Memorization and Meditation

Notes

Making it in the Kingdom

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for ever good work.” 2 Tim 3:16)

I want to talk to you this morning about memorization of and meditation on Scripture. I know this is not a popular topic. But, I am going to share with you about how it is related to the kingdom of God, how it is related to marriage, the right heart attitude toward it, the sound and flawed motivations for it, the rewards, the reasons for not, and the way to do it.

But, remember, they say that if you can worry you can meditate.

Shaving illustration.

it is ok for me to say the same things to you again (Philippians 3:1)

Don’t forget 1 Cor 2:1-4 and 2 Cor 4:7-9

Write out your prayer.

Introduction:

The reason I think we need to talk about this topic is that We have a big problem in this country. It’s called immigration. But, no, I’m not talking about politics.

So, you may ask, what does that have to do with us as Christians? A Local pastor came by my house a few weeks ago to invite me to his church . He asked me if I was a Christian and I said yes we had a brief conversation and before he left he asked me if he could ask me a question . He asked me a question that is a pretty standard question that people ask whenever they go out witnessing . He asked me if I were to die tonight did I know if I was going to heaven. Now there is nothing wrong with asking that question, but

we must not forget that in the here and now as opposed to the sweet by and by, we are, in the spiritual realm, immigrants.

As Colossians chapter 1 verse 13 Says,

“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved son…” (Col 1:13).

Therefore we are in a new kingdom.

Many in the church are not even aware that they are in a new kingdom. They think that they have to wait until they die for all things kingdom.

Yet, Jesus came preaching the kingdom and the Scripture just said that we were transferred (past tense) to the kingdom of King Jesus.

Now, To be successful in this new kingdom, we need to learn the language, and adopt the culture of the kingdom.

In natural immigration, studies clearly indicate a correlation between immigrants learning the language and the mores of the new culture and their ability to live an abundant life. “health and well-being are directly effected by learning the language of the new culture.”

Yet, as we have been learning, Jesus came to do more than just provide us with the means to escape hell. Jesus’ message, his mission, and his method, all have to do with not just getting us into the Kingdom but getting the culture of the former kingdom out of us and getting the culture of the kingdom of God into us.

Now, the word of God is essential to life in the kingdom of God. It is our constitution. It is our lifeline. Many of us read it every day, study it at least occasionally, and memorize it?? meditate on it?? The word of God is not just essential to leaders in the church, it is essential to every disciple.

· The question though is: do we let it dwell in us with the right motivation and to the degree that it brings about growth and change in us?

Illustration:

I was meditating recently on a Scripture verse that I memorized probably 40 years ago. Surprisingly, given my poor memory, I can still remember where I was and what I was doing, and even what the weather was like when I was memorizing that verse. Joshua 1:8.

There were two things I did not really understand completely until recently when I was meditating on it.

· I realized that when it said, “so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it,” I interpreted that with my old “performance orientation mentality” that it was telling me that I needed to try harder. The Word of God is meant to and will impact the culture of our lives as we meditate on it (Joshua 1:8) (culture - the way that we do things without thinking, what we value, what we consider to be important.)

· Also, originally, I thought that when it said success and prosperity that it meant the same thing that I normally thought of when someone used those words. In our culture we tend to think of more concrete things like money, possessions, and recognition (Joshua 1:8)

In other words, The point of meditation is not so that knowing the Word will enable us to try harder, but that it will transform our minds and the culture of our lives so that the things that we do without thinking will be the way things are meant to be in God’s Kingdom.

There is so much misinformation about what meditation is:

§ Illustration – Meditation is like a tea bag dipped in a cup of hot water – the more it is dipped, the greater the water absorbs the flavor of the tea.

§ God’s Word is the “flavor” and our heart is the cup!).

§ It gives you a word to say to anyone, in season and out of season.

§ It fills your heart and home with the best thoughts ever recorded.

§ It saturates the personality, satiates the soul, and stockpiles the mind.

§ It changes the atmosphere of every family and alters the weather forecast of every day.

§ It takes one minute a day, or five or ten—whatever you can devote to it.

§ It can be done in your bath, your bed, at your desk, or in an airplane.

§ It can be done on the go, in traffic jams, while shaving, at sunup, or before bedtime.

§ It can be done alone, with another person, or in groups.

§ It’s an amazingly versatile habit but also a vital one, profitable whether we’re in the nursery or in the nursing home.

