The Gospel is not about me

I was recently reading through Mark Dever’s book “The Deliberate Church” and ran across the following.

“The Gospel is not ultimately about me.

It is about God’s glory, and gathering worshipers for Himself who will worship Him in spirit and truth. It is about God vindicating His holiness by punishing Christ for the sins of all those who repent and believe. It is about making a name for Himself in the world by gathering people and separating them to Himself for the spread of His fame to the nations.

“Benefit evangelism” fills our churches with people who are taught to expect everything to go their way just because they became Christians. But Jesus promises persecution for following Him, not worldly perks (John 15:18-16:4; cf. 2 Tim. 3:12). We want to build Christians and churches who persevere through hardship, who are willing to suffer and be persecuted and even die for the Gospel of Christ, because they value God’s glory more than the temporal benefits of conversion. We don’t want people to become Christians because it will reduce their stress. We want them to become Christians because they know they need to repent of their sins, believe in Jesus Christ, and joyfully take up their cross and follow Him for the glory of God.

There are indeed wonderful benefits to the Christian life; but being God-centered in our evangelism by focusing less on the temporal benefits and more on God’s character and plan makes for more Christians ready to suffer, and more churches motivated by God’s glory.”

I thought Pastor Mark’s words summed up our mission and motive for establishing a new church in Ada.

The motive for our ministry in Ada is to establish God’s glory in and then through the church then to the world around us. We intend on doing this by building this ministry on God-centered worship that comes through Bible-driven exposition and Christ-centered worship as opposed to man-centered worship.

We desire this so that they may see the manifold wisdom of God through the church to the praise of God’s grace.

Ephesians 3:7-12 (ESV)

7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

To find out more about our mission and our heart please go to our website.

Sovereign Grace Bible Church of Ada, Oklahoma

http://sovereigngracebc.wordpress.com

God’s Word brings Life

Obeying God’s Word brings life to a dead world.
A pattern arises…
Disobedience brings death.
Obedience brings life.

Adam’s disobedient life – brought eternal death.

Romans 5:12-15 (ESV)
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.
14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

Christ’s obedient life – brought eternal life.

Hebrews 5:7-9 (ESV)
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.
8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.
9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,

The pattern arises from Genesis.
Genesis 6:22
Noah – obeyed God’s word and brought life. (To a physically dead world)
Noah was saved by faith in God’s word.
Genesis 12:4
Abram – obeyed God’s word and God brought him life.
Abram was saved by faith in God’s word… what saves us today?

In Abram we see God grant righteousness and faith to an undeserving man.
Through this gift from God we see a miracle nation (Isaac’s birth) brought forth by this man’s obedience. This nation “Israel” was set apart by God to proclaim to the world and “fill” it with the good news and testify to God’s grace and glory.

Israel was set apart first in the Abrahamic covenant of circumcision Gen. 17:9-11 this was a physical mark on their bodies to set them apart but it represented a spiritual separation an unseen-inward mark.

Later Israel was given outward marks to distinguish it from the world – the Law of Moses. These Laws and rites distinguished Israel from the Gentile world causing them to stand out or to be “an outstanding example to the world”.

Ultimately through Abram a Savior would come.
Jesus Christ would bring eternal life to all those who believe as Abraham did by “faith alone” in God’s word.

Romans 4:9-16 (ESV)
9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.
10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.
11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all, who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,
12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

We too are called to live separated lives from this world not by works of the law but by faith in the One who fulfilled the Law perfectly. The Lord Jesus Christ imputed His righteousness to our lives through His substitutionary life and death on the Cross and transforms us inwardly and outwardly by grace.

1. Inwardly (circumcised hearts)
Colossians 2:11-14 (ESV)
11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

2. Outwardly (distinct from the world – “sanctified, set apart for holy use”)
Titus 2:11-14 (ESV)
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

v.13 -“waiting for” – this is a reference to the Second Coming of Christ.
v. 14 -This looking forward to Christ coming does something in us just as it did in Noah and Abraham. It produces zealous, pure workers that eagerly long for God’s glory to be revealed.

What kind of workers are we today?
Are we set apart from the world?
Are we obedient even in the face of persecution?

Like Noah and Abraham we are called out from this world to declare who our God is and share this knowledge with others.

