"Living Bibles"    2010

Psalm 119:4-11      2 Timothy 3:10-4:5

 

Psalm 119:4-11

You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. 5 O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! 6Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous ordinances. 8 I will observe your statutes; do not utterly forsake me. 9 How can young people keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments.  11 I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you.

 

2 Timothy 3:10-4:5

10Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11my persecutions and suffering the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, 15and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

4In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: 2proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. 3For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, 4and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. 5As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.

 

One of the more vivid memories of my childhood    is the Sunday

            when I received my 3^rd grade Bible in church.

                                    Our whole Sunday school class was sitting together,

                                                            and when my name was called out,

                                                                        Dr. Ewing handed me  my own   new Bible…

*                     … and it was a huge and memorable event in my young life.

 

I find that almost anyone

            who was presented with their first Bible as a child,

                        still remembers and can describe that event in detail,

                                    and probably keeps that Bible in a special place.

 

Soon after I arrived here, the Sunday after we presented Bibles;

       one of the older members, who has since died into God's kingdom,

                        brought the Bible she received as a little girl to church.

 

            Jodi wanted to show me how old, worn and well-used it was,

                        because it had been

                                her companion and guide over so many years of her life.

 

She had very much lived out the words of Psalm 119, vs. 4-5, 9, 11

            You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently... that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!  … How can young people keep their

way pure? By guarding it according to your word. … I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you.

 

So what is it that makes receiving & reading the Bible so important?

 

The word, 'Bible' actually means library.  It is a collection that  

    represents more than 6000 years of writings from various authors.

 

            It is a written record of God's activity in our world,

                        and the story of God's interactions with ancient Israel;

*                                     and in the words of Scripture,

                                      God's grace and purpose  are uniquely revealed.

 

But there is really nothing magic about Scripture itself.

            I could sit in a room surrounded by Bibles on every shelf,

                        sleep with a different Bible under my pillow every night,

*              and that wouldn't do a thing   to further or deepen my faith.

 

It is only when Scripture is read or heard, thought about and lived

            that the word of God and the Holy Spirit

                        bring life, truth and healing transformation.

 

The power of God's word;  the stories, the poetry & other writings,

            is that it helps us   interpret and understand the world,

                        and make sense of our experiences, thoughts and feelings

                                    by revealing & teaching  who we are in relation to God,

                                            and how life experience & theology are connected.

 

A few weeks ago at the text and sermon discussion in the library,

            we were talking about spiritual growth,  and someone asked,

                        how do we   improve and deepen our relationship with God?

 

            Since their question was about specifics,

                        I thought about my own experience,  in particularà

                                     my transition from a businessman to a pastor;

 and realized that there were lots of steps and events along the way;

            but that the process really began    once I was consistently

                        trying to read a few chapters of Scripture each day …

 

            … and I noticed that the wisdom I needed for that day,

                        somehow connected

                                    to a passage that I happened to read that day…

            … and I began to experience for myself   the power of God's word

                        to transform and influence   my life and living,

                                                   at the same time my relationship with God

                                                            was growing more real  and more personal.

 

Consistent and disciplined time spent in God's word also seemed

            to feed my prayer life,  my church fellowship and my service.

 

Like pieces of a puzzle coming together,

            driven by Scripture, these things were changing

                        my attitude, my perspective and my motivations,

                             even my behavior and ways of thinking out in the world…

*          …  as my relationship with God grew deeper and more authentic…

 

… and I began to recognize that God's grace and love

       were always being given afresh when I had eyes & heart to notice,

                            which usually seemed to occur

                             when I had spent quality time with God in Scripture.

 

*          Beginning with more commitment and consistency in Scripture,

                        when daily,    I listened and heard God speaking to me,

                                    that changed me,  and called me to live for Christ.

 

As Paul writes to Timothy,  vs. 16-17

            All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient.

 

Our spiritual growth and development really comes down to

            two things that are the most important and necessary

                        for faith to grow, expand & be more vibrant & meaningful.

 

First, I've got to be in the word of God.

                        There is no substitute for Scripture.

