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The Message for June 30, 2019Regular Study (Bible Reading)Luke 10:25-37Rob Miller, PastorThis is week 4 of our 7-week worship series on Rooted: To grow up - grow deep. This series is based on Colossians 2:6-7 which reads... 6?So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,?continue to live your lives in him,?7?rooted?and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,?and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7) This week our topic is the Bible or more specifically Reading the Bible Regularly. We say the Bible is the Word of God – a living Word. It is God’s way of communicating God’s love to us. It helps to keep us Rooted in Christ Jesus and his church so that we can grow up and grow deep in the faith.Listen to what the Psalmist said about the Bible…Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105) Listen to what Jesus said about the Bible…Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. (John 14:23)Listen to what Mark Twain said about the Bible…Many people are bothered by those passages in Scripture, which they cannot understand; but as for me, I always noticed that the passages that trouble me the most are those which I do understand. (Mark Twain)Listen to what Martin Luther said about the Bible…The Bible is a great and powerful tree. Each word is a might branch. Each of these branches I will have shaken. And the shaking of them has never disappointed me. (Martin Luther) Reading the Bible daily – equips us to live into the Word of God daily. This connects us to God’s loving design and powerful purpose for our lives. God desires nothing less than life for us and having it in abundance, to that end the Bible can help guide us to make decisions for the kind of life that God desires – the kind of life that God offers.Some people feel overwhelmed when it comes to reading the Bible. So they don’t… Maybe you do too… Here are some simple suggestions for reading the Bible. 1. Choose a Bible translation that’s understandable and easy to read.Truth is: If we don’t understand it, we won’t read it.?The Bible was originally written in Hebrew and Greek. Today there are hundreds of translations. I recommend the NIV (New International Version). That’s the translation we use in worship. It’s easy to read and easy understand.If I’m reading online - I’ll use . There are lot of Bible Apps out there too. Find one that works for you. 2. You don’t have to begin at the beginning.The Bible contains 66 books put together into one book. The word Bible means book of books. The 39 books of the Old Testament are the story of God and God’s people before the coming of Jesus – the Lord and Savior of the world. The 27 books of the New Testament pick up the story with Jesus’ birth and his life and the early church which was created to continue his mission and ministry in the world. If you’re new to reading the Bible, a great place to start is the Gospel of Mark. It is believed to be the earliest written Gospel. Then read The Book of Acts - it’s the story of the early church. Then perhaps read Romans – it is full of theological teachings for the church. Then read one of the other Gospels – Matthew, Luke, or John. Then consider reading Genesis – it explains how everything began. Then read through the Psalms. They are filled with heartfelt prayers that can offer encouragement every day. That will take you about 6 months to read through all of that. Take your time.3. Start with a book of the Bible and work your way through it.Start somewhere and read a little each day, one chapter, or one section, or one verse. It’s not how much you read but how you read. It’s quality not quantity. The focus is how the Word speaks to you and what you do with it.4. Read a little every day.Start small—5 or 10 minutes a day is better than none at all. Sometimes less is more, especially when reading less means you’ll actually remember more.Chose a time and place that’s works for you. Some people read their Bible first thing in the morning, which set the tone for their day. I like the morning time. I call it coffee time with God. But if mornings aren’t your thing, find a time that works for you. Some people find their lunch break works well. They feast on physical food and spiritual food. Some people like to read their Bible at the end of the day. It’s a great way to wrap up their day with God. Some people read their Bible at a coffee shop, or at the kitchen table, or sitting in the carpool line. Find a place that works for you.?5. Pray before you begin.Before you open your Bible ask God to speak to you. Remember, the Bible is God’s Word to you. It’s God’s love letter written for people like?you.?Ask God to help you understand what you are about to read and how to apply it to your life. Here are two questions to consider when you read the Bible…What do these words teach me about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit?What do these words teach me about how I should live?6. Write it down.No doubt, as you read you’ll find a verse or two that really speak to you. Maybe speaking to an issue you’ve been wrestling with; or giving you an answer to a question; or giving you comfort or encouragement; or giving you an example to follow or to avoid.?When a verse connects with you in a special way, stop and write it down, word for word. Pause and let that message sink in -- because these words are?God’s?words to?you in that moment.Be intentional about getting God’s Word into your thoughts and you’ll see your faith thriving and your life changing for good. Remember this:The Bible was never meant to inform us. The Bible was meant to transform us.So let’s turn to our Bible reading for today. It comes from Luke 9:51-62. And as we do let’s consider these two questions:What do these words teach us about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit?What do these words teach us about how we should live?Read Text Luke 9:51-62What do these words teach us about Jesus? Five things…Jesus would not let anyone or anything distract him from his mission – which meant going to Jerusalem – which meant going to the cross – which meant dying – which meant living again – which meant sin, death, and the devil have no power over us. Thank you Jesus.If people did not accept Jesus or his disciples – he did not take revenge on them or misuse his power against them. Even though his disciples wanted to punish the people – Jesus was kind and compassionate and loving towards the people. He insisted that his disciples do likewise.When it comes to following Jesus there is a cost – a huge cost. We no longer live for ourselves but we live for the mission and the ministry of the Kingdom of God.Jesus knows that some people will come up with all kinds of excuses to not follow him. And he is okay with that… Jesus has high expectation for those who do follow him. Jesus said, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”What do these words teach us about how we should live? Five things…We should live thankful lives every day for what Jesus has done for us. He makes life possible in this world and the next. He is our Lord and Savior. There is no other.We ought not take revenge or punish people but rather we show them kindness, compassion, and love – as Jesus does with us. Following Jesus means we pay the price – we no longer live for ourselves instead we live for the sake of Jesus and his mission and ministry in the world.We are to live faithfully following Jesus every day – no excuses.We should look to the future not the past. When I’m driving down the road, I do not watch where I going. I have this bad habit of going where I’m watching. If I am looking to the right, I go to the right. If I am looking to the left, I go to the left. If I’m looking behind me, I will go end up going in a circle. That’s probably why so many people feel as if their life is going nowhere. They keep looking behind – to the past. They just keep going in a circle. You and I have been called for service in the kingdom – so don’t look back. Instead look forward to what Jesus is calling us to do next. You won’t regret it. Amen. ................
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