Now some of you may have been turned off because of others memorizing for selfish reasons:

Flawed Purpose for memorization and meditation

· Thinking that you have to (I love it when Jesus told the Pharisees that “the sabbath was made for man not man for the sabbath” principle) Ie: the law was made for us…

· To show off or impress others (knowledge can make us arrogant) “a fool does not delight in understanding but only in revealing his own mind” (proverbs 18:2) this is a problem in our culture. We are great at arguing but terrible at listening for understanding.

· Just for yourself (Statistics on the major Bible web searches (1 Thess 5:11; 1 John 3:17-18)

· Memorizing just verses that agree with your theology so that you can prove that you are right.

· Without context: Do not give a passage a meaning that God did not intend. Romans 8:28 (the word “for” indicates a purpose clause)

I. Sound Purpose for memorization and meditation

o Bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth.

§ We are called to impact our culture with the culture of the Kingdom of God by being salt and light as Jesus said (Matthew 5:13-14)

o Allow God impact our personal culture. (your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” Matthew 6:9-13).

o Love is the essential motivation for memorization and meditation (O how I love Your law, Psalm 119:97)

Some Essential Rewards of Treasuring the Word through Memorization and Meditation

· It helps us grow in Intimacy with God - Research indicates, intimacy “…is the number one predictor of happiness—or unhappiness—in marriage. Psalm 23; Isaiah 48:9-10; Psalm 139; John 15:7; John 14:21; Job 23:12

· It nourishes and builds us up - (Acts 20:32; 1 Peter 2:2; Matt 4:4; James 1:25) Research by neuroscientists shows that memorization and meditation actually changes our brains in positive ways such as increase in compassion, selflessness, and kindness to others.

· It helps us in Resisting Temptation: Psalm 119:9; Matt 4:4) Sanctifying - (John 17:17; Eph 5:26-27;)

· It is essential in Spiritual warfare - (Matthew 4:4; Ephesians 6:17 the sword of the Spirit) Illustration: it is not just knowing the words, it has to be something that is a part of you, it needs to become who you are, you need to be saturated in the Word.

· It provides guidance - (Psalm 119:105) “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:130 “The unfolding of your words gives light).

· It helps our prayer life and our worship: Answers to prayer (John 15 - abide = “something has established itself permanently within my soul, and always exerts its power in me:”) Rev 4:11) This kind of abiding results from a deep love that aligns with his desires and perspectives.

· It helps us encourage fellow believers: (Let the word of Christ richly (dwell - Future indicative active verb. Note that there is no optionality regarding these future actions; future indicative actions must definitely occur) within you, with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Col 3:16)

· It helps us remember who is in control (Isaiah 46:9-10)

Why do people resist meditating on the word of God or memorizing the word of God.

· Having a heart ready to receive it. the parable of the sower: Luke 8:5-15) Meditation on the Word is like tilling the soil to let the moisture of the water in. The problem is absorption (Psalm 1)

· Pride? I don’t need to. I can be successful without memorizing it.

· It might cause me to become spiritually prideful.

· The Spirit will give me what I need to say?

· I just don’t see the point. Too busy and I have easy access to all of it on my smart phone.

· It is too difficult, I’m not good at it.

Need a change in perspective: The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. “O how I love your law, it is my meditation all the day!”

Psalm 19 (The law of the Lord is perfect…)

How to

Feed on it. It is spiritual nourishment so that we can grow in respect to salvation.

if you can worry, you can meditate.

I know people who can quote from memory large portions of dialog from their favorite television shows and movies.

We choose what we spend our time on!

“Everyone who competes in the games…”

Lord, give me a love for your Word. Lord, I offer my whole being to You and Your word. I give You access to every part of my inner being.

Lord, I choose to let your Word dwell in me richly so that all of its life, activity, and power can operate in me to transform my mind and my inner culture so that I will carry out Your will.”

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, there are many people who need the benefits of living in your kingdom and under your compassionate rule. Many need your forgiveness, peace, reconciliation, and rescue from things like fear, loneliness, bitterness, wrath, anger, despair, hopelessness, slander (murder with words), and malice (desire to do evil).

Jesus we want to see people healed and made completely whole, physically and emotionally and spiritually. People who have been wounded and hurt by betrayal, by manipulation, by physical or emotional bullying. I also want to see people healed from being a bully and from having betrayed someone and from being a manipulator. I want to see people open up their hearts and allow You to search their hearts so that they can be healed from things they don’t even realize they are doing to others with their words and actions. Help us to become instruments of healing.

Lord I pray for your anointing on your word this morning with the Holy Spirit and with power so that our faith would not rest on the wisdom of man but on the power of God. And I pray that any blockages, plots, or schemes of the enemy would be thwarted and defeated. In Jesus’ name, Amen.