Comm(on)Unity

We’re talking about Beginnings…

Let’s look back at where we’ve been.  In the beginning, God… God is the Beginning and the End.  He gets first place in everything, in every part of our lives.  We love Him with all our heart.  And He created, He is the Author of life, always with us, always hovering, always on the move, faithfully working out a tremendously good plan for glory, even in the midst of foggy and dark seasons of life.  And He is the God of light - Who speaks!  He has given us His Words, they light our paths and illuminate and nourish our souls.

Today we jump from Genesis, the book of Beginnings and the beginning of Creation, to another beginning, the beginning of the Church. 

Acts 2:42-47   They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

We read that right from the very beginning, from its very inception, the early church was devoting itself to God’s Word, to the apostles’ teaching.  I alluded to this last week.  The apostles were teaching from the Word - which for them was what we refer to as the Old Testament.  We of course have their teachings gathered into what we refer to as the New Testament.  Two testaments - but the one and the same God Who gave us His Word and gave us His Son to be the Promised Messiah.  The apostles were the eye-witnesses of Messiah, Jesus, and they were unpacking how what they referred to as the Law (or, the Law and the Prophets and the Writings - like the Psalms), how it all pointed to and found its fulfillment in Jesus.  And the people of God, these first believers were devoting themselves to this teaching, to the Word.  God was confirming this Word by many signs and wonders, and many many people were choosing to devote themselves to Jesus.

Let’s talk about devotion for a minute.  What is devotion?  What does it look like?  What does it look like if I am devoted to my wife?  To my family?  Or if I am devoted to my work?  As much as anything, it looks like time.  I take time, I give time to it, to them, to whoever or whatever is the object of my devotion.  The Greek here means that they were continuing in it, in the apostles’ teaching.  The were giving their time to it.  Time is such a precious commodity, isn’t it?  It’s one of those things which you can never replace.  Think about it.  It is entirely irreplaceable.  Do you have things which are irreplaceable?  Your soul, for sure.  Irreplaceable.  Your children… Cherished time with loved ones, on vacation, or during the holidays?  Gathered ‘round the table and the turkey and all the trimmings?  Gathered round the tree?  Maybe some photographs, or some journals?  Some valuables, like fine jewelry?  Irreplaceable.  Irreplaceable means extremely precious.  Invaluable.  You can’t put a price on it.  Because once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.  Time is one of this things.  This moment, this moment of time, this moment in time, this morning - once it passes, it is gone forever, consigned to our memories and whatever pictures or recordings we may have made.  But it’s also fleeting.  It goes by in an instant.  Well, maybe not so much when we’re bored, when there’s something else we‘d rather do.  But we do tend to put a price on our time, don’t we?  We know our time is worth something.  Minimum wage - what is it now?  $8 an hour?  That might be what some of us make, but I’d like to suggest that your time is worth far more than that.  How about lawyers - what is their time worth?  Several hundred dollars per hour?  Or professional athletes?  They might earn $1million per game.  Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, makes something like $4million/hr.  But I would like to suggest that time, your time, this moment, this day - it is truly priceless.  You and I will never get it back.  There is no rewind button in life.  No pause button.  No Tivo.  Well like I mentioned there are pictures and videos - which is why those things are so priceless.  Because they are memories, time capsules of irreplaceable moments with irreplaceable people.  Our time - life measured out to us in irreplaceable moments - is precious beyond compare.  But I’d like to suggest that devotion is more than just time.  It is more than simply being faithful.  Devotion includes an element of the heart.  The reason I know this is that Jesus wants our heart, not just our time.  He doesn’t want us to merely go through the motions of devotion.  He doesn’t want followers who tithe mint and dill and cumin but whose hearts are far from Him.  My wife doesn’t simply want me to be faithful to her - she wants me to treasure her, to desire her, to enjoy her, to want to be with her.  Because she is priceless.  Truly excellent and irreplaceable.  And this was the transformation which was taking place in the hearts of these new believers - they were learning to reassess what was truly valuable in life, they were discovering these new treasures, and they were giving their time AND their hearts to it.

Sadly, we can all talk about how we waste time and squander it.  What we mean when we say that is that we devoted our priceless time to something which perhaps was not so priceless.  Our priceless irreplaceable moments - to what or to whom should we devote them?

These early believers were giving their time to the apostles teaching.  We talked about this last week.  How did that go this week?  Were you able to carve out a time and a place and spend some quality time feasting at God’s Golden Burfet?  That smorgasbord will be waiting for you and me tomorrow…!

The next thing Luke mentions is that these believers were giving their time to “fellowship”.  Fellowship.  That to me, to my post-pagan ears sounds like a pretty “churchy” word.  Obviously it constitutes part of the name of this church.  Those who are accustomed to church have an idea what it means, but those outside - the first thing they think of is some kind of an academic award, or some period of medical training after your residency.  But even in the church, I think this word “fellowship” has sort of been co-opted by an understandable proliferation of what is affectionately referred to as pot-luck.  Ah yes.  The ol’ pot luck dinner.  One of my favorite traditions - it’s like going the the Golden Burfet, but you don’t have to go out.  It comes to you!  But mention the word “fellowship” in the church, and I think most people sort of default to this picture of a social gathering with food.  I do think that captures a bit of the meaning of the Greek word - they used to talk about having these “love feasts” - which was also a bit unusual for those on the outside.  But in reality I think this idea of Christian fellowship is far more nuanced than that.  In English the word obviously can also refer to the church itself - as in the case of Hope Fellowship.  Which if that were the whole meaning then Luke would be saying that they were devoting themselves to themselves.  Which maybe sounds bad on the surface - we’re all about us!  Interestingly it actually doesn’t miss the mark by too much, but again the word is more nuanced than this.

The word which we translate into English as “fellowship” is the Greek word, koinonia.  It comes from the noun, koine.  Koine referred to something which was shared.  It was common.  Verse 44 says that, “they had all things in common.”  That is the word koine.  Look at those first believers there in Jerusalem.  It says that they were having all things koine.  There was this incredible spirit of sharing and generosity. The language they spoke was called koine Greek - it was the common language spoken through most of the Roman Empire at that time.  But the idea behind the word koine is that because of all that sharing, there was a bit of dirt to it.  Koine  Greek was considered a bit too common by the educated elite - they preferred things in Latin.  Koine Greek was somewhat dirty, or vulgar.  And when you think about it, something which gets shared can tend to get dirty, can’t it?

Charms Blow Pop…that time in Slovakia when our summer missions team got bored while waiting for dinner and decided to find out how many licks it took to get to the center of the Charms Blow Pop?  One person took a lick - and passed it to the next.  232 licks is what it took.  And that lollipop stick, let me tell you - when we were finished, after all that sharing - it was VERY koine...!  But you know, we were so close to one another by that time in our mission, that we didn't hesitate to engage in that level of sharing with one another.  Of course, it could have been that we were just going a bit loopy having been away from home for so long...  :)

The point is, that when you have a close enough relationship with someone, you do get to the place where you don’t hesitate when it comes to experiencing their dirt.  Their dirt doesn’t deter you.  And I would suggest that it is the very process of being exposed to their dirt which helps reduce your reluctance for more.  More dirt.  And let’s be honest - we all have some, don’t we?  Jesus cleans us up, of course, but we can all get this tremendous build up of filth.  Muck.  But when you’re close to someone - devoted to them - their dirt doesn’t deter.

The early church was devoting themselves to themselves, yes - to one another.  They were sharing.  Koinonia.  It was this experience of God’s Spirit and His love manifested in their relationships with one another.  Time spent together.  Eating food, yes.  And not just once a month.  The text makes it sound like they were eating together every day.  But so much more than that.

They were sharing their stuff.  They were sharing their lives.  They were doing life and ministry together.  They were meeting needs.  And this is where it can begin to get messy, right?  Cuz we can do a pot luck - which is certainly messy - but then we can go back home to our lives and our work and our studies and barely get a hint of a brother’ or sister’s muck on our souls.  Meeting needs is messy.  It takes time.  And effort.  It takes sacrifice.  A willingness to share, to give.  Share my stuff.  Share my time.  Time to listen.  Time to help.  We crawl under one another’s rocks and get our hands (and souls) dirty.  We get out into the world and get our hands dirty, side by side.  Brothers and sisters in arms.  In community.  Common unity.  That’s what the word community means - common unity.  There was this oneness - oneness of purpose, oneness of vision, oneness of soul, oneness of… spirit…  Spirit.

