Disciplines of the Christian Life: Read The Word

Have you ever had a job where you were expected to perform a task you weren’t instructed on how to perform? Frustrating, right? Churches can often do this to people by expecting them to do something without providing them the requisite instruction on how and why they are supposed to engage in a discipline. Consider this series on disciplines as the introductory field guide on how to do the things you are being called to do. The manual we follow is the Bible. We don’t need church authority or religious tradition as an authority. These things can be helpful in some ways, but the Bible alone contains our instructions. This is why the first discipline, upon which all the other disciplines rest, is personal Bible reading and study. 

For the next few weeks, I’ll lead you in a study to understand the many tools at your disposal for personal Scripture study. Equipped with these tools, I’ll then ask you to engage in the discipline of Bible reading. Like so much in life, you will get out of these activities what you are willing to put into them. So set aside self-doubt, pray for motivation, and let's get started.

The first and best way to read the Bible is slowly and guided by the following four questions. These questions will turn any passage into a text yielding great insight or direct instruction. You don’t need to be a Bible scholar or even a mature believer to benefit from this approach. You need to be willing to learn and put the effort in to find the answers to the questions below.

4 Essential Questions to Read by

1. What does this text say about God? - What can I learn about the nature and character of God? What is He like? What does He do?

2. What does this text say about me? God made us, so he has the right to tell who we are. Understanding yourself from God’s perspective is the only way to truly understand yourself. When you understand yourself, both the wonder of being created, and the faults of being a sinner, then you can begin to understand how God’s grace is fit for you specifically. 

3. What does this text say I am supposed to do? The Scriptures are sufficient for life and godliness. Most of us are familiar maybe with the godliness part… you know the religious stuff like prayer and preaching. But do you believe the Bible is sufficient for everyday life? The commands of God are expressions of His will, and obeying them puts you in the middle of God’s will for your life. Therefore, it’s essential that we clearly understand what it is that God’s Word is telling us to do. 

4. What does this text say about blessings, rewards, or consequences? It helps to understand that God promises to bless obedience to His Word. Sometimes the commands in Scripture can be very difficult. It’s a great motivator to know what the rewards of obedience are or what the cost of disobedience is. 

Let’s try an example by reading John 3:16 using these four questions.

“For God so loved the world, that He sent his only son, so that whoever shall believe in Him, will not perish but have eternal life.”

1. What does this text say about God? It says that God’s primary response to sinful humanity was not wrath and judgment but love, evidenced in him freely sending His son to us. It says God has made a way for us to come to him. The “so that” clause tells me the purposes of God, He wants to save me from perishing. 

2. What does this text say about me? It says that I’m in danger of perishing, it teaches me that I am in need of being saved. I’m the reason Jesus had to come.

3. What does this text say I’m supposed to do? There is an imperative to believe! I am supposed to believe in Jesus. I’m supposed to turn away from death towards life. I’m supposed to recognize what God did for me. 

4. What are the consequences? If I obey and respond to God, He will reward me with eternal life. If I reject and rebel, I will perish. 

Try this for yourself! Look up the following passages and see what you can learn. 

• 1 John 1:1-4

• Philippians 2:1-13

• Ephesians1:3-14

What to Expect When Visiting ABCModesto

Our church is founded on 4 anchoring principles. Understanding them before you visit will greatly enhance your time with us.

ANCHOR #1 UNAPOLOGETIC PREACHING

“We proclaim the authority of God’s Word without apology. I never promise to not offend you, but I do promise that everything I preach will come from the Word and that you will understand it better through my preaching”

— Quote Source

We believe that God spoke and that the Bible records everything He wanted us to know about Him, ourselves, and the world we live in. Our pulpit exists to explain, illustrate, and apply the Word of God to our lives. Our pastor engages in application-oriented expository preaching, which takes us word by word through the Bible and developing principles you can apply to your life.

ANCHOR #2 UNashamed adoration

What is worship? It is ascribing the highest value and delight in a person or object. Worship is the response we have to what gives us the greatest joy and enjoyment. Our worship at ABCModesto is contemporary without compromise drawing from the rich history of Christian worship while incorporating the best of contemporary worship.

ANCHOR #3 UNceasing Prayer

When God’s people speak, God hears and responds. We believe firmly in the power of prayer to affect real change in our lives, in the lives of those we love, and in the world as a whole.

ANCHOR #4 UNafraid witness

We share the Good News of Jesus Christ with boldness. We believe sin is real, that people are in rebellion against God, that the consequences are catastrophic, but that hope is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ who is able to save anyone, at any time, from anything, forever. We do not believe that good works, ethics, or morality will save you. We believe that salvation is by God’s grace alone, through faith. While good works to not save, saved people do good works that inform, influence, and invite other people to come to Jesus and answer His call in their lives to “follow me.”

