The Church of Joy, Williamson Ga
Series: Getting Spiritually Fit (Sermon 1 - Studying the Bible)
Sunday Morning Sermon by Pastor Vaughn Drawdy
Locations & Times
The Church of Joy
3080 GA-362, Williamson, GA 30292, USA
Sunday 10:45 AM
We are starting a new series - Getting Spiritually Fit
This study comes from from months of meditating on Ephesians 4. For the last few months you’ve heard me talk about this particular passage. Let’s look at it one more time:
This study comes from from months of meditating on Ephesians 4. For the last few months you’ve heard me talk about this particular passage. Let’s look at it one more time:
Paul is talking about a fit, mature Body. We are called to be people who grow, are equipped and ready for works of service. But...I think that the Body is out of shape (spiritually).
Speaking of "out of shape"… More than three-quarters of U.S. adults say being in shape and looking good are "very important" to them, yet less than a third exercise regularly and nearly half admit they are not active at all.
So, what about Spiritually Fit?
Do you feel satisfied with your relationship with God, do you understand His purpose for your life?
Do you feel like He is good with your relationship with Him? To you feel Spiritually Fit? Ready to minister, ready to share?
Here’s the facts, compiled through my research from Christianty Today and Barna Research:
>Most don’t feel like they know the Bible very well.
>Most don’t pray unless they really need something.
>Most don’t persevere through tough problems well.
>Most don’t make disciples or even know how.
>Most don’t understand that they are stewards of God’s blessing.
Speaking of "out of shape"… More than three-quarters of U.S. adults say being in shape and looking good are "very important" to them, yet less than a third exercise regularly and nearly half admit they are not active at all.
So, what about Spiritually Fit?
Do you feel satisfied with your relationship with God, do you understand His purpose for your life?
Do you feel like He is good with your relationship with Him? To you feel Spiritually Fit? Ready to minister, ready to share?
Here’s the facts, compiled through my research from Christianty Today and Barna Research:
>Most don’t feel like they know the Bible very well.
>Most don’t pray unless they really need something.
>Most don’t persevere through tough problems well.
>Most don’t make disciples or even know how.
>Most don’t understand that they are stewards of God’s blessing.
So let me ask you something: Do you ever feel like you truly want to know Him but don’t really know how?
Getting to know God can seem so complicated sometimes but it doesn’t have to be.
Man is not an independent entity, the Bible calls us vessels.
Isaiah 64:8 (NIV) 8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Romans 9, Paul calls this clay a vessel.
Vessels are designed to be filled with something. We were designed to fill ourselves with God but we sometimes stray from that design.
Our lives are filled with one of two things:
1. with ourselves which fills us with stuff we pursue for our pleasure or
2. with God - which drives us toward bringing glory to Him.
Sin is essentially when we fill our lives with something other than God.
What we put into our lives effects what we get out of them. Man is designed to be filled with God. So then it is important for us to learn how to do that.
>How do we fill ourselves with God while keeping out the subversive forces of our enemy and our own selfish nature?
>How do we fill ourselves with God?
Getting to know God can seem so complicated sometimes but it doesn’t have to be.
Man is not an independent entity, the Bible calls us vessels.
Isaiah 64:8 (NIV) 8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Romans 9, Paul calls this clay a vessel.
Vessels are designed to be filled with something. We were designed to fill ourselves with God but we sometimes stray from that design.
Our lives are filled with one of two things:
1. with ourselves which fills us with stuff we pursue for our pleasure or
2. with God - which drives us toward bringing glory to Him.
Sin is essentially when we fill our lives with something other than God.
What we put into our lives effects what we get out of them. Man is designed to be filled with God. So then it is important for us to learn how to do that.
>How do we fill ourselves with God while keeping out the subversive forces of our enemy and our own selfish nature?
>How do we fill ourselves with God?
The First Discipline: Studying the Bible
The study of God’s word is one of the most important spiritual disciplines. We must know the truth. If we don’t we can’t live it.
In Colossians 2:2 Paul shows us the importance of the word of God in our lives.
Col 2:2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, Col 2:3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Do you see Paul’s desire?
