Hear the Word

Bottom line

You need to get into a daily habit of being in God’s word

Opening Line

Who’s ready for summer?

Introduction

Now I realize that summer means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For anyone under the age of 17 and our college aged people, it means no school! WHOOO! For the teachers in the room, it also means no school, but I feel like that has a slightly different meaning for you than it does for the kids.

For some, summer means camping. You’ve got your holidays booked, you’ve got your spots picked out, and you are ready to disconnect from life and enjoy the great outdoors. Unless you are a glamper, which means you just continue to enjoy the indoors, just in a different setting, usually a mobile one.

For us, it means camp. It means heading to Manhattan Beach, getting the camper all set up, and enjoying the camp life. Michelle, the kids, and I really enjoy getting to be the ones receiving ministry. Sometimes it is during the chapel times, sometimes it is just sitting under the stars around a campfire and praying. It is a different pace of life, connecting with people we don’t normally get to see. Camp is great.

For our camp staff, while many of us are getting ready to wind down, you guys are just amping up. Not to undermine the ministry you have going all year round, but camp is season is 8 weeks of a constant rotation of kids and staff and mostly just trying to keep everyone alive while they are in your care. I worked at camp for 3 summers, I know.

For many churches, and to a certain degree ours would fall in this category, summer is tough. While everyone is away enjoying their camp sites and family vacations, Sunday mornings can get a little quiet. The reason I say us to a lesser degree is that while some of our regulars are away, KLBC blesses us with their staff most Sundays, so things still feel full and lively. It’s not the quiet Sundays that are concerning; its the empty offering plates. July and August are historically the months where giving drops, and church leadership needs to be a little smarter with how we spend money. It’s not criticism, its just a matter of fact.

Main Point

As we approach summer and I ponder all the possibilities of what might come, I start to worry about your faith. See it is easy when things are not in your regular rhythm to let the very practices that are strengthening and growing your faith fall by the way side. You’re not at home so you don’t wake up at your normal time, don’t have coffee with your favorite cup, so you don’t read your bible first thing in the morning. OR you’re away and you forget to pack your Bible, and reading on your phone just isn’t the same. Slowly but surely, those habits begin to fall by the waste side.

The only reason I know that this happens is because it happens to me. In fact, most of the concerns I have for you are because I know how quickly I can fall out of a good habit.

So last summer, to combat the summer slide, I gave you something called The Summer PRESS

Pray

Read

Engrave

Sing

Share

The hope was that if each of you practiced each of those five things regularly, you would come into fall not backslidden, but actually in a better place spiritually so that you would be ready for a new ministry season.

Why it matters

I say all that because for the month of June, I am going to build up to this year’s version of the Summer PRESS. Over the next four weeks we are going to take a deep dive into the four things that Luke describes as the cornerstones of the early church. Often through the book of Acts, we are going to read about these four things, and as the early church practciced them, not only were the believers encouraged, but the church continued to grow. And as much as I would like to see the kind of numeric growth that Luke describes, I would actually love even more to see you grow in your faith the way the early church did.

The best part; none of these things can be done with a program or a special ministry. Each of these things will begin to happen organically as you make an effort to prioritize them. And yes, they align perfectly with the mission Jesus gave.

Scripture

So with that, we are in Acts 2:42-47

Acts 2:42–47 NLT

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

blank

Now remember, everything the Luke describes here happens right after 3000 people are baptized and added to the church. What Luke describes isn’t the characteristic of the 12 or 120 that were gathered when the Holy Spirit fell. These things described this new church, and as they practiced them, the Lord added to their fellowship new believers daily.

So what are the four things they devoted themselves to?

The apostle’s teaching

Fellowship

Sharing meals

Prayer

Now there is a really important phrase that Luke uses in his description of how the believers lived out this devotion. Each day. Each day they met in the Temple, met in homes and shared meals together. Each day the Lord added to their fellowship.

blank

So with that, I want to dive into the first of the four things that the early church devoted themselves to, and that is the

The Apostles’ Teaching

This just makes sense. It was the apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit that shared the good news with these new believers. They didn’t have any of the New Testament yet, which means the only source of hearing more about Jesus would have been the apostles.

But this morning I want to suggest to you that this idea of being devoted to teaching, and more broadly the Word of God, isn’t a new thing that started with the early church, but it was always there, it just needed the Holy Spirit’s help to gain traction again.

Deuteronomy 6:1–9 NLT

“These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

blank

Commit yourself wholeheartedly to these commands. And what does the commitment that Moses is talking about look like? Repeating the word constantly to your children. Michelle and her siblings have a running joke. Whenever they got disciplined and got advice from their dad, Phil had a way of incorporating scripture into the talk and then he’d get really fired up about it. So everytime Phil would get started on one of his talks, his children would say, “Here goes sermon 813.”

You laugh, but as I read this passage again in my preparation, I realize that’s what Moses is talking about. It is a deep commitment to the word that every moment isn’t just a teachable moment. It is a moment to understand and live out God’s word more fully. So repeat it to your kids, talk about it when you eat, when you travel, when you go to bed and wake up. That’s commitment if I ever saw it.

Joshua 1:8 NLT

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

Psalm 1:1–2 NLT

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.

blank

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Especially in Psalms, the idea of pondering on God’s law or his good works day and night is constant.