What is the Mission Statement of Anchored Bible Church Modesto?

Clarity creates conviction, conviction strengthens commitment, and commitment builds community. These things are important as we dedicate ourselves to growing and strengthening our community. That’s why I’d like to start the year with several articles on the DNA of our church. Whether you are new to ABCModesto or a faithful member, it’s always good to get back to the basics and reiterate what we value. 

This week it’s our mission statement. A mission statement provides an objective reference point that we can use to evaluate the effectiveness of our ministry. It can also allow us to recognize when we suffer the effects of mission drift. So let’s look at each part of our mission statement

“We exist to glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission”

— Pastor Scott

1. We exist to glorify God - this furnace in the factory that drives everything. By glorify, we mean to make God known. We exist as a place that introduces people to the knowledge of God and then promotes their growth in understanding who He is. We are not a political organization, we are not a social change organization, we are not a club. We are a community knitted together by God to put Him on display in our community. 

2. Through the Fulfillment of the Great Commission - the great commission is found in Matthew 28:10-20 and it tells that as we are going, that is living our lives under the Gospel mandate, we to be making disciples…that is people like us who Worship Jesus Christ, Walk with Jesus Christ, and Work for Jesus Christ. The Great Commission is our theological and philosophical reason for existing. We exist to make disciples of Jesus, not Republicans, cultural conservatives, or moral Americans. While a disciple may be any of these, being any one of them does not make a person a Christian. Only answering and obeying the call to “follow me” proves a person to be a disciple of Jesus.

So if there is all this emphasis on being a disciple of Jesus, what exactly is a disciple? Looking at the Scripture it’s clear that an image arises from observing the followers of Jesus. Three nonreducible realities are evident and they are:

Disciples Worship Jesus Christ - worship is the act of ascribing the highest value, appreciation, and adoration to a person or object. Disciple directs their worship entirely and completely to Jesus Christ. Disciples joyfully worship God alone even if the world worships everything else but God. 

Disciples Walk with Jesus Christ - the disciples lived in a relationship with Jesus, no Zoom disciples existed or will ever exist. This is done in conversation the elements of which are reading and prayer. By reading, we hear the voice of God; by prayer, we respond. 

Disciples Work for Jesus - they obey him, carry out his will, and perform the duties of being a disciple, even at great personal cost. 

It beggars the imagination to think of a disciple who walks with Jesus but won’t obey Him. Or what of a disciple that worships Him but won’t work for Him? Remove any one of these three distinctives and you have a model of discipleship which is rejected by Scripture. 

As you reflect on these things ask yourself a few questions. First, where are you strong? Will you help someone weaker or new in the faith? Where are you struggling? Have you considered scheduling an appointment with your church for counseling? Where are you weak? Who could come alongside you for mentoring? Here’s the goal, full and mature discipleship that sees all of your life transformed by the disciplines of working, walking, and worshiping Jesus Christ.

JAMES: BROTHER, DOUBTER, BELIEVER

 If you want to understand someone’s writing you have to understand something about them as an author.  The Bible is not mythical book, it was written by real men, to real audiences, in real time.  Understanding these things is not hard but does require a little work. I present this life synopsis on James, the brother of our Lord to help you better appreciate the book we are studying.

     James was the a younger half brother of the Lord. He was one of 4 boys that Mary had after the birth of Jesus.[1]  James like his brothers, did not believe that his oldest brother was the Messiah. As adults they responded to Jesus’ signs and miracles with unbelief, calling him a lunatic![2]  Jesus' brother convinced Mary to doubt Jesus. We find her standing with her sons calling Jesus to stop his ministry and return home![3]  The Apostle John paints the picture clearly when he wrote, “For even His own brothers did not believe Him.”[4]

     Unsurprisingly the brothers of Jesus are not mentioned during the crucifixion. Their brother was a mad man, who had finally crossed the line and would now die for his lunacy. Mary having recovered her faith was entrusted to the Apostle John and not her unbelieving sons. John was now regarded as closer to Mary blood relatives[5]  A miracle filled life, a shocking death, and an incredible rumor of resurrection had no effect on James.

     It was a post resurrection appearance of Jesus that finally opened James eyes.[6]  The conversion of James during the encounter in 1 Corinthians isn’t, but the later life of James shows that a radical change took place after meeting Jesus. From then on, the doubting brother would be a faithful witness. He is found among those in Jerusalem praying before the day of Pentecost.[7]  He is seen as consequential leader in the young and growing church in Jerusalem. His teaching gives shape and form to this new Christian community.[8]  James was so important to the church the Apostle Paul appeared before him. James was one of the first to hear of the miraculous escape of Peter from jail.[9]  It is not understating the point to say that James shaped Christianity as you and I know it! 2000 years later his teaching continues to shape and influence the morality of Christian community.