He is wants the church to experience the full riches of complete understanding.
The study of God’s word is one of the most important spiritual disciplines. We must know the truth. If we don’t we can’t live it.
In Colossians 2:2 Paul shows us the importance of the word of God in our lives.
Col 2:2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, Col 2:3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Do you see Paul’s desire?
He is wants the church to experience the full riches of complete understanding.
In Matt. 4 Jesus says man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Sometimes we forget the importance of investing ourselves fully in Him. The truth is, if we are too busy to give God a few hours a day in the study of His word to fill our lives with Him we are too busy for our own good.
I want to ask you to think and carefully consider your answers to these questions:
Do we really live our lives on a regular basis any different than those who have never heard the name of Jesus?
Do we spend that much more time in the word than those who do not have access to a Bible at all?
Do we realize the beauty of the Bible?
Sometimes we forget the importance of investing ourselves fully in Him. The truth is, if we are too busy to give God a few hours a day in the study of His word to fill our lives with Him we are too busy for our own good.
I want to ask you to think and carefully consider your answers to these questions:
Do we really live our lives on a regular basis any different than those who have never heard the name of Jesus?
Do we spend that much more time in the word than those who do not have access to a Bible at all?
Do we realize the beauty of the Bible?
Studying the Bible should not be a chore.
WE NEED TO SEE IT AS A WAY, AN INCREDIBLE PRIVILEGED WAY TO KNOW GOD.
We desire this connection with God and we reach out for Him.
The bible is one of the ways that God reaches back.
As we invest ourselves in the study of His word, God reaches out and touches us. He connects with us on a personal level and we see His heart and experience Him. James (4:7) tells us when we draw near to God that God draws near to us.
What better way to be filled with God then to draw near to Him and watch as He draws near to us?
WE NEED TO SEE IT AS A WAY, AN INCREDIBLE PRIVILEGED WAY TO KNOW GOD.
We desire this connection with God and we reach out for Him.
The bible is one of the ways that God reaches back.
As we invest ourselves in the study of His word, God reaches out and touches us. He connects with us on a personal level and we see His heart and experience Him. James (4:7) tells us when we draw near to God that God draws near to us.
What better way to be filled with God then to draw near to Him and watch as He draws near to us?
Closing Thoughts:
>We are vessels meant to be filled with something.
What we are filled with is a direct result of how we live our lives and what we invest ourselves in.
>If you want to know God, you need to fill your life with Him.
To fill your life with Him you need to practice Spiritual Discipline, through understanding His word, prayer, obedience, and following His example.
Friends, we need personal and group Bible study.
God’s word is His revelation of His character to us.
We cannot really know Him if we don’t know His word. We must invest ourselves in a relationship with Him, we must fill our hearts with His word that we may begin to fill ourselves with Him.
>We are vessels meant to be filled with something.
What we are filled with is a direct result of how we live our lives and what we invest ourselves in.
>If you want to know God, you need to fill your life with Him.
To fill your life with Him you need to practice Spiritual Discipline, through understanding His word, prayer, obedience, and following His example.
Friends, we need personal and group Bible study.
God’s word is His revelation of His character to us.
We cannot really know Him if we don’t know His word. We must invest ourselves in a relationship with Him, we must fill our hearts with His word that we may begin to fill ourselves with Him.
In Matt. 4 Jesus says man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Sometimes we forget the importance of investing ourselves fully in Him. The truth is, if we are too busy to give God a few hours a day in the study of His word to fill our lives with Him, we are too busy for our own good.
Do we really live our lives on a regular basis any different than those who have never heard the name of Jesus?
Do we spend that much more time in the word than those who do not have access to a Bible at all?
Do we realize the beauty of the Bible?
Sometimes we forget the importance of investing ourselves fully in Him. The truth is, if we are too busy to give God a few hours a day in the study of His word to fill our lives with Him, we are too busy for our own good.
Do we really live our lives on a regular basis any different than those who have never heard the name of Jesus?
Do we spend that much more time in the word than those who do not have access to a Bible at all?
Do we realize the beauty of the Bible?