increasing

over time.

And with the Bible

it takes time.

You will understand

it more

over time.