Did you notice one thing both these passages we’ve looked at, these times of beginnings, have in common?  It was the moving of God’s Spirit.  The moving of God’s Spirit.  The Breath of God.  The Wind.  God’s Spirit is moving in the world, always, even when things seem formless and void - and His Spirit is moving among His people.  Always.  What we see in Acts is this Breath of God coming in and moving like a mighty rushing wind!  Look at the beginning of chapter 2.  

Acts 2:1-2   When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

What do you notice?  The word for “spirit” in the Greek is pneuma - it actually means wind, or breath.  Anyone ever had a close encounter with a violent rushing wind (think tornado)?  We think about the effect, the impact - but what does it sound like?  Imagine what it was like in that upper room…

I love how Paul puts it in his letter to the believers in Ephesus:

Eph. 4:1-6   Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

What does Paul tell us about the Holy Spirit here?  What does the Holy Spirit do in the church, among believers?  And what is our role in that?  This passage talks about the bond of peace between believers.  The word for “bond” there means ligament.  Ligaments of course are those things which hold the bones of our body together - without which the forces of our muscles would actually pull our bones apart.  And isn’t it true that there are so many things which conspire to pull people apart - even in the church?  We have so much in common with one another through Christ, and yet, even with the moving of the Holy Spirit, the long history of the Christian Church is that we can’t seem to stay together.  Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, making every effort to guard the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace… ONE Body.  ONE Spirit.  You were called in ONE hope… ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father - He is over all and through all and IN all.

The Spirit of God - Who is IN all - naturally produces this ONEness, these bonds of peace and love - between believers.  He wants to drive you and me and each of us towards this community, towards this experience of sharing and serving and meeting needs and doing life together.  Towards some of that filth and muck.  He is the One Jesus sent to give us a heaping helping of this fellowship, of koinonia.  He is the Helper Whom Jesus sent to help His followers carry out the new command.

John 13:34-35  

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

I think Jesus is putting this new command right up there beside the Great Command.  The greatest commandment - what is it?  You shall (i.e. you WILL) love the Lord with all your heart… (note the future indicative - there is expectation!!!) - and there is a second, right?  What did Jesus say?  The second is like it.  Similar.  AND you WILL love your neighbor.

God actually gave this command to love your neighbor BEFORE He gave the command to love Him.  Leviticus 19.18 - “You will love your neighbor as yourself.  I am the Lord…”  To whom was the Lord referring when He gave that command?  Let’s look at the context:

Lev. 19:15-18   “‘You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.  You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor; I am the LORD.  You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.”

OK - so who was the original neighbor?  Any of God’s people.  And so here we have Jesus, in the midst of His last significant time with His closest followers before He went to the Cross, and He gives them this new command.  To love… one another.  And He ties it to the mission. The Great Commission, right?  To make disciples, right?  He says all people will know you are My disciples if you love one another.  Oh, and by the way, He says, I am going to give you a Helper.  And guess what He is going to do?  Oneness…!  This incredible, supernatural, out-of-this-world oneness.  Then He takes an entire chapter, John 16, and asks His father to make them (us) ONE!  About which Paul says, I urge you, I beg you, guard this oneness.  You need ALL humility (yes, helping other people with their muck - and letting them help me with mine - can be a very humbling experience!).  You need ALL gentleness.  You need patience - the word is long-suffering.  You need forbearance - putting up with one another’s faults.  And make every effort to guard this oneness which the Holy Spirit is producing in your midst.  But Paul is making an assumption when he addresses that church in Ephesus.  He is assuming they are spending time together and sharing.

Here’s the equation:

(P + HS) x Time x Koine (x E²) = Koinonia (where P >1)

If there is zero time spent together, then you don’t have this koinonia, right?  And I think if there is no koine, no real sharing, you’re going to be looking at a rather slim amount of this koinonia.  And if these believers aren’t doing the every effort thing, then the whole thing could be torpedoed.  Every effort is like effort raised to the power of 2.

