Years ago one man was missing in the Alps, and he was rescued after 13 days. This man had walked more than 12 hours per day to find a village in bad weather. But in fact, it turned out that he went round in circles within a 4-mile radius. When a person keeps walking with the eyes closed, he or she ends up walking around in circles. But, there is a way to avoid this! If we make a stop for a moment on a regular basis, rather than keep walking, we are able to almost walk in a straight line. Oftentimes we are too busy to stop, and we find ourselves just keeping going without thinking and ending up wandering around in circles, just like the man in the Alps. We need a time to stop and think whether we are on the right track. By His grace, every year God gives us a special time, called “New Year” for us to stop and see where we are today, and where we should be heading.
Reading the Bible Together
There would be several ways to avoid walking in circles in our life journey, but one of the best ways is to let God’s Word shine on our ways and direct our path daily. Starting on January 1, 2018, we as a church read the Bible together by using “5 Day Bible Reading Program.” It allows you to read the entire Bible (or just the New Testament – it’s your choice) in one year while only reading five times a week. This allows time for catching up, taking a day off, read other parts of the Bible to prepare for Bible class, etc. This reading program also helps us to see the big picture of the Bible as we read the Bible in chronological order. There will be a monthly meeting, “Coffee Break” (3rd Sunday of the month after church) to check in with each other, ask each other questions, and encourage each other. It is totally fine not to use this particular reading program. You may use your own program on your own pace. The point is to read the Bible together, because I believe God reveals more of himself through his word when it is read in community than he or she does when it is read in isolation. So let’s read the Bible together.
Reading to Obey
Now the more important question remains: Why do we read the Bible? Why do we care? In God’s eyes, why we do something is far more important than what we do. It is possible to do the right thing but with the wrong attitude. When we read the Bible, we should start with the proper attitude. We should read to obey. The Pharisees were law experts. They meditated on the word day and night. They had a thorough knowledge about the Scriptures from Mosaic laws to the Prophets. But the problem is they didn’t recognize the Christ, who was standing right in front of them, although all scriptures point to Christ. In John 5:39 Jesus said to them, “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” (NLT; cf. Luke 24:44). Jesus had to tell them several times, “Haven’t you read?” “Can’t you see what this means?” (cf. Matt 12:5-7) Here Jesus was saying, “Pharisees, you don’t know the Scriptures.” How is it possible to fail to see Christ and understand the Scriptures while studying them daily? Why did they fail? Because they read the Bible with the wrong attitude.
When we come to meet with God in our Bible reading, the proper attitude is crucial. Many people say, “God, show me your will.” But God doesn’t show his will to those who come to Him with this attitude: “Lord, tell me your will, and I will choose what I will or won’t do.” God does show his will to those who come to him having already chosen to do his will no matter what: “Speak, for your servant is listening!” (cf. 1 Sam 3:10) In John 7:17 Jesus said, “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” Let us read the Bible to obey anything and everything that God wants us to do.
Reading to Be Transformed
Then, what happens when we read the Bible with the proper attitude? The answer is that we are transformed. In the Book of Nehemiah, the wall reconstruction project was successfully finished in 52 days. That did draw the Israelites close to God and made them thirst for God. They came to listen to God’s word. All the people gathered as one man in the square. When Ezra opened the book, all the people stood up. They could not remain seated because of the overwhelming reverence for God. All the people listened closely to the Scriptures from daybreak till noon, about for 6 hours. And when Ezra praised the Lord, all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” And they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. And then what happened? When the people heard the word and understood the reading, they all wept. They realized how far they had backslid from Him. And they voluntarily made the covenant with God about three most important areas of their lives – relationship, time and money. First, they promised not to have mixed marriage. At that time, the Israelites were defiled and sought after other gods as a result of mixed marriage with the Gentiles. And now they resolved to purify themselves and live as pure bridegroom of Christ Jesus. Second, they promised to keep the Sabbath holy. They used to rest on their terms on their ways. But now, on God’s terms, they resolved to rest, to worship God, to savor Him, to have fellowship with Him. Third, they promised to bring the whole tithe and offering. Money has power. No one can deny it. Tithing is all about faith in action to deny the power of money over us and to surrender ourselves to the Lord. The people of Israel resolved to bring the whole tithe, the first fruits, offerings to the Lord. By reading the Bible, they were transformed. When we read the Bible with the proper attitude, it transforms us from inside out.
Pastor Rick Warren rightly makes a distinction between the Bible and self-help books in this way[1]: Self-help books often give us helpful insight. They can tell us the right thing to do, but they just don’t give us the power to do it. Self-help books tell us that we should stop worrying or we should give up all our bad habits. Yes, it is helpful in some ways, but the thing is we don’t have that power to keep the advice. Those books aren’t alive. But God’s Word is alive and active. It not only tells us what to do; it gives us the power to do it. Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (ESV). In other words, when we read (hear) the Bible, it increases our faith, it gives us confidence, “I can do this. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength!” For example, before I stand up to preach, I always pray, recall, trust specific promises of God. “Lord Jesus, apart from you I can do nothing (John 15:5). I pray for your help. Lord, you promised, “My word… shall not return to me empty,” (Isa 55:11) “It is not you who speak, but the Spirit” (Matt 10:20). So Lord, speak to me. Speak through me. Preach to the hearts of your people.” Then, by faith I preach. I act in obedience to God’s word. And I give thanks to God for whatever good comes and give him the glory.
Being Transformed to Transform
Now let me give you a brief picture of what it might look like for you to read the Bible to be transformed. Suppose you are in your quiet place at home. It’s early in the morning before anyone else is stirring. You are reading your Bible. Perhaps you woke up with heavy heart because of financial difficulty or relationship difficulty. But as you open the Bible and read on, the word shifts your mindset and opens your eyes to see the risen Christ with you in that room. And no longer you read about Christ, but now Christ himself begins to speak to you through the Bible. And he promises that he would give you his peace that passes all understanding. Then by faith, you get up with his promise. And then after breakfast, you go to Tim Hortons for coffee, you see the person over there with whom you had a strong argument yesterday. You are tempted to take revenge, but you remember the promises that God himself will settle accounts. So you go to that person and say, “I’m sorry about the harsh words yesterday. They were wrong, and I need your forgiveness.” In the afternoon you go to Walmart to buy something, on the way you see the person walking with bags of groceries in this cold weather. And you give him a ride home. And perhaps by God’s grace, he asks the reason for the hope that is in you, and you tell him what you saw (read or heard) that morning in God’s word. And perhaps by God’s grace, his eyes might be opened by God’s word that you shared, and see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. That is what it means to read the Bible to be transformed. If we meet Christ in our Bible reading, we will experience this. So let's all pray for this to happen to us more and more, daily and each and every moment! May many hear and believe and call on the name of the Lord and be saved through you! Oh, how beautiful are the feet of you who bring good news!
--------------
[1] Rick Warren, “Let God’s Word Activate Your Faith,” (May 21, 2014), http://pastorrick.com/devotional/english/let-god-s-word-activate-your-faith_105
No comments:
Post a Comment