Matthew 5:13-16 (ESV)
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

We must live in this world in such a way that our lives can testify to who our God is and then we in our obedience can bring others to see the glory of God revealed in the face of Jesus Christ and His gift of eternal life.

In Genesis we are commanded to fill the earth.
(Both physically and spiritually with the news of who our God is.)
1. Adam was commanded to – multiply and fill the earth…with children who would pass the knowledge of the true God on to others.
2. Noah was commanded to do the same.
3. Abraham was commanded to declare who God was by being separated from the world and to raise a nation who was set apart from the world around them
(A lighthouse to shine God’s truth in the dark world).

What does all this mean to us today?
How do we fill the earth with the knowledge of God today?

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We have been given a command to go into the world today.
We must live out this message in obedience to Christ command.
Go to into the world but do not be conformed to the world.

We share this message with individuals.
Make disciples – evangelize and follow through.

We teach this message to the Church corporately.
Teach the Word. This is how we are to fulfill the command.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 (ESV)
1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

News – Good News!

If you have read anything below this posting this “news” will not surprise you too much.

As the Lord wills and guides we will soon be planting a new church in Ada, Oklahoma.

This desire was planted in my heart by God years ago and now and it seems through God’s providence He is causing that desire to grow upward!

We are very excited about this work and would like to ask you to pray that God would be glorified in and through the establishment of a biblically reformed evangelistic church in Ada.

I must say that the Lord is already moving providentially in ways I would have never imagined.

The Lord has brought many people and ministries alongside us to help guide and oversee this work as well as foundational families to help establish the work on solid ground.

We are dedicated to expository preaching as well as expository living.

We are dedicated to the doctrines of grace and expressing those doctrines with grace.

We are dedicated to proclaiming the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ to the city of Ada and the surrounding areas.

Please pray accordingly for us as we endeavor to be a “pillar and support of the truth” to our mission field.

To God be the glory in the Church.

I will keep you posted as we progress toward a start date and location.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this ministry.

Pastor Randy Tyler

Dedicated to proclaiming God’s sovereign grace as the hope for sinners and strength for saints.

 

 

Declare His Glory!

Psalms 96:1-13 (ESV)
1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Preach with broken hearts and tear-filled eyes

George Whitefield,

“Yea, that we shall see the great Head of the Church once more raise up unto Himself certain young men whom He may use in this glorious employ.

And what manner of men will they be? Men mighty in the Scriptures, their lives dominated by a sense of the greatness, the majesty and holiness of God, and their minds and hearts aglow with the great truths of the doctrines of grace.

They will be men who have learned what it is to die to self, to human aims and personal ambitions; men who are willing to be ‘fools for Christ’s sake’, who will bear reproach and falsehood, who will labor and suffer, and whose supreme desire will be, not to gain earth’s accolades, but to win the Master’s approbation when they appear before His awesome judgment seat.

They will be men who will preach with broken hearts and tear-filled eyes, and upon whose ministries God will grant an extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit, and who will witness ‘signs and wonders following’ in the transformation of multitudes of human lives.”

Seek the supremacy of Christ in all you do and all you do will be glorious!
Pastor Randy

Spurgeon’s Burden

I want to share some words with you from the “prince of preachers” Charles Haddon Spurgeon these words were taken from sermons preached during the years of 1855-1889.

Spurgeon’s words are compelling, convicting and Christ honoring. I pray they will stir our souls to worship the Lord Jesus more fervently and move us to obey His commands more excellently.

The burden of a preacher…
“If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay…

Do we really believe that sinners will be damned forever? Do we think about their fate very often, if ever? Or do we busy ourselves in the work of the Lord, and never bother to implore them to come to the Savior? In general, the modern pulpit is deathly silent when it comes to the horrors of Hell. When do we hear preaching about the reality of the Lake of Fire or of the terrible wrath of God? Such themes aren’t popular with modern preachers. They never have been. They are not popular with me. Other topics are more attractive, but preachers must not ignore the fate of the lost, because if we do, we run the risk of it also being ignored in the pews…

If we don’t implore the world to turn from sin it’s because we don’t truly believe God’s Word. We cannot be so deathly cold, so evil-hearted as to not care. We haven’t let the reality of Hell sink into our minds and soften our hard hearts. The fact of its existence should horrify us beyond words, and then it should be reflected in our prayers and in our preaching.”

