Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Many years ago, just shortly after I got my driver’s license, I picked up a used vehicle. It was my first car, and I drove it all over the place and was always ready to give some of my friends a ride somewhere or even drop them off at home. But one time, I took a long drive down a secluded back road, you know the kind that has grass growing up in the middle. My friend followed closely behind me with his pickup, and we went exploring on that beautiful fall afternoon. But at one place, I had to go up a very steep grade, and as soon as I got to the top, the road ended at the edge of a deep ravine. Before I could stop, my front tires had dropped over the top of the ridge, and the chassis of the vehicle had dropped completely onto the ground. No matter how much I tried, my small car just didn’t have the power to move the vehicle at all. My friend was ready to pull me out, but we could not find a rope or even a tow strap to hook the vehicles together. It would have taken over an hour and a half to go into town to try to find one, so I finally decided to remove one of the safety belts from the back seat of the car. We tied it to my bumper and hooked it onto his ball hitch, and in a few minutes, he had pulled me completely out of the ditch.
This reminds me the Christian Life.
The main purpose of a seatbelt is to help protect and keep people safe, but although they have been provided in your vehicle, a lot of the time many people don’t even bother to reach out and put them on. This is the same way that a lot of people are when it comes to the teachings of Holy Scripture. They might have a King James Bible sitting up on a shelf somewhere in their home, but it sits there unused and unread. Like a seatbelt, God’s Word can save us, as long as you reach out for it, and use it.
1 Timothy 4:13-15 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
Each day people read all types of different materials, from subjects in a school textbook, or current events in the newspaper. Ever since we were born, our lives have been a process of learning, but unlike the temporal things of this world, only the things of God can save your soul. Although many people will reach out for something that might be interesting to them to read about, many times the scriptures are left unused and neglected. If we truly desire to live forever, we must grow in our faith, and in order to grow in our faith, we must seek the teachings of our faith.
1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Think for a moment about all of the things in this world that never get used. Some people will spend all kinds of money to purchase certain types of tools for their garage, but after twenty years, they never get used once. They just sat in the tool chest all of those years collecting dust. A wife might purchase a fancy gadget for the kitchen that she saw on TV, and although she might use it a few times, it’s not exactly what she expected, so she will wash it off, put it back into the box and store it somewhere up in the attic, never to be seen again. Things like these happen every day in the world, but you never want to do this when it comes to the teachings of scripture. The reason why is because when you grow each day in the knowledge of God’s will, and apply the teachings of scripture to your life, you can live forever in eternity, and that my friends is a reward that is too good to pass up.
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
God’s Word is filled with Spiritual knowledge, but if you want wisdom, you have to go looking for it. Like reaching out for a cold glass of water, we must reach out for the living water of God’s Holy Word.
Proverbs 2:3-6 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
When we read the scriptures we also need to meditate on them, which means to think very deeply on the things that they are teaching. We also must approach them prayerfully, as we ask God for wisdom.
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
The only way we can go through the process of repentance is by a complete understanding of the will of God. That’s not going to happen if you don’t commit yourself to reading and studying the scriptures. God has blessed us by giving us the writings of these men, to lead us on the path to eternal life.
2 Timothy 3:15-17 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
We must continue to read and study God’s Word each day, because only then can we be transformed into what God wants us to become. Our own salvation depends on it.
Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
How can you ever fix something in your home if you don’t read about it first? Knowledge doesn’t happen by osmosis, it happens through study. In order to please God completely, we need to do his will, and that will only happen when you open up His Holy Word. Ignorance cannot save us, which is why we need a thorough knowledge of His purpose and calling for each of us.
James 1:21-25 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
God’s Word can save us, but we need to reach out for it each day. You certainly don’t want the scriptures to be sitting and collecting dust on a shelf in your home. God’s wrath is going to be poured out upon the impenitent, which is why we need to prepare ourselves right now for the day of His reckoning. God’s Word can keep us safe, as long as you reach out and use it, just like reaching down by your side, and putting on….
……The Seatbelt
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 