We are in a series called Do You Want to Get Well? Based on an encounter Jesus has with a man who has been sick for a very long time at the Pool of Bethesda. It is a great question. Do you really want to get well? Do you want to change? Will you step outside of what is familiar? Will you trust God? Will you have faith? Will you listen to Jesus? Or do you want what you want? The battle is played out in the choices we make. Do the next right thing, or do our own thing. One leads to real life, the other to a counterfeit life. That is where the battle is played out. Last week we said that Jesus has come to give us life, and the enemy wants to steal it away. But when we choose to get well, to do it His way, we have a lot of help available to us. We have Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, prayer, worship. Today we are going to talk about the Bible, the Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit.
Scripture Reading
John 17:14-17 (NIV)
14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
Jesus prayed not that we would be taken out of the world, but that we would be protected from the evil one, and that we would be sanctified or changed by the truth. God’s word is truth.
We are not to get our perspective from the culture, but from the living God. We undergo a transformation in our minds that it is made possible through the Word of God.
1.) We need to stop thinking the way the world does
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Rather than be consumed by the fear being spewed by our culture, we need to focus our thoughts on the Kingdom of God and the things of the Lord. Don’t be conformed to the pattern of this world but be changed by the renewing of your mind.
2. We need to start thinking God’s way
Our mind is renewed by the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit
Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (MSG)
16 Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. 17 Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
Through the Word we are put together and shaped for the tasks God has for us. That is a great verse. Shaped and put together by the Word. The Word prepares us to experience the full and abundant life that Jesus came to give us. So, you have heard me say it many times before…
3. We need to spend time in His word
If you want to experience the real, full, abundant, now and forever life that Jesus wants you to have, you have to spend time in His word. If you are not, why? Can I remind you that there is a battle going on. We have a very enemy who wants to steal life from you. He is sneaky, tricky, and deceitful. Is it possible that he might be throwing some deceit your way which keeps you from spending time in the Word which is stealing real life away from you and causing you to settle for a life that is so much less than it could be? I think there are so many things competing for our attention that we get distracted from what is most important. For example, do you ever sit down to check your email, and all of a sudden you realize what should have taken five minutes has led you down bunny trails that took hours. Something in your email caused you to Google something, which took you on two more searches to see if it was true or not, and then you opened up your Facebook just to quickly see if there was any new pictures of the grand kids and then you saw something that takes you on another journey, and then you go back to your email and you see a headline of some breaking story or scandal and then you need to find out what that is about and then a quick game of Sudoku leads to an impromptu online tournament and on and on. And yet the Psalmist said
Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Psalm 119:9-11 (NIV)
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Take time everyday to read His book. Get a plan and stick to it. In a few weeks I am going to take some time to outline a practical way to approach reading the Word. Until then, if you are not doing and sort of daily reading, start with the Proverbs. Just read a chapter a day. But start somewhere.
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Do You Want to Get Well Part 4
This Preaching in Shorts sermon series is called “Do You Want to Get Well”.
Listen to this message by clicking here
We are in a series called Do You Want to Get Well? Based on an encounter Jesus has with a man who has been sick for a very long time at the Pool of Bethesda. It is a great question. Do you really want to get well? Do you want to change? Will you step outside of what is familiar? Will you trust God? Will you have faith? Will you listen to Jesus? Or do you want what you want? The battle is played out in the choices we make. Do the next right thing, or do our own thing. One leads to real life, the other to a counterfeit life. That is where the battle is played out. Last week we said that Jesus has come to give us life, and the enemy wants to steal it away. But when we choose to get well, to do it His way, we have a lot of help available to us. We have Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, prayer, worship. Today we are going to talk about the Bible, the Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit.
Scripture Reading
John 17:14-17 (NIV)
14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
Jesus prayed not that we would be taken out of the world, but that we would be protected from the evil one, and that we would be sanctified or changed by the truth. God’s word is truth.
We are not to get our perspective from the culture, but from the living God. We undergo a transformation in our minds that it is made possible through the Word of God.
1.) We need to stop thinking the way the world does
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Rather than be consumed by the fear being spewed by our culture, we need to focus our thoughts on the Kingdom of God and the things of the Lord. Don’t be conformed to the pattern of this world but be changed by the renewing of your mind.
2. We need to start thinking God’s way
Our mind is renewed by the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit
Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (MSG)
16 Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. 17 Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
Through the Word we are put together and shaped for the tasks God has for us. That is a great verse. Shaped and put together by the Word. The Word prepares us to experience the full and abundant life that Jesus came to give us. So, you have heard me say it many times before…
3. We need to spend time in His word
If you want to experience the real, full, abundant, now and forever life that Jesus wants you to have, you have to spend time in His word. If you are not, why? Can I remind you that there is a battle going on. We have a very enemy who wants to steal life from you. He is sneaky, tricky, and deceitful. Is it possible that he might be throwing some deceit your way which keeps you from spending time in the Word which is stealing real life away from you and causing you to settle for a life that is so much less than it could be? I think there are so many things competing for our attention that we get distracted from what is most important. For example, do you ever sit down to check your email, and all of a sudden you realize what should have taken five minutes has led you down bunny trails that took hours. Something in your email caused you to Google something, which took you on two more searches to see if it was true or not, and then you opened up your Facebook just to quickly see if there was any new pictures of the grand kids and then you saw something that takes you on another journey, and then you go back to your email and you see a headline of some breaking story or scandal and then you need to find out what that is about and then a quick game of Sudoku leads to an impromptu online tournament and on and on. And yet the Psalmist said
Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Psalm 119:9-11 (NIV)
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Take time everyday to read His book. Get a plan and stick to it. In a few weeks I am going to take some time to outline a practical way to approach reading the Word. Until then, if you are not doing and sort of daily reading, start with the Proverbs. Just read a chapter a day. But start somewhere.