“The burden, which the preacher of God bears, is for God and on Christ’s behalf, and for the good of men. He has a natural instinct, which makes him care for the souls of others, and his anxiety is that none should perish, but that all should find salvation through Jesus Christ…”

“You cannot preach conviction of sin unless you have suffered it. You cannot preach repentance unless you have practiced it. You cannot preach faith unless you have exercised it. You may talk about these things, but there will be no power in the talk unless what is said has been experimentally proved in your own soul. It is easy to tell when a man speaks what he has made his own, or when he deals in secondhand experience…”

The proper use of the Bible…
“Defend the Bible? I would as soon defend a lion! Unchain it and it will defend itself!”

“The sermons that are most likely to convert people seem to me to be those that are full of truth, truth about the fall, truth about the Law, truth about human nature and its alienation from God, truth about Jesus Christ, truth about the Holy Spirit, truth about the Everlasting Father, truth about the new birth, truth about obedience to God and how we learn it, and all such great verities. Tell your hearers something, dear bretheren, whenever you preach, tell them something, tell them something!”

“Preach Christ or nothing; do not dispute or discuss except with your eye on the cross.”
“They will never accept grace till they tremble before a just and holy Law. Therefore, the Law serves a most necessary purpose, and it must not be removed from its place…
The Law is the surgeon’s knife that cuts out the proud flesh that the wound may heal. The Law by itself only sweeps and raises the dust, but the gospel sprinkles clean water upon the dust, and all is well in the chamber of the soul. The Law kills; the gospel makes alive. The Law strips, and then Jesus Christ comes in and robes the soul in beauty and glory. All the commandments and all the types direct us to Christ, if we will heed their evident intent.”

“I do not think I can preach more, for a faintness has come over me, nor is there need for more if you will but chew the cud of this one precious truth: Jesus is the Lamb which God provided, and He is the Lamb, which God Himself presented at the altar. Yet, I must rouse myself to say a little more. Who was it that sacrificed the Lamb of God? Who was the priest on that dread day? Who was it that bruised Him? Who put Him to grief? Who caused Him the direst pang of all when He cried, “Why hast thou forsaken me?” Was it not the Father Himself? This was one point in the hardness of Abraham’s test – “Take now your son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and offer him a sacrifice.” He must himself officiate at the sacrifice. This the great Father did! He is the Lamb, the Lamb of God. And now today the bright side of this truth remains. He is the Lamb that God always accepts, must accept, glories to accept. Bring but Jesus with you, and you have brought God an acceptable sacrifice.”

The Common Union of the Saints

The Common Union of the Saints – part one
Hebrews 10:24-25
Hebrews tells us to “not forsake our own assembling together”!

God ordained that we come together to “stimulate“ or provoke, prod.
God knew we would need a good poke now and then.

We need this to keep us sharp and to remind us that someone is watching our back and that someone carries a sharp stick and holds us accountable.

The real beauty of this verse is the context in which it is made which deals with what calls us all together.
Hebrews 10:19-22

Our Communion Union is in Christ
Hebrews 10:20 – Jesus inaugurated a new and living way to the Holiest of place of all into God the Father’s very presence through His flesh!

This new and living way refers to the perpetual power of the once for all sacrifice of Christ that forever retains its freshness and power.

It is a once for all time sacrifice because it never grows old.
It is a living sacrifice because Jesus lives and is active through His church!

We are living body of Christ because we are joined to our spiritual Head.
Ephesians 1:18-23; Colossians 1:13-18

We have a common union in Christ that is appropriately called a community.

We now have a community through Christ sacrifice and love. We are marvelously called together for an uncommon purpose, to bring God glory and to display God’s grace to all mankind.
Ephesians 3:20-4:3

The church of Jesus Christ is the most important community in the world. This is the one community that is ordained, endorsed and blessed by God for our good and His glory.

That ordained, blessed fellowship is the gathered and displayed through the ministry of the local church!

1st Notice how important the church is to Christ
Acts 20:28 – He purchased it with His own blood.

2nd Notice how important localized churches are to God
He dedicated the New Testament to them.
Every one of Paul’s New Testament letters are addressed to locally gathered fellowships or it is addressed to the local leaders or overseers.

