Living the Dynamic Christian Life (I)

Acts 2:42“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer”

Living the Dynamic Christian Life (I)

Continually Devoted to the WordActs 2.42

• Why do I need to studythe Bible seriously?

• What will God’s word do for me?

• Is once a week enough?

• Sunday School Adult Quarterly reported from a national survey:– 10% of church members cannot be found– 20% never attend– 25% admit they never pray– 35% admit they never read the Bible– 40% admit they never contribute– 60% never give to missions– 70% never assume responsibility in the church– 85% never invite anyone to church– 95% never win anyone to Christ– Yet 100% expect to go to heaven!

What the Bible Will Do For Me

• Arms For Me The Battle

Eph 6:10-17“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore,HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And takeTHE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

What the Bible Will Do For Me

• Arms Me For The Battle– Against Satan – Eph 6.10f– Against myself -- Gal 5.17

Gal 5:17“For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”

What the Bible Will Do For Me

• Arms Me For The Battle– Against Satan– Against myself– Against false ideas of the mind and heart

2 Cor 10:3-5“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

Belt of TRUTH

“Your word is truth” (Jn 17.17)

Breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS

Sandals of PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE

Shield of FAITH

“Faith comes from hearing the word of Christ” (Rom 10.17)

Helmet of SALVATION

“Receive the implanted word, which is able to save your soul” (Jas 1.21)

Sword of the Spirit = the WORD OF GOD

What the Bible Will Do For Me

• Equips Me…– To serve in the body

Eph 4:11-16“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity

of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

What the Bible Will Do For Me

• Equips Me…– To serve in the body– To teach others

2 Tim 2:2“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

What the Bible Will Do For Me

• Equips Me…– To serve in the body– To teach others– To give an answer

1 Peter 3:15“but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence”

What the Bible Will Do For Me

• Equips Me…– To serve in the body– To teach others– To give an answer– To teach my children:

Deut 6:4-7“ Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”

What the Bible Will Do For Me

• Equips Me…– To serve in the body– To teach others– To give an answer– To teach my children:

Eph 6:4“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

What the Bible Will Do For Me

• Brings Me To Maturity– In being a man of God

2 Tim 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.”

What the Bible Will Do For Me• Brings Me To Maturity

– In being a man of God

•Basic

• Instruction

•Before

•Leaving

•Earth

What the Bible Will Do For Me

• Brings Me To Maturity– In being a man of God– In Christ-likeness:

Eph 4:13“until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

What I Need To Do With The Bible:

• Become Competent and Mature In ItHeb 5:11-14; 6.1

“Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 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. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity…”

What the Bible Will Do For Me

• Arms Me For The Battle• Equips Me For (Service, Teaching, etc.)• Brings Me To Maturity

What I Need To Do With The Bible:

• Become Competent and Mature In It

“Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Pet 2.2)