So when you fast forward to film to Acts, it makes sense that the first thing Luke records these believers being devoted to is teaching. Remember, these are all Jewish believers at this moment in time, and they would have been very familiar with all these verses I am refering to. However, getting into the word daily for them was very different. They didn’t have phones or 10 printed bibles collecting dust on their books shelves that they could just open up and read. In fact, many of them wouldn’t have even had any scripture at home. That was a luxury only of the very wealthy.

So how did they get the word into their lives? They went to the temple daily. The temple and the synagogues had the scriptures. Go there and let the priests read it to you. Or, you sit at the feet of the very people who sat at Jesus’ feet and glean everything you possibly could from them. AKA the apostles.

Transition to Application

So the question is, what does that level of commitment look like today?

Main To Do

1. Read God’s Word Daily!

Yes, I am climbing up on my soapbox again, but if it worked for the early church, and if it is so clearly taught and encouraged in Scripture, why wouldn’t you commit yourself to reading every day? Not only is it good for your spiritual growth, but God says there is actually blessing in it. Happy is the one who meditates on the word day and night.

blank

Now I just want to emphasize something here, and I don’t I’ve said this as we talk about the 11,000 chapter challenge and such. I recognize that reading can be hard for some people, and so for me to stand up and tell you to read a chapter of scripture every day is hard for you. So then, get the YouVersion bible app on your phone, find the version of the bible you read out of, find where you are, and hit play. Let the app read the word to you, and follow along in your bible. It is actually proven that the more senses you use, the more the word will get stuck in your mind. So listen to it, read it. Play it in the vehicle when your driving to work. Let’s be honest, it is a lot better than most of the crap you find on the radio nowadays. Am I wrong?

2. Make church a priority

As I wrote that title, I was reminded about how much push back I got a couple months ago when I preached a message on making church a priority. So many people felt targeted and called out. Oddly enough, do you know who didn’t feel called out that day? Everyone who was at church. Just so you know, if you feel particularly called out by a message, I didn’t actually write it with you in mind. I hate to say it, but you’re not that important. If you feel called out, there is a very good chance that God is stirring something in you and you need to take it up with him.

blank

But I actually have two meanings when I say make church a priority. The first has to do with how you engage with God’s word. It is one thing to sit at home, reading the word, and letting God speak to you through those times. It is another to come under the leadership of the church and hear God’s word unpacked on a church level. You actually need both if you are going to grow into healthy believers. And you actually need the community of believers to help you grow.

Which brings me to my second meaning. If you are away on a Sunday, find a local church to check out. You’re all God’s family, so see what God is doing in another faith community. See what God is speaking to them. Make the effort to be a part of a church, even it if isn’t this one, and you won’t regret it.

It is one of my favorite things to do. If I’m not here preaching to you, I am at camp or at another church, soaking in someone else’s teaching. If its really good, there’s a good chance I’m going to borrow it and repeat it to you.

3. Listen to another church’s podcast

Just so you know, I’m not threaten by the idea of you listening to other pastors. In fact, I encourage it. For the early church, they didn’t just listen to Peter all the time. It says they devoted themselves to the apostles’, which meant all their teaching. All their different personalities, mannerisms, perspectives. There is great benefit to learning from a variety of speakers.

blank

Now, I may not be threatened by you listening to other pastors, but I am cautious. I said it last week, there is way too much junk out there, masquerading as gospel truth. Just recently I stumbled upon a guy who accused Josh Howerton of being a false teacher. If you don’t know who Josh Howerton is, you gotta check him out. He’s really good. But, if there’s something wrong, I want to know about it. What I discovered was the person doing the video was misinformed, and clearly had an agenda that wasn’t helpful to the church community.

My point it, I worry about the content you are taking in. If you are listening to someone and you’re not sure about something they said, feel free to reach out and ask. If I know who they are, I will endorse or discourage accordingly. If I don’t know who they are, I’ll do some digging and let you know what I think.

If podcasts aren’t your thing, than find another way to get the word into your life. Try one of the things discussed in Deut 6. Make an effort to talk about the bible before you go to bed or first thing when you wake up in the morning. Try to talk about something you’re reading when you’re traveling rather than filling time with small talk.

Or, try something really out of the box and memorize scripture. Try memorizing Acts 2:42. If these 4 things are something I want you to practice all summer long, memorizing the verse is a great way to keep it at the forefront of your thoughts.

Why it matters

The more you fill your mind with God’s word, the more you commit yourself to knowing it, meditating on it, and living it out, the more benefit you will see from it. If you continue to fill your mind with garbage, than you will reap the appropriate harvest from that too.

Closing Line

It is not a coincidence that the early church experienced the blessings it did. Those early believers devoted themselves to things that really mattered. At the end of the day, that thing that takes time away from your bible reading, is it really worth it? If you make this commitment, to make God’s word a priority, and do it wholeheartedly, you won’t regret it.

Discussion Questions

What stood out from the message?

How can you incorporate regular Bible reading into your daily routine, especially during the summer?

What practical changes can you make to prioritize attending church while on vacation?

How can you encourage your friends to engage with God’s word over the summer?

In what ways has your consumption of media affected your commitment to reading and understanding Scripture?