Church Revitalization 3

Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health Chapter Two: Are You Governed Increasingly by God’s Word?

ARE YOU GOVERNED INCREASINGLY BY GOD’S WORD?

Are we governed increasingly by God’s Word?

Last week we spoke about the Great Physician coming in and examining us by asking us certain questions so as to gather information about our condition and symptoms. He can and will identify our problems or diseases as He gives us the right diagnoses.

We said that FBR is in need of our current status. Not what we once were, not what we wished it to be, but a realistic and accurate appraisal of where our church is right now. For a church to undergo revitalization we have to evaluate ourselves in several key and crucial areas as we begin to seek the Lord to bring us new life.

So the first examination question that we asked last week was: (As a church) Do we thirst for God?

For a church to undergo revitalization we have to evaluate ourselves in several key and crucial areas as we begin to seek the Lord to bring us new life.

Today we’ll ask: Are we governed increasingly by God’s Word?

In the following weeks we’ll look at questions like:

Are we more loving?

Are we more sensitive to God’s presence?

Do we have a growing concern for the Spiritual and Temporal needs of others?

Are we more sensitive to God’s presence?

Do we delight in the bride of Christ?

Do we have a growing concern for the Spiritual and Temporal needs of others?

Are the Spiritual disciplines increasingly important to us?

Do we delight in the bride of Christ?

Do we still grieve over sin?

Are the Spiritual disciplines increasingly important to us?

Are we quick to forgive?

Do we still grieve over sin?

Do we yearn for heaven and to be with Jesus?

Are we quick to forgive?

Who’s in charge here? (Authority)

Do we yearn for heaven and to be with Jesus?

Who is the congregation following? (Leadership)

To whom are you accountable? (Membership)

Who is your brother or sister? (Unity)

Why do we gather together? (Worship)

So, Are we governed increasingly by God’s Word?

How valuable is the most expensive diamond ring? ($71 Million)

How much money to own the Mona Lisa ($450 million).

How much for the largest skyscraper? ($15.5 billion).

Yet what if you offered these things to a man who is hours from dying of hunger and thirst? The value of the world’s greatest treasures drops to nothing.

Though inexpensive and often taken for granted, ultimately it is the basics of life—things such as food and water—that are most precious. For without them, there is no life at all.

Therefore, I submit that the single most valuable item on earth is the Bible. God’s Word is like what?

. __________________

. __________________

. _____________________

Food and water are essential, but there are other things basic to life, and the Word of God is compared to those as well. God’s Word is called:

. ___________________

. __________________

. __________________

. _____________________

the Word of God is perfect, sure, right, pure, true and righteous, sweeter than honey, and to be desired more than much fine gold (). Indeed the psalmist exclaimed, "Instruction from your lips is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” (). It can convert the soul, make wise the simple, rejoice the heart, and enlighten the eyes (). The Bible is unlike any other book, religious or secular:"For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” ()

So, no other object on earth is as valuable as the Bible, because nothing else can provide anything as essential or eternal.

Given the incomparable value of Scripture, the Christian’s need for its constant influence cannot be overstated. God’s Word is the manna by which the heavenly Father feeds His children so that they can grow more into the likeness of His perfect Son. That is why the Lord has told us to desire the pure milk of God’s Word like babies “desire” their mothers milk, so that we can grow up ().

The biblical truth: If there’s little intake of God’s Word, the results will be, little resemblance to God’s Son. So one question by which we can evaluate the spiritual health and growth of our church is, “Are you governed increasingly by God’s Word?”

Here are some questions that I hope will spark a good conversation:

Do you find yourself inquiring—consciously—how the Bible speaks to specific areas of life?

Do you ask others, perhaps those who are mature, to help you apply Scripture in particular situations?

Whitney, D. S. (2001). Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (p. 31). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

Is it your practice to actually turn the pages of the Bible in search of the will of God?

Some church members seem bump along from Sunday to Sunday, year to year, with no recollection of changes in beliefs or practices as a result of new discoveries in the Word. They would tell you they believe the same as they did years ago. They carry a Bible to church, but they couldn’t tell you the last time their daily life was altered by it. They may even be daily Bible readers, and they have heard one or more sermons per week for years. Yet with all their exposure to the Bible, generally its inspired words leave no more imprint upon their minds than spoken words do upon the air. It could never be said of them that they deliberately govern their daily lives by God’s Word.

Let’s look at , , , , , .

v47, 48, 97, 113, 119, 127

Whitney, D. S. (2001). Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (p. 31). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

v

The person who can content himself with few or routine contacts with Scripture may be manifesting something far worse than spiritual decline. The Bible characterizes a genuine believer as not merely an admirer of God’s truth, but one who ____________ it.

And one the flip side, who are those who perish in ? ________________________________Loving the truth is a matter of perishing or being saved. Being careless towards the truth is a mark of spiritual death.

Whitney, D. S. (2001). Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (p. 33). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.