Several years ago, I mentioned in a sermon that I liked to keep old service manuals for all my vehicles. I used them often and wanted to keep them in case another similar vehicle needed service. I mentioned this fact in a sermon because I likened the Bible to a ‘service’ manual for living the Christian life. We needed to read and study it and, at times, go over it word-for-word to help us ‘fix’ a problem or at least recognize that something needed to be done.
Interestingly, later that week...
Several years ago, I mentioned in a sermon that I liked to keep old service manuals for all my vehicles. I used them often and wanted to keep them in case another similar vehicle needed service. I mentioned this fact in a sermon because I likened the Bible to a ‘service’ manual for living the Christian life. We needed to read and study it and, at times, go over it word-for-word to help us ‘fix’ a problem or at least recognize that something needed to be done.
Interestingly, later that week, I had a call from one of the deacons in our church who had heard me mention several of the old manuals I kept in my garage; he asked me if I still had the manual and could borrow it!
Even though the manual was several decades old, my deacon friend had a vehicle that would be covered in that book, and he needed help figuring out a problem. Of course, I loaned it to him, enabling him to fix his old vehicle.
(He asked me if I would sell the manual to him; I explained with a smile, “No Way!” We both had a good laugh and, for a long time, would talk about old vehicles and the old manuals that went with them).
My approach to vehicle and appliance manuals is
one that can be applied to our Bibles!
The Bible contains good information about God, man, and the predicaments we get ourselves into.
There are also many instances where, if we pay attention to what God teaches us in scripture, our lives will be better, and we might even be able to avoid some of the negative experiences that others have in their lives.
In one passage in the Bible, the Apostle Paul was writing a letter to a young pastor who was facing a congregation struggling with sin, bad habits, and the struggles that can come to those who resist godly counsel. Paul told this young pastor, “But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them and that from childhood, you have known the sacred writings that can give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.” II Timothy 3:13-15
Paul was acutely aware of how people would often choose to live and suffer for their actions. So, he encouraged the young pastor to be strong in his faith and keep up teaching biblical teachings, showing his people how to apply spiritual truth to their lives. When they did this, their lives would be better, their relationships would generally improve, and God would be more likely to bless their lives.
We are currently in a sermon series entitled, ‘A Scary Church,’ and I think that a church that doesn’t try to teach God’s Word may be scary! Not because the people there are bad or sinful, but because if the Word of God is not taught and applied in people’s lives, the results can be terrifying!
Let me encourage you to study the Word of God and learn to think “Christian” and live “Christian” daily. You will be different, your life will be better, and God will bless your life!
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