But all it takes is for one Christ-follower to get together with at least one other.  Because there is some default wiring here, right?  All you need to do is get two or more believers together, right?  Two or more - isn’t that what Jesus said?  If two or more are gathered together, what…?  So you get two or more believers together, indwell by God’s Spirit, and they are spending time together, here we have that same Spirit automatically beginning to grow this oneness.  And if these believers begin to enter in to this whole every-effort sharing thing, then it could be a beautiful thing.  Something which you and I can’t get enough of, I assure you.

But there is this other part of the equation, this koine thing.  This sharing.  We’re talking about two (or more) lives intersecting and cranking up some mutual giving.  Some sharing.  Maybe some mutual mucking out of the muck in one another’s stalls.  Because if there is no muckiness, no sharing, then all we have is a meeting.  Perhaps a surfacy exchange of information.  But koinonia isn’t like that.  There’s got to be this sharing.  Most likely some muck.

Jesus said to love (agape) one another.  Note the parallel here:

(agape) Love = Giving

Sharing = Giving and receiving

We’re talking about an exchange on the soulish level.  There is time spent together, yes - that’s where it begins.  But what we’re talking about here is a life-on-life transaction which fosters this common unity.  There is serving one another.  There is forgiving one another.  There is encouraging one another.  There is bearing burdens with one another.  There is listening to one another.  There is praying for (and with) one another.  There is building up one another.  The New Testament is filled with these repeated urgings to give to one another in a humble mutual exchange of time and words and stuff and sweat and tears.  And yes, oftentimes there is food.  

Note that this whole idea of one another assumes that there is another.  Without another, there is none of this.  It takes two to tango.  Two or more.  The mission has been so designed as to be entirely dependent on the existence and growth of this community.  This assembly of people who are pursuing this common unity with one another.  We should call it UN-common unity, because it is extremely rare and increasingly difficult to achieve in our day.

The sad reality of our modern day is that we don’t need one another - not the way we used to.  And in the church most believers have never gotten so much as a sip of koinonia.  What we see in the early church is that they couldn’t wait to gather, to be together.  I think much of what we see today is that we can’t wait to get out of here, get away and on with our day and the things which we really enjoy.  But I think that is because most of what believers experience nowadays is 18.5 inches of pew once a week.  Or maybe twice.  Much of it simply sitting in rows, just listening.  But there is very little of this deeper life-on-life sharing.  Koinonia - this uncommon unity - is forged not just in time spent in physical proximity but also this sharing.  Words.  Two-way communication.  Life stories.  Encouragement.  Truth-speaking and grace-giving.  Food - yes, lots of it.  But also coming alongside one another to meet needs.  Sacrifice.  Going thru hard times.  A bit of mucky muckiness.  And I would add, striving together for the progress of the Gospel.  That’s how Paul put it:

Phil. 1:27   Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel…

  

As we strive together to devote ourselves to the Lord and to His Word, by all means let us make every effort to devote ourselves to one another.  Not in a closed clique-y kind of way.  In an open welcoming embracing generous way which actually follows Jesus to find the lost and the hurting in every sphere of life, out on the highways and byways and in the ditches and on the dark seas of darkness in a broken world.  We need one another.  And the world needs us.  Our community needs our community, our uncommon unity.  It need us to be a real fellowship…

God's Golden Corral?

Gen. 1:1    "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good…”

We have looked at the Beginning and the End, the God Who is the Beginning and the End, this One Who would/should come to have first place in all things.  And we looked at how He is on the move, always moving and hovering even when things seem formless and void, even in the midst of a dark sea of darkness.  And then we come to the universe-altering truth of verse 3.

God said… and there was.  God said… and it was so.  God said… and it was so.  God said…and it was so.  What God says… will come to pass.  What God says… matters.  What God says… is incontrovertible.  It cannot be overturned or countermanded.  The Word of God.  You can take it to the bank.  If God said it, it is binding.  This is the way of the universe.  This is how He has wired it.  Every nook and cranny and corner and crevice of creation responds to His Word.  Obeys Him.  Two notable exceptions: me and you…

Let’s not gloss over that sad truth.  All of creation obeys God’s voice - except the ones He made to be like Him.  His image bearers, you and I.  Have you ever noticed the language God used when He first wrote down His commands for His people?  You shall have no other gods.  You shall not make any idol or serve other gods.  You shall not murder. Etc, etc.  You will not.  You will not.  Any English majors here?  What is the tense and mood of that repeated verb?  Future indicative.  In other words, a future fact.  God WILL fully supply.  You WILL be persecuted.  Every knee WILL bow.  It is something which is guaranteed to happen in the future.  You should expect it.  And God has every expectation of His people paying attention to the things He says.  To His Word.

