1. [Warm Fuzzies Teardrop is Ron and Bonnie Probst's 8' Boa Constrictor. He swallowed a heating pad, cord, heating unit and all. The vet who removed it during the 2.5 hour surgery said that the snake apparently mistook it for food. "It was warm and fuzzy and had some hard objects inside it that must have felt like bones, " said Dr. Gansberg. A lesson for us is that not every "warm fuzzy" is filling or good for you.
a. Too often we are satisfied with a Spiritual diet of warm Fuzzies (Laura's fluff)
b. We downplay the need to study the Bible.
c. Yet, studying the Bible is essential to our Eternal Life -- now and after death.
3. Ezra 7:10
For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. (NIV)
For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to do it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. (RSV)
a. Set in the period of Jewish Restoration (Assyrian, Babylonion, 70 years, Cyrus sends Jews home -- Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple; Ezra to rebuild morals; Scripture knowledge; priesthood; Nehemiah to rebuild walls)
"Until Ezra returned the Jews had built a House for God, but not a Heart for Him."
4. To be LIFE LONG DISCIPLES we must:
I. PREPARE OUR HEARTS TO RECEIVE GOD'S WORD
A. WE PLACE IMPORTANCE ON PREPARATION.
1. College ("Best decade of one's life")
2. 'Be prepared'
3. Ben Franklin -- "I prepare myself for the worst..."
B. THE BIBLE EXPRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF PREPARATION.
1. John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ.
2. God prepared us for Christ's coming (Gal. 4:4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,)
3. To Be prepared for the Second Coming
[J-4 Second Coming of Christ -- The boss caught Calvin sitting at his desk, gazing out the window. "Why aren't you working?" asked the boss. Without much thought, Calvin replied, "Because I did not see you coming."
C. AN EMPHASIS ON THE HEART
1. Parable of the Sower -- Matthew 13:1 --9; 18 -- 23
2. Unprepared --VS- Prepared Soil -- It is the presence of the SPIRIT that prepares our hearts.
3. Love God with whole heart
II. PURSUE THE MEANING OF GOD'S WORD
A. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE. Sometimes it is complex, sometimes it is simple.
[-- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of "Sherlock Holmes," was waiting at a taxi outside the railway station in Paris. As the cab pulled up, the driver asked, "Where can I take you Mr. Doyle?"
Doyle was astonished that he was so easily recognized. He asked if the driver knew him by sight. He did not, in fact, he had never seen him before. He asked how he could have known him.
The driver replied, "Today's paper had an article about you being on vacation in Marseilles. This is the taxi stand people from Marseilles use. Your skin color tells me you are on vacation. The ink spot on your right index finger suggests that you are an author. Your clothing is English. Adding all of this up, I decided that you are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle."
Doyle replied, "This is amazing, you are a real life Sherlock Holmes."
There is one more thing the cabby added, "Your name is on your suitcase."
1. Ethiopian -- Acts 8:30 -- 31
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.
31 "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
2. Jews -- Nehemiah 8:8
8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.
B. Our view of the Bible will affect our study of it.
1. Storybook History book Guidebook -- (Disney World guide)
2. Unattainable levels (give up on it)
3. It either is what it says or it is a lie ( 2 Timothy 3:16 -- 17)
[Application of Scripture -- When Alexander the Great made his march to conquer the world, he approached Jerusalem. Of course, the residents were fearful. Josephus records that the HP, Jaddua and a group of priests in white went out to meet with Alexander. Jaddua wore a headdress bearing the name of God on it.
Unexpectedly, Alexander stopped his army and approached the HP. He was not intrigued with the office of HP but with the name displayed on the headdress. Alexander told Jaddua that he had dreamed this very scene.
The Priest drew out a well-worn scroll. He showed Alexander the 7th and 8th chapters of Daniel's prophecy. It foretells that the Greeks would defeat the Persians and that their leader would become great.
Alexander saw himself in the prophecy. He spared the city of Jerusalem from destruction and treated the Jews with dignity. We, too can see ourselves in the scriptures.
III. PRACTICE GOD'S WORD
A IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO KNOW [ There was once an unemployed man who applied for a job as janitor at the First Baptist Church. The preacher asked him to fill out employment forms and discovered he couldn't read or write. Since he was illiterate he didn't get the job, but they did give him a basket of apples to help him. He ate a few and sold a few to people on the street. With the money he made he bought some more apples and sold them. Pretty soon he had a profitable fruit stand on the corner. In a few years the fruit stand became a booming business and he took a million dollars in cash to the local bank to open an account. The banker asked him to fill out appropriate forms and he said, "I can't read or write." The surprised banker said, "You can't read or write and yet you've built a million dollar business. Do you know where you'd be if you were educated?" He said, "Yeah, I'd be the janitor of the First Baptist Church!"