 

Second, to connect with a faithful community of fellow Christians,

            which is the Church – the body and family of Christ;

 

-  where other Christians can support and  share in our journey,

            - where we can come together before God for worship and praise,

- where we  can commit and serve, and where we are loved and needed,

            and can be in authentic relationships with other Christians.

 

It is by our participation within the community of faith

            that we can see and experience  the word of God alive & moving.

 

I've learned,  that when I make faithful participation a priority,

            wonderful & spiritual things start to happen around me  & to me.

 

So the question is,  

            where does regular participation in Sunday worship

                        fall on your own   personal hierarchy of priorities?

 

The answer really isn't so much  what we say, as it is by what we do…

               … and the best way to measure the truth of our answer,

                                    is by asking ourselves    what are the things that will                            cause me to blow off coming to Sunday worship? …

            How important is my faith and that I worship the Lord,

                 as defined,  by what does it take   for me not to be present?

 

But to be honest,   my real concern is not so much

            about church attendance itself, but more importantly,

                        what     are we teaching our children  and grandchildren,

                             children & youth of this congregation, we've baptized?

 

What are the priorities   that we are demonstrating to our children

            and teaching them     that matter more than    our walk with Godà

    and matter more than nurturing our relationship with the Lord

        by regularly worshipping God   as part of a faith community?

 

One of the ways we come to faith is through    the osmosis effect

          as faith is revealed and nurtured by what is observed from

                            the examples of faith we see lived by others of influence.

 

That is the point that the Apostle Paul is making to Timothy.

            Since Timothy had grown up knowing Paul, he'd seen for himself

                        the truth and veracity of Paul's own life and faith.

 

2 Timothy 3:10, 14-15

            Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, … But as for you, continue in what you

have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

           

It's not always easy to live as a faithful Christian in this world.

 

            Not really, not if we truly let God's Word and way guide us.

                 Not if we allow Jesus to influence every aspect of our life

                        Not if we seek to glorify God in all that we do and say.

 

So our call today is to carefully and honestly consider

            the faithfulness and authenticity of our walk with God

                        of our life within this church - this community of faith…

 

… and ask

            if our faith is making an observable difference in our living-

              specifically,  what are we putting out for our children to observe?

 

                        If we tell our kids that the church is important,

                                    but they don’t see our faithful participation.

                                                  Why would they believe that church matters?

 

                        If we tell our kids it's important to pray,

                                     but they have never heard or seen us pray.

                                                   What have we really  taught them about prayer?

 

            We may tell our kids that the Bible is true and significant,

                                    but if they never see or hear us read from the Bible.

                                                Why would they care about what it contains?

 

Too often, they can’t hear what we say, over the roar of our deeds.

               True faith is not a set of fact we learn,

                        but by spiritual osmosis, we absorb the faith we observe.

 

All of the faithful Christians I have ever known can readily

            tell stories about other people whose faith & living example

                        taught, encouraged and influenced their faith;

            and whose model of Christian faithfulness continues to make

                 a difference as a living example that lives on  through them.

 

By grace and purpose God put folks into each of our lives

            who lived out the truth and hope of Scripture before us,

                        and whose lives proclaimed and interpreted

                                    the gracious love and healing purpose of God …

… people whose living   interpreted the meaning of Scripture for us.

 

I am reminded of Ray Bradbury's science fiction novel,

            "Fahrenheit 451"…           in which he describes a future world

                        that has outlawed books,  so that information comes only                             through television which the government controls.

            There are no more printed books.

 

But there is a group of rebels who live in a remote commune,

            who each memorizes one book, essentially becoming that book.

                        They recite that book, teaching it to the next generation.

                                                            In effect they each become, a living book.

 

As Christians who read Scripture, we have the word of God is in us.

            We each become, a living Bible;

                        we are those whose lives teach, influence and interpret

                                    God's truth and Good News for the next generations

                                                by the way we live & influence   out in the world.

 

We are called to be living Bibles…   that through spiritual osmosis,

            others can absorb the model of faithfulness they observe in us.   

Are you willing to influence and interpret the meaning à

            and the truth of God's word, God's mercy and purpose

                        for others, for the children and youth of the church?

As we read in           Psalm 1

            Blessed are those… whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither.