A COMMITMENT TO THE WORD (HEB
SERIES: THE COMMITMENTS DISCIPLES MAKE, PART 1
GCEFC: OCTOBER 5, 2007
INTRODUCTION
1. The last three Sundays we’ve been looking at our new mission statement. Focusing on the 3 components of our God-ordained mandate to make disciples.
2. We’ve looked at the component of calling individuals to Christian discipleship. It all begins with a calling from Christ to follow him. We respond with either yes or no.
3. If no—then discipleship does not ensue. If yes—then we officially enlist as disciples.
4. Discipleship is a process that’s lifelong. The focus is on the journey—not the destination.
5. No matter how much we learn. No matter how much we experience. No matter how much we grow. There will always be more.
6. We shouldn’t be discouraged because we never arrive at the destination. But encouraged to know that we can always make progress toward it.
7. There’s only one perfect example, and that’s Christ himself. The rest of us fall short. No disciple has arrived—all are in process.
8. We’ve looked at the component of growing obediently in community. The first marker of our commitment is baptism. The second marker is growth. Baptism is the symbol of commitment. Growth is the evidence of commitment.
a. Disciples are meant to grow. Just as babies are meant to grow. Just as plants are meant to grow. Just as investments are meant to grow—never mind.
b. We grow as we take in the Word of God, understand it, take personal ownership of it—and obey it. We must learn it, love it, and live it.
c. And we’ve seen that growth takes place in the context or environment of community. This is because the Christian life is about relationships.
d. You can’t grow relationally without relationships. To grow in our relationship with other people, other people must be part of the process.
9. And thirdly we looked at the component of impacting the world through service. Jesus didn’t come to be served, he came to serve, and give his life on behalf of others.
10. He calls us to give our lives on behalf of others too. Not literally to die for them—in most cases—but to live in service to them.
11. EPH 6:7 says: Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men. That is, we are to serve people. We do it as if you were serving God himself. In fact, we are. Serving others is a direct response to God’s declared will.
12. In fact, the best way to impact the world is to serve the world in obedience to God’s command. Not in a subservient, fawning, servile kind of way.
1. But in a proactive and purposeful way. In a world where nearly everyone is looking out for number 1. In a world of self-interest, self-centeredness, and self-serving—serving other people gets the attention of other people. It makes an impact.
A. DISCIPLE DISTINCTIVES
1. This morning we’re beginning a new series. In fact, we’re beginning a series of series. The overarching focus we’ll call: Disciple Distinctives.
2. We’ve spent the last 3 weeks looking at disciple in a general way.
3. Now we need to explore the specifics of a disciple’s life. What are the distinctives of a disciple? What makes a disciple different from those who are not disciples?
4. I recently read a quote written by a physician: For most of us, health will depend not on who we are, but on how we live. The body you have at 20 depends on your genes. But the body you have at 40, 60, or 80 is the body you deserve—this is the body that reflects your behavior.
5. But he’s right, or course. Even if we don’t like it. Likewise, a disciple is one who claims a certain relationship, which implies a certain behavior.
6. So when you look at a disciple, you should expect to see certain things and not see other things. And disciples are different because of what they do—consistently.
7. So for a number of weeks we’re going to be looking at Disciple Distinctives. What characterizes a disciple? What should we expect to see in a growing disciple? What things to disciples do? What do they not do? What sets them apart?
8. For the time being I’m breaking this down into 6 separate series. The first series we begin today—The Commitments Disciples Make.
A. THE WORD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE
1. And the first commitment we explore is: A Commitment to the Word. No surprise there.
2. A disciple is committed to the Word of God, the Bible. Now we would probably all agree that such a commitment is important. But why?
3. For part of the answer, we go to HEB 4:12: For the word of God is living and active…
4. First of all, the Word of God is LIVING. Which is a strange quality to give something that’s inanimate.
a. But the word living doesn’t just refer to something that’s a living being.
b. It also refers to things that are: thriving; vigorous, strong. We would use the word this way as in a living hope, a living faith.
c. We don’t mean these things are breathing—we mean they’re vibrant and strong and powerful.
5. In fact, Jesus says in JN 7 that his word has the power to grant life itself: The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
6. And the Word of God is ACTIVE. Not all things that are living are active. Fruit on a tree is living but it’s not active. A turtle is living but not active.
7. But the word of God is active. Active means: causing activity or change; capable of exerting influence. It does something. It accomplishes something.
8. PSA 119:11 says: I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. That’s influence…that’s power.
B. THE WORD CUTS DEEP
1. And the Word of God is: Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow…
2. But what does this mean? Does the Word of God cut us? In a sense it does. Not in a physical sense but in a spiritual sense.
3. Have you ever heard someone say: Her words cut to the heart? It means they reach the place of deep emotion and sensitivity.
4. And the Word of God penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. Again, not to say that God’s Word inflicts physical injury on us.
5. The point is that the Word of God does deep. It reaches down into our innermost being. The part that is sometimes so well hidden that we barely know it ourselves.
6. And lastly: it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. We need this simply because we are so good at deceiving ourselves.