The power of the Word - God’s Word, which created the LESSER power of the sun - and all the other stars.  This was no kind of Hogwarts magic trick.  This was no form of Marvel Avengers infinity stone dealio.  This was no Star Wars jedi mind trick.  This was pure raw omnipotence.  Unlimited power, unleashed with glorious beauty and incomparable precision.  God spoke the universe into existence out of nothing - by the power of His Word.  God said… and it was so.

The fact of the matter is that God speaks.  This God speaks.  He is not some dumb idol, some mute molten image which is neither alive nor life-giving.  He is alive, and He speaks.  He communicates.  This Author of life, He is the Author of speech, He Who is called - The Word.  In the beginning was… The Word.  And the Word was God.  And the Word became flesh and lived among us.  He is called The Word.  He speaks and communicates, this is the very core of Who He is.  And He has gone out of His way over the years to communicate to we-His-image-bearers, to make sure that His people recorded His Word, wrote down the things He said and the things He did and the things He commanded.

All Scripture is God-breathed, we are told (2Tim 3.16-17).  We understand that this book, the Bible - these are the collected inspired words of God.  All Scripture, all of God’s Word, is living and active, just as God Himself is alive.  A friend of mine who is a former Muslim tells of his early encounters with the Bible, and how the words to him were clearly "not of this world".  These words - they are out-of-this-world, other-worldly, heavenly, divinely-sourced.  In fact, not one jot or tittle, not one little t-cross or i-dot will fail to be fulfilled, not one word will fail to come to pass or succeed in the matter for which God sent it.

Matt. 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” -Jesus

Is. 55:11  So will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; 

It will not return to Me empty, 

Without accomplishing what I desire, 

And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

We talked last week about the darkness, about those times, those chapters in our life where the darkness seems to be all over the surface of our deep, a dark sea of darkness.  Note that the very first thing God speaks into existence is light.  Surely this is no coincidence.  God’s Word is the cure for our darkness.  That’s exactly what David said: Your Word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path (Ps 119.105).  The unfolding of Your Word brings light (Ps 119.130).  In Your light we see light (Ps 36.9).

Psa. 43:3    O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; 

Let them bring me to Your holy hill 

And to Your dwelling places.

If darkness is over the surface of your deep, the Good Book, this book of books, is a great place to look…  The fact of the matter is that God - Who is the Word - is light, by His very nature.  In heaven, in the New Jerusalem, we are told that there is not even any need for the sun because God Himself is there and He Himself illuminates the entire place.  Can you imagine what that will be like, the brilliance of His glory in that place?  

Is that not why Moses had "horns" (word in Hebrew describing his face), why his face shone with such reflected brilliance after he came down off the mountain of God, because he had gotten a glimpse of the backside of God’s glory, he had taken a deep draught from the fountain of God’s blinding breathtaking goodness?  His face shone - so much so that the people were afraid.  It freaked them out!  He had to wear a veil - which he removed when he went into God’s presence.

2Cor. 3:14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. 15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; 16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 4:1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, 2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

What’s Paul talking about there?  He’s saying that apart from Christ, before a person turns to the Lord, there is a veil over their heart which keeps them from being able to understand God’s truth. But once they put their trust in Christ, the veil is removed.  Not only does the spiritual light come on in their hearts, but now they can go straight in to God’s presence, straight into the presence of Glory.  Through His Spirit Who comes to live in our hearts, we have direct access.  I remember what that was like, the day Jesus came into my heart.  Suddenly I knew the One to Whom I praying!  I was talking to my Father in heaven, calling Him “Father”.  And suddenly God’s Word began to make sense.  It was more than just a collection of some fuzzy old writings.  These words meant something, and they were meant for me!  The light came on!