     How James died is a matter of church tradition. We read that James led the church in Jerusalem for 30 years.[10]  His career and character provided the necessary stability for the early church. Despite persecution from without and division from within, the church continued to grow. James influence wasn't contained to the church. We read that Jewish leaders became threatened by the influence of James among the Jews and arranged his murder.

     The legacy of James is inspiring. From calling Jesus a mad-man, to calling mad-men to follow Jesus as their Savior, James is a living illustration of Gospel transformation. Whether we read about James in the book of Acts or read the book named after him, we what is possible when we follow God.

     The challenge to reading the book of James isn't it's content. The problem is with us, we live in an authority adverse culture. The clarity and boldness of James is offense to people trained to doubt authority. James isn't having a discussion, he's clear, simple and urgent. If you are a Christian you are a friend of God, so live like it!

     How can James write like this? As you read you will hear the Words of Jesus saturating this letter. This is intentional. James is providing a sermon on the implications of the Sermon on the Mount.[11]  The Gospel truth creates moral imperatives and James is a book of moral imperatives. We are in danger of seeing Christianity devolve into a religion of moral codes. James saves us from this fate by teaching that obedience is the result of a relationship with God, not the cause. Christians do what they do because of what has been done in them. More simply, "good works do not save, but saved people do good works."

This is a religion that works, it is the religion taught in James because it is the religion of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[1] Matthew 13:55

[2] Mark 3:21

[3] Matthew 12:46-50 cf. Mark 3:31

[4] John 7:5

[5] John 19:26-27

[6] 1 Corinthians 15:7

[7] Acts 1:14

[8] Acts 15

[9] Acts 12:17

[10]  Saint Jerome “On Illustrious Men” pg. 8 para. 14

[11] Matthew ch. 5-7

Know Your Bible: What Are You Supposed to do With it?

Learn the 5 R’s of effective personal Bible engagement. Now that you have a general outline of what is in the Bible and how to find it, we must address the next critical topic: “What am I supposed to do with the Bible?” In this short video, you will learn practical tools for not only reading the Bible but also applying it.

We Have the Answer

We are drifting as Christians. The world around us is tumultuous, and strong influences tell us that we need to side with either the social unrest in the streets or the law and order rhetoric of our politics. But if I were handed a blank piece of paper and told to draw where I believe the church belonged, I’d draw a line right down the middle of the sheet.

We cannot join with the lawlessness gripping our streets and destroying lives and property in what is increasingly being identified as a movement against just police authority but all authority. The push to cast off existing authority is driven by a desire to entrench a new authority made in the image of those advocating for change. The advocacy is a good indication of the kind of authority they would replace the status quo with. Since God is a God of order and peace, those whom His Spirit indwells cannot give themselves to this way of thinking.

On the other side of the issue are those who rally under the banner of “law and order.” This approach will not solve or end the current cultural moment we find ourselves in. Consider that in 1970 only 1 in 400 Americans were incarcerated. That number has jumped to 1 in 100 over the last 40 years and increased both awareness of inequalities in our justice system and increased calls for justice reform. The law and order banner looks at mercy and grace as signs of weakness, so tough-on-crime initiatives are passed, and infractions that were misdemeanors a generation ago are now charged as felonies.

Lawlessness and gracelessness… there must be a better option for the church to align itself with. It just so happens that there is. Christians advocate for societal change through personal transformation. The object of our evangelism is the unbeliever who may encompass the ardent antifa member to the alt-right ideologue. We believe that society and culture are a reflection of the human condition, not a creator of it. Therefore if we want to change the culture, we need to change the hearts of the people who make up that culture. We do that through the means of the Gospel and compelling witness.

If I had a sheet of paper, I’d draw a line right down the middle of it and say that’s where the church belongs; that’s where it will be most effective. The church should stand between the warring factions of our fractured society and point everyone to the way of Jesus Christ.

After all, we know the world can be changed through coercive fear. We also see the world can be changed by legislative fiat. Despite the changes wrought by outside forces, we find that people remain the same; their hearts are unchanged, and the new realities will inevitably become as corrupt as the old realities they replaced.

We must go after individual people if we want genuine lasting social change. We must be in the world but not of it. And the way we retain our distinctive identity is to fully identify with Jesus, His message, and His methods. Because in 2020, if Jesus were to walk our streets, he’d walk right down the middle too.

Christians recognize that institutional change can happen through the coercive power of fear. Oddly both camps are philosophically rooted in the same soil. Fear motivates action, and fear of authority leads to rejection of authority and rioting in the street. Fear of anarchy and lawlessness drives gun sales, the prepper-culture, and political activity. Fear, fear, fear. Christians are called to fear not.