7. Sometimes what we do is so clouded with mixed motives that we don’t even know ourselves why we do it.
8. But the Word of God has a way of bringing the mystery into the light. The Psalmist puts it like this in PSA 36: In your light we see light.
9. The Word of God exposes to us what might otherwise remain hidden. Hidden because sometimes, frankly, we don’t want to know it.
10. Similar to when the doctor has bad news for you. You want to hear it because you need to do something about it. But in some sense you’d rather not hear it, because it’s bad news.
11. The Word of God simply tells us what we need to know about reality and about ourselves. It judges what we think. It judges our attitudes.
12. We can accept or reject it. We can make a case against it or agree. We can confess and repent when it convicts us, or we can construct elaborate schemes for denying the truth.
C. THE WORD OF GOD PERSONALLY
1. All of this is wonderful and helpful on our journey as disciples, but it’s only theoretical unless the Word of God is living and active in our own lives.
2. So how do we make a commitment to the Word of God on a personal and practical level? Well one of the common analogies the Bible draws is the analogy of food and eating.
a. Jesus said: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. What comes from the mouth of God is his Word.
b. In JN 4 Jesus says: My food is to do the will of him who sent me. The will of God is the Word of God.
c. So, the Bible draws an analogy between the Word of God and food and eating, I’d like to do the same.
3. There are 5 things we can do with the Word of God.
a. We can read it or hear it.
b. We can study it.
c. We can memorize it.
d. We can meditate on it.
e. We can apply it.
4. Reading it and hearing it is like the action of eating food. It’s the way of exposing to us what we need so we can use it.
a. There are some in our church family who cannot see. They are physically blind, so they cannot read the Word of God as you and I can. But they can hear it, so they do.
b. There are some in our church family who are deaf. They cannot hear the Word of God—but they can read it, so they do.
c. Most of us have the privilege of being able to do both, so hopefully we do.
5. There are 3 steps in the process of assimilating God’s Word into a disciple’s life.
a. What?
b. So what?
c. Now what?
6. WHAT answers the question: What does it say? Also called observation. We always begin the process by knowing what the text says.
7. We must fight the impulse to apply God’s Word before we are thoroughly familiar with what it actually SAYS.
8. And just like eating food, it’s where we start. But it’s just the beginning of the process.
9. Next comes: SO WHAT? So what answers the question: What does it mean? Also called interpretation. It’s not enough to know what it says. We must understand the message. What the principle is. What the truth is.
10. This is equivalent to digestion of our food. It’s not enough just to eat. The food we eat must be digested so we can use it.
11. A serious medical condition is when a patient cannot digest the food they eat. There’s nothing wrong with the food. But their body cannot use it because it can’t digest it.
12. We must not only read or hear the text, we must know what it means.
13. NOW WHAT answers the question: What do I do in response? This is known as application.
14. The food analogy equivalent is absorption. After we eat the food and it’s digested, the body assimilates it for its use. The nutrients are removed from the food and used wherever and however the body needs them.
15. It’s not enough to read and hear the Word. It’s not enough to understand what the Word means. We must apply it to real life and obey it.
16. It’s the application and obedience that brings change. Without it, the Word of God is like a beautiful car that never leaves the driveway. It just sits there and never accomplishes the purpose for which it was built.
17. The Word of God wasn’t given so we can become better informed of what we aren’t doing. To make us more knowledgeable of what God said that we aren’t obeying.
18. It was given to change us. It was given to help us grow. It was given to make us better disciples.
19. Even food that’s elegantly prepared. That tastes indescribably wonderful. That’s presented at a table with all the trimmings and garnishes.
20. The purpose remains to eat the food. And to benefit the eater nutritionally. And though Americans have largely forgotten—we don’t live to eat—we eat to live.
21. And though food brings pleasure—the purpose of food is to nourish our bodies. And though knowing the Word of God brings pleasure—the purpose is to nourish our spirits.
D. SUMMARY
1. There’s a lot more that could be said about this, but we’re out of time today. But if I had to choose just one word to leave with you, it would be the word consistency.
2. The most important aspect of our relationship with the Word of God is consistency. Read it consistently. Study it consistently. Apply it consistently. Obey it consistently.
3. And if you fail—confess it and get back on the horse. Don’t beat yourself up. Just resolve that it will be different the next time.
4. Do we eat just when we feel like it? Do we take a shower just when we feel like it? Do we sleep just when we feel like it?
a. No—we do these things regularly and consistently whether we feel like it or not. Why? Because they’re beneficial. They’re good for us.
b. And so it is with God’s Word. Sometimes we feel like reading, studying, and obeying it—sometimes we don’t. But we do it just the same. Why? Because it’s good for us. Because God commands it. Because it’s one of the commitments disciples make.
5. Disciples make many commitments. One of those commitments is a commitment to the Word of God. It’s probably the most basic and most fundamental of them all.
6. This is because the Word of God is our only true source of authority. Everything else must be weighed in light of what the Word of God says.
7. The Word of God is living and active. It cuts to our innermost being. It tells it like it is. Even when we don’t want to hear it. It judges the very thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
8. Just as storing up showers, meals, and sleep for later doesn’t work very well—the Word of God does us better if we engage with it consistently. Not just when the mood strikes.