I remember when I received my first black belt, it was in karate. When I
was promoted and my instructor tied my belt around my waist he whispered to me that
there were expectations of me. My new responsibilities and expectations
included individual practice of the syllabus up to my rank, teaching of lower
ranks, and fights to represent our school.
Sadly when we usher people into church membership we do not layout
expectations. The result is that most members just warm a seat. As pastor of a
reviving church with great potential I have recently called our members to four
biblical expectations. Devotion
to the Word, Devotion to Discipleship
Devotion to Worship in all aspects of life, Devotion to serving
others
One quote stands as the battle cry to aid in teaching biblical
expectations of all church members. “It’s time for us Christians to stop
perceiving “church” as a weekend option and start seeing it as Ground Zero for
world reconciliation.” -Ray Ortlund
If the Church
is going to successfully aid in reconciling the world with Christ then we must
know the message of Scripture. Why? Because “the study of God's Word,
for the purpose of discovering God's will, is the secret discipline which has
formed the greatest characters.”
The
Word teaches us focus (1 Peter 1:13), obedience (1 Peter 1:14-17) and the
centrality of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-21).
In teaching us how to focus, Scriptures helps us be Prepared for the day/
week / life. The common nomenclature that applies are; tape up, Lace up, strap
up, or lock and load. 1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set
your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of
Jesus Christ.
The Word not only teaches us how to focus on the important things, but
also how to obey. As we focus on the important things, we must obey what we’ve
read. 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to
each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your
exile,
Lastly, the Word teaches us the Centrality of Christ. We need to devote
to the Word so as to be reminded of why we exist… for His glory and Fame. In a
world filled with so many distractions and other “gods” the centrality of
Christ is the most important thing to remember. 1:20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made
manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are
believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your
faith and hope are in God.
Before anyone states that they don't need to devote much time to the Word, Spurgeon already countered. “Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our
years.” – C.H. Spurgeon
Here’s a few steps
to apply this.
1. Meditate on the
sermon passage during your quiet time.
2. Invest in a good
set of commentaries.
3. Talk and pray
with friends about the sermon / Scriptures after church.
· Instead
of rushing off after the service is over, or talking about the latest news or
sporting event, develop the habit of talking about the sermon with people after
church.
· Start
spiritual conversations by asking,
o “How
did the Scripture challenge or speak to you today?”
o “What
about God’s character most surprised or encouraged you?”
o Encourage
others by sharing things you learned about God and His word during the sermon.
4. Listen to and
act on the Word throughout the week.
5. Develop the
habit of addressing any questions about the text itself.