Look with me quickly at the following passages of scripture to see my point.
Romans 1:7 – “to all who are Beloved in Rome”
1Corinthians 1:2; 2Corinthians 1:1-“To the Church of God which is at Corinth”
Galatians 1:2- “To the Churches of Galatia”
Ephesians 1:1 -”To the Saints who are at Ephesus”
Philippians 1:1 – “To all Saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi”
Colossians 1:2-“To the Saints and Faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae”
1&2 Thessalonians 1:1- “To the Church of the Thessalonians”
1 & 2 Timothy – To the young pastor at Ephesus
Titus – Pastor at Crete
Philemon – Fellow worker at a local church (along with Epaphras)

The church is an organized and powerful picture of what Christ here on earth.
In Acts 2 we see three key elements of an orderly Christ centered community.
Acts 2:42-47
Here in Acts we see the church focused on studying the Word of God and giving praise to God with the end result being a witness to the world and glory to God.
1. The study of the Word
2. Prayer and Praise to God
3. Their Witness to the world

The church should be devoted to these key elements today.
1. They were devoted to the accurate study of the Word of God.
v. 42- “continually devoting themselves to the apostle’s teaching”

The Word stimulated (provoked) love for God that was exhibited in acts of worship.
2. They were filled with Prayer and Praise to God based on understanding His Word.
v.43-46 – “Awe, sharing, unity, gladness, praise”

The expression of their love for God was love for one another, which caused the world to see the power of Christ. The Word produced worship that led people to see Jesus.
3. Their praise and fellowship in the Word was a powerful witness for God in the world.
v.47 – The church found favor with all the people and many were saved.

The people were “studying, acting and praising God in the church and the world could not help but see their love for God and one another.

That is exactly what Jesus prayed for in the Garden of Gethsemane.
John 17:13-23

What does the Bible say about Itself?

What does the Bible say about itself?
First some words to unpack.
1. Revelation – apokalupsis – disclosure or unveiling – (general and special rev.)
2. Inspiration – (verbal-every word – plenary-all parts equally inspired) – God the Holy Spirit superintending over writers of scripture (using personalities and style and resulting in God’s word. – theopneustos a term that is only used once in the N.T. a (hapax legomenon)
2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is (theopneustos) “God-breathed” breathed out by God. God originated all scripture and breathed it forth.
We do not listen for the voice of God we have it recorded in the scriptures.
3. Inerrancy – Infallible (w/out error in original manuscripts)

Now let’s look at what the Bible says about the Bible.

The Bible is:
1. The Word of God
Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.” (Jeremiah 1:9).

The Bible is more than a book detailing men’s thoughts about what God is like. It is God’s communication to men. His words are transmitted to us through its pages.

2. A living book
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12).

In what way is the Bible alive?
It is alive in that it is the word of the Living God. It is alive in that it is active in its ministry to your heart. Like a surgeon’s scalpel, it cuts through the facade to speak to the inner you. It gets down to the real heart of issues.

3. A preserved book
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).

Voltaire was the French philosopher-scientist who, before he died in 1778, predicted that within 100 years, Christianity would be swept away from existence and pass into the obscurity of history. Within 50 years after his death, the Geneva Bible Society was using his house and printing press to produce stacks of Bibles.

4. A book of reality
For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty (2 Peter 1:16).

Peter says, “The things about which we wrote to you are not theological speculation, but rather an eye witness account.” John says the same thing when he speaks of “what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life” (1 John 1:1).

5. An Inerrant book.
If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came; and the Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35).
Luke 24:44-47

Inerrancy means when all the facts are known, the Scriptures (original manuscripts) properly interpreted will be shown totally true in everything they teach – doctrine, history, science, geography, etc.

6. A propositional book (a book that compels you to consider things)
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18).

God does not call us to abandon all sense of reason or thought when we come to Him. We are not to check in our brains at the door to the church and then pick them up again when we leave. He calls us to reason and to judge and to weigh out the facts of our salvation.

7. A needful book
To Direct my Life: Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).
Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Thy word (Psalm 119:67).
The Bible is our roadmap for living. It is the light to my path.

To Lift my Spirits: I am exceedingly afflicted; Revive me, O LORD, according to Thy word (Psalm 119:107).
While Hebrew 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is alive and powerful, here we read that this same word is able to revive me.

To Nourish my Soul: And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:3-4).

To Announce His Plan of Redemption: Surely the Lord God does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).

God always speaks when He institutes redemptive activity. And by the same token, when He does not institute new redemptive activity, there is no need for God to give new revelation.

