Discuss.
As we enter the message for this week, I’m drawing heavily on three passages—Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Luke 24:13-27, and Hebrews 10:22-25—to look at our next tool of discipleship: discussion.
Deuteronomy 6 is one of our key passages from two weeks ago (the Mezuzah - Osmosis) and these two verses zero-in on a key aspect of discipleship: talking about the Very Words of God in the context of daily life. God’s Word was never meant to be divorced from the events of our everyday. They are purposely designed by God to be a natural part of our day-to-day schedule. This is the concept that is involved in John 8 where Jesus says that a disciple is defined by “abiding in the Word of God.”
As soon as a person relegates the Words of the Living God to a spiritual context on Sunday morning between 9 and noon, then we lose 97% of the Bible’s potential to impact our life; our emotions; our spiritual, physical, and relational well-being.
Why do I use the number “97%”? It’s simple math: we have seven days in a week with 24 hours a day. If you take out 8 hours for sleeping then you are left with 112 hours. If only 3 of those hours are utilized as an opportunity to learn the Words of God and discuss them in the context of life, that is a simple equation of 3/112 or 2.7% (rounded up from 2.678571).
It is in the daily discussions of life where we have the greatest opportunities to look as the Word of God and compare what we see and experience with what life has to offer us. For example, when the first heavy days of the Covid-19 issue entered our lives with full steam, and Governor Walz issued the stay-at-home orders, I specifically remember my emotional reactions.
I recall hearing that Minnesota had its first confirmed case of Covid-19 and I did a real serious gulp. I think my face even flushed because