Understand God’s Will
Understand God’s Love
Understand Jesus
Defense against Satan
Defense against false teachers
Defend the faith
This week we are going to learn about more blessings we get from spending time in the Word:
1.There is no way that we can live the abundant life that Jesus promised without the word. It is our daily bread. We need to digest it. Take time with it.We need to do this daily.
"Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’" Matthew 4:4
"When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
Lord God Almighty." Jeremiah 15:16
We need to be so focused on the Word that we are like a baby craving Mama's milk. Nothing else will satisfy that baby. That is all that baby is focused on.
"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." 1 Peter 2:1-3
2. Reading the Word will give you Encouragement for Today
"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 15:4-6
I need encouragement daily. You do too. Nothing is impossible for God -- we live in this promise when we let the Word soak into us. But if we don't take time with it we are missing that daily encouragement it will give us.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”" Johsua 1:9
This is one of my life verses. It is a reminder to me. It is God saying, "Shannon, don't you remember? Haven't I commanded you? Be strong and courageous."
"Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”" Mark 10:27
3. Reading the Word Keeps Us From Being Complacent
Revelation 2:4
"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place" Revelation 2:4
When we get complacent, when we take our faith for granted; when we take Jesus for granted, we have lost our first love. We have lost that love we have for Him. Staying in the Word will keep this from happening. It stokes that fire within us. It feeds our spirit.
Everything in this world wants to lull us asleep. The Word will keep us in tune with God.
"If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,
even their prayers are detestable" Proverbs 28:9
4. Read the Word Daily so you can grow/mature
"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:14-17
If we aren't growing we are dying. We are all at the point where we need to take responsibility for our own spiritual growth. Read daily for sanctification -- this just means that you get more and more like Jesus. We cannot mature spiritually without consistent time in the Word. We must choose to become mature. It isn't just going to happen.
It's time to step up and be the person you were called to be for Christ. Even Paul, the writer of so much of the New Testament was a baby Christian at one time.
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[a] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience," Colossians 1:9-10
My desire is that every single member and friend of our congregation would mature in Christ more and more. Me too!
"Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither--
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away" Pslam 1:1-4
If you want to grow in Christ, do what you know you need to do. Spend time in the Word. Spend time thinking about it. Spend time in prayer.
"Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready." 1 Corinthians 3:1-2
Christians not growing (or being content to be baby Christians) has been happening ever since there were Christians. Even Paul dealt with this.
5. Reading the Word will Lead You into Maturity in Christ (We need never stop maturing spiritually)
"Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity" Hebrews 6:1
"We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised" Hebrews 6:11-12
Mature! Develop! Plant yourself in Jesus. Plant yourself in His Word and grow and grow and grow. Bear Fruit. Jesus Chose us to Bear fruit (check out John 15). This is our destiny -- to bear fruit for Jesus.