TS Knowledge isn't always the answer.
1. "We are educated above our level of obedience."
2. Too often feel like if we just KNOW we are OK.
B. JESUS SAID THERE'S MORE:
1. Luke 6:46 "Why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?
2. Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
C. IT TAKES PUTTING FAITH INTO PRACTICE.
1. Faith and works James 1:22--25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror
24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.
2, Obeying = Love John 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command.
[Athiest -- A few years ago a Rabbi and his grandson made a trip to Israel. Ironically, they were seated in the plane next to a prominent Israeli socialist and atheist.
The atheist could not help noticing the way the Rabbi's grandson tended to his needs. He asked the Rabbi, "Why does your grandson treat you as some kind of king? I have a grandson, too but he would not give me the time of day."
"It is very simple, "said the Rabbi, "My grandson and I believe in a God who created all things, including the first man. That means, in the boy's eyes, I am two generations closer to the hand of God himself. But in the eyes of your grandson, you are two generations closer to a monkey."
IV. PRESENT GOD'S WORD TO OTHERS (Teach)
A. THE NEED TO TEACH PEOPLE THE BIBLE (2 Chronicles 15:3 For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law.)
[Two dentists -- one works on teeth, the other works on people's teeth.
1. Examples of Salvation:
a. Ethiopian - Acts 8:30-31 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. 31 "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
b. Great Commission Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
2. Teaching in Home -- Deut. 6:6-9; These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Deut. 11:1-4, 7 1 Love the LORD your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always. 2 Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the LORD your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm; 3 the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country; 4 what he did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots, how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea as they were pursuing you, and how the LORD brought lasting ruin on them. 7 But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the LORD has done.
Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
B. HOW WE SHOULD TEACH
1. With accuracy -- Acts 18:25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.
[Teaching -- The preacher of a large church received reports that the quality of teaching in the children's ministry was less than it should be. He sat in on a class of ten year olds. The teacher asked the class, "Who knocked down the walls of Jericho?" No one responded. She then asked Jimmy the question. He responded, "I did not do it." The teacher, who was already flustered with the preacher's presence said, "I am sure you did not."
The preacher was stunned. He went to the Education Minister and told him what had transpired in the 10 year old class. The Ed. Min. told the preacher, "I know Jimmy quite well and if he said he did not do it, then he did not do it."
The preacher went to the elders and recounted the situation. The elders talked it over for a few minutes and then one said, "Don't worry over this, preacher. Have someone estimate the cost of the Jericho wall and have the treasurer write a check to cover it."
2. With Boldness -- Acts 28:31 Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. With more than words -- I Thess. 1:4-5 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.
(Preach the gospel at all times using words when necessary.")
B. THE IMPACT OF TEACHING -- Changed Lives!
Psalms 51:12-14 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. 14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Note the progression:
Restoration [of Joy] -- Teaching of Sinners -- Restoration of Lost
1. WE CAN BE LIFE LONG DISCIPLES IN FORMAL WAYS -- Deuteronomy 31:9-13
Public Proclamation/Formal Classes
2. WE CAN BE LIFE LONG DISCIPLES IN INFORMAL WAYS
a. Home -- Deuteronomy 6:6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
b. Small Groups -- Acts 20:20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.
3. METHODS ARE NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THE MESSAGE. Use what works.
4. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE.
a. Sam's Club meetings -- people get enthused about selling -- We have ET matters to share.
b. [Preparation For hours the plane flew on autopilot with an escort of two fighter jets across our nations mid section. All six people on board were dead. All who heard the first reports were hoping beyond hope that somehow the passengers were still alive and the plane could be landed. None more so than Payne Stewart's wife who after hearing the report of her husband's flight on CNN tried unsuccessfully to reach him on his cell phone. After 1,400 miles, 4 hours, and six states the plane fell nearly 8 miles crashing in a field in South Dakota. As one sports writer said, "destiny, we are reminded, is bigger than all of us. Even those in big pants with big hearts don't get to fly forever."
TS: It started as an ordinary day, heading to another golf tournament. We
never know what the day holds for us.