God has ceased to give new revelation or special revelations to men individually or as a group, because He has given us all we need in the scriptures.

“400 years of silence from the prophet Malachi to the prophet John the Baptist.
This idea of the cessation of revelation ought not to surprise us. The revelatory process never came in an unbroken stream. It was always here a little and there a little (Isaiah 28:13). The fact that the Old Testament canon closed and that revelation ceased for a time sets up a paradigm for the closing of revelation in the New Testament.”

God’ revealed will is set forth in scripture we do not listen to voices or intuitions we have the more sure word revealed through Jesus Christ and written in one Book the Bible. 2 Peter 1:2-3

One more I will add.
The Bible is:
8. A sufficient book
“All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim. 3:16-17

Sufficiency – Scripture contains all the words of God he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting Him completely, and for obeying Him perfectly.

To run to any other source in time of need shows a direct disregard for God’s word and lack of faith that it is sufficient. There is no need for Christians to run to psychology, religion rituals, relationships, drugs, or seclusion because God’s word is sufficient for everything that man goes through in this world. God has given us all we need in His revealed Word. Sola Scriptura

Pastor Randy Tyler
A Sovereign Grace Proclaimer

HOW TO FEED YOURSELF

HOW TO FEED YOURSELF

Developing a healthy intake of scripture.

2 Timothy 3:15

Clean me, Feed me, Wipe my nose… we need to learn how to do all these things if we are ever going to grow up.

This lesson is designed to teach you how to clean yourself, feed yourself and well I’ll leave nose wiping up to your mom!

My goal is to drive you to the table of God’s Word daily without having to hold your hand to get you there every time.

Ephesians 4:11-16

Growing up is not always easy it requires labor, time and diligence (dedication) but the benefits are definitely worth the pains, matter of fact the pains are what actually stimulate growth (to build muscle you have to stretch it).

Before we can look at “How to Feed Yourself” I want you to understand “Why” we are commanded to do so in scripture.

2 Timothy 3:15

“Why” do we need to grow up in the Word?

Galatians 6:1-6; Philippians 3:14-17; Romans 15:1-6; Ephesians 4:14-16

We get a glimpse of “Why” in Ephesians 4:14

Maturity will protect you from being “tossed like a child here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine”

Ephesians 4 goes on to say in verse 16 that when we as individuals grow up then the whole body of Christ (the church) will grow in love for each other and for Christ who is our head.

These passages give us reasons why we must grow up and learn to feed ourselves. Growing up is not so much for our own good but for the good of others we grow up for the good of the body of Christ and the glory of God.

We must “grow up” – WHY?

We are called to grow together in unity and strength because the body of Christ (the church) is called to do battle.

Matthew 16:15-18

In order for the church to face the battle against the gates of Hades we need to have a healthy strong body and that begins with you as individuals.

You can’t keep living through your teachers vicariously you have to learn to feed on the Word yourself so that you will pull your weight in the battle.

We are called to be healthy soldiers.

2 Timothy

In 2 Timothy we are given our marching orders and only healthy soldiers will survive this battle against the “waves of false teaching” that beat against the church.

Paul commands Timothy (and you and I) to…

1. Be on Guard – 2 Timothy 1:14

(You can’t be alert or strong unless you are healthy.)

2. Be Strong – 2 Timothy 2:1

(Entrusting your life to God’s favor -only happens when you know your God which only happens when you know scripture.)

3. Be Careful – 2 Timothy 2:2

(Discern who you entrust this message.)

4. Be Devoted – 2 Timothy 2:3-4

(To the pursuit of bringing God glory no matter the cost.)

5. Be Accurate -2 Timothy 2:15

(A man armed with the Word and accuracy is unstoppable.)

6. Be Convinced -2 Timothy 3:14-17

(Know what you believe by careful study of the whole counsel of God – Study the Old and the New Testaments because scripture is the best interpreter of scripture. Once you have dug out the treasures found for yourself within these pages then it is yours forever.)

Within the six commands above we see “Why” we must develop a healthy daily intake of scripture.

The Bible is a treasure worth living and dying for. Buried within this living book is the pearl of great price as we dig we unearth the truth about Jesus our Savior. In the Bible alone we see God’s sovereign grace extended to sinners through out all the centuries of mankind and here alone we see the culmination of God’s sovereign plan in Jesus’ work of redemption.

How do we grow strong in the Word?

Strength and endurance is only achieved and maintained with daily exercise.

Exercise #1

Read the Bible – Develop a daily bible reading plan.

First choose a New Testament book then read through it in an orderly manner.

Example: Begin Ephesians start at chapter 1:1 then continue reading it in order until you have completed the entire book chapter 6:24.Read this book in it’s entirety for a month.

Try one chapter a day (repeatedly) or read the entire book each day either way but continue it for an entire month. At the end of the month you will be amazed at what you have learned along the way.

Secondly you should also be feeding on the Old Testament.

Choose an Old Testament book and begin reading it in a devotional manner maybe every evening before bed (don’t try the repetition process here or you will live and die in Leviticus) just read through the books to get the flow of the Old Testament.

How should we prepare our hearts for daily bible reading?

We must always Prepare our hearts to receive God’s Word so we must…

1. Begin with Prayer – Psalm 119:18

What should the prayer focus on? Colossians 1:9-10

This prayer should focus on our inability to understand the Word apart from the Holy Spirit’s illuminating work and our prayer should also entail confession of sin.

This daily exercise will not only equip your mind it helps keep your soul in check as well.

Helpful daily reading hint:

Pick a time each day when you are alert. Don’t rush through your reading allow time to meditate on the Word as you read.

Exercise #2

Study the Bible (not the same exercise as reading)

Study is more than reading.

Begin by dedicating a specific time each day or week. Psalm 1:1-3a

(Those who study will not be tossed to and fro by winds of doctrine he will be planted firmly.)

Bible Study involves careful analysis.

The process of studying entails:

1. Systematic/Contextual study.

(Reading it verse by verse. Read systematically going through a book one verse at a time.)

2. Asking questions as you read, keeping a notepad handy to write them on.

This requires hermeneutical skills of interpretation.

Ask: Who? What? Where? When?

a. Who wrote the book and who is he addressing?

b. What do doctrinal words mean? (propitiation, justification, foreknew) Keep a bible dictionary handy and look these up and write them down.

c. What is the context of the chapter and book?

d. When was the book written? (before Paul was arrested or after)

e. Where does this book take me in relation to the whole counsel of God?

Look for:

a. Repeated words or phrases (Ephesians 1:4-12 – HE)

b. Commands (Imperatives and Indicatives statements)

Example of a Imperative – 2 Timothy 4:1-2 straight forward commands.

Example of a Indicative – Romans 15:1 (ought) indicates a necessity.

Helpful study hint:

If your not sure where to begin then begin by taking notes on Sunday’s sermons then use that text as your starting point.

Exercise #3

Live the Bible

Begin to apply what you have studied that is when real growth occurs.

After you have dwelt long and hard in your study find ways of taking it to the street.

The apostles James and Paul remind us that if we don’t live it we don’t really believe it.

2 Timothy 1:7-12

James 1:21-27

We are all commanded to grow up and mature as Christians.

Our calling demands that we dig deep into the treasure house of God’s Word. We are commanded to mine the wealth out of it out so that we can pour it out on all those we come in contact with.

That is our calling and that should be your burning desire if you want to truly be a soldier of the Cross ready, willing and able to serve our great God and King.

Training Equipment

To maintain your strength you need good equipment to workout with here is a listing of some good resources to build you up in your faith.

Remember these are eternal investments that will bring eternal riches to those who use them well.

1. Bibles (good translations not paraphrases NO “Message” junk)

NASB, ESV, NKJV, KJV, Young’s Literal and some NIV 1973, 1978, 1984.

Study Bibles

MacArthur Study Bible, Reformation Study Bible, ESV Study Bible.

2. Bible Dictionary

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

The New Bible Dictionary (Douglas, Ed w/FF Bruce, Tasker, Packer, and Wiseman)

3. Bible Concordance

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.

Analytical Concordance to the Holy Bible (R. Young)

4. Bible Commentaries

Expositor’s Commentary set

Matthew Henry

John Calvin

John MacArthur

Matthew Poole

John Gill

5. Scripture Cross Reference Material

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

“A preacher armed with this book and his Bible will never run out of material nor resources” Dr. John MacArthur.

6. Bible Study Software

Online Bible – inexpensive and loaded.

WordSearch 8 – great updates and tons of books!

Esword

Pastor Randy Tyler