Hiya folks!
Once again we had one of those smaller groups last night, but we still had a blast playing some 9-Square together. Saw some new faces as well as some old faces, but of course, all of those faces were wearing masks...
For this post, let's jump right into the message. Last week we looked at 7 things that the people of God were devoted to in the earliest days of the church: Teaching, Fellowship, Breaking Bread, Prayer, True Community, Praising God and Welcoming New Members. This week we focused in on the first one: Teaching. Now, we've already established that our group is fairly "devoted" to teaching, if you mean that as we have a message every week. However, we are not devoted like the early church was devoted.
Before we go any further, let me ask you. When it comes to school, do you ever ask yourself "When am I ever going to use this in my life"? I did, a lot in fact. I felt like we were learning just for the sake of learning. And you know how much of that knowledge I've kept? Not much. The knowledge went in one ear, stuck around for the test (usually) and then went right back out the other ear. When I think back to my youth group days, I think something similar happened. I mean, back then the leaders taught a message every week, just like we do now. But, I never did anything with them. I don't even remember any of them. 7 years of messages - gone. One could argue that some of it stuck, and I am sure that's true. However, at the time I wasn't applying any of it. We might hear a message on kindness, but I wouldn't be kinder after it. We might hear a message on selflessness, but I wouldn't be any less selfish after it. And here lies our issue with our devotion to teaching in our group. How many of you can honestly say that you actively apply every message shared on a Wednesday night? Is your life any different after hearing a message from God's Word? If the answer is generally "no", then you have a devotion problem. Listen to what James says in his letter to the churches:
James 1:22-25 - "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it - not forgetting what they have heard but doing it - they will be blessed in what they do."
Let me ask another question: Have you ever pulled out your phone to check the time, only to do it again 2 seconds later because you already forgot what the time was? Yeah, I've done that, sometimes 10 times in a row. Or how about reading the same sentence 12 times before finally registering in your brain what it says? That's what James is talking about in this part of his letter. When we treat God's Word like we treat checking the time (unconsciously listening), we deceive ourselves into thinking we are doing what God wants us to do. But we're not. James is basically calling out these church people and saying "Yo guys! You're listening to sermons every week, and yet its like it is going in one ear and out the other! Quit it! Close your other ear!" He says to not be hearers only, but doers. When we "do", or apply, what God says in the Bible, James promises that we will blessed in doing it. It will go well for us and our efforts will not be for nothing.
So the questions is, how do we become doers and not just hearers? How do we devote ourselves to teaching?
I said it last week and I'll say it again - take notes. When I was a student, I only took notes at camps and retreats, and never at youth group. And do you remember how many of those YG messages I remembered? Zero. Even worse, I have no notes to go back to like I do with the camps and retreats. So not only did I not apply what I was learning at the time, but I have completely forgotten it! Just bringing a notebook and a writing utensil to Youth Group (and actually using them) can go a long way in devoting yourself to teaching. It will help you remember what has been taught (just as this blog is intended to do) and find ways to live it out in your life.
Another way to become devoted to teaching is to join a Bible Study when we offer them. It just so happens that we are starting two studies at the end of this month: How To Be a Man and Experiencing God. Each study we offer is unique and works through a different aspect of our faith, and each one contains specific applications to help you connect what you're learning to real life. With rare exceptions, these are group studies, which means you will be learning and growing spiritually alongside your peers. You get the opportunity to ask questions and discuss life application together, rather than trying to figure it all out on your own (which we were never intended to have to do). That is a huge part of the learning process, and I believe it is part of why virtual learning is so tedious. Plus, the discussion can be a lot more focused in a small group than in our Summit meetings.
The main idea here is to not only hear the Word of God, but to do what He says. Look for ways to apply each message to your life. For this one, that means bringing a notebook and writing utensil to Summit next week, and/or joining a Bible Study.
How can you be devoted to teaching?
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