So what are we saying?  God’s Word is light, it is power, it is creative, it is true and sure and guaranteed.  And it is neglected.  Look at the early church.  What does it say about them?  The first thing we are told was true of them is what?  They were constantly devoting themselves to what?  To the apostles teaching.  That’s this.  The Word of God.  

Look at how Paul describes the Thessalonians believers - 

1Th. 2:13   For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the Word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.

We devote ourselves to things because we attach value to them - they thrill our soul, or they hold promise for some kind of profit.  My concern is that the Word is way under-valued.  Partly because it is truly an acquired taste.  Like coffee.  Jer 15.16 - I found Your Words and I ate them, and they became for me the joy and delight of my heart. 

Let’s go back to that passage in 2Timothy.  All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable… It is beneficial.  It benefits you and me to invest time in it.  It is worth it - more than we realize, I'm afraid.

2Tim. 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

All Scripture is profitable - for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.  In other words, what’s right, what’s not right, how to get right, and how to stay right.  Teaching - what’s right, what is the good and right thing to do.  Reproof - what’s not right, what is not good, what you don’t want to do.  Correction - how to get right.  And training in righteousness - how to stay right.  What’s right, what’s not right, how to get right, and how to stay right.  And so if we want to make gains in this area of right living, living in right relationship with God and His people and His world, we want to invest time in this Word which He has given to us.

2Tim. 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the Word of truth.

Psa. 119:98-99  Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies…I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.

Peter puts it like this:

1Pet. 2:2 …Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation…

Moses put it like this:

Deut. 8:3 “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.

Daily bread.  That was the idea behind the manna.  That God’s people would learn to depend on Him and trust Him with every detail of their lives, including what they would eat, each and every day.  But the bigger lesson behind the idea of “Give us this day our daily bread” is that our souls depend on a steady diet of God’s Word even more than our physical bodies depend on physical food.  Like mother’s milk for a baby.  As if your health and growth fully depend on it!  The truth of the matter is that many believers are spiritually emaciated.  They subsist largely on the leftovers they get from a sermon once a week.  This was a problem in the early church:

Heb. 5:12  For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

I think we want to try and imitate the example of the Bereans:

Acts 17:10   The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

David sums it up quite nicely:

Psa. 19:7    The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; 

The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

8  The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; 

The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9  The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; 

The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

10  They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; 

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

11  Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; 

In keeping them there is great reward.

A steady diet.  It is our milk.  It is our bread.  It is our meat.  It is our dessert.  It’s a four course meal for our heart.  It’s a smorgasbord for the soul.  The heavenly version of "Golden Corral".

Look at Martha and Mary.  Martha was doing good stuff, but she was so worried and distracted by her worldly to-do list.  And what of Mary?  Where was she?  What was she doing?  Sitting at the feet of Jesus, doing what?  Listening to His Words… (and of course we know when our kids are actually listening to us when what…? When they do what we say…!)

I know what some of us are thinking.  "It’s boring."  "The Bible is boring."  "I’ve already read it."  "Been there, done that."  Things are boring only when you don’t value them.  But the more you study them, the more you learn about them, the more you can begin to value them.  Especially if they are awesome!

How many of us intend to have lunch today and not eat again until next Sunday?

Be careful…

Deut. 12:28   “Be careful to listen to all these words which I command you, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.

Josh. 1:7-8 “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

Who here this morning doesn’t want some of that?  Sign me up for some of that?  Surely each of us has a vested interest in making our way prosperous and successful?  Surely not one of us is interested in signing up for failure?  This Book right here is the key.  And it truly is a smorgasbord for the soul.

Let me give you a few tips which have really helped me.

•Carve out a time, and lock it in.

•Find a quiet place, no distractions.

•Begin with prayer.  The Psalmist offers a good one:

Psa. 119:18  Open my eyes, that I may behold 

Wonderful things from Your law.

•Prioritize the Word of God.  Other books are fine in their place, commentaries, etc.  But go to the Word.  Begin in one of the Gospels, like John, or one of the shorter epistles, like Philippians.

•Slow down.  Write.  Re-write the verses.  Diagram a verse.  Outline a chapter.  Write out questions, thoughts, observations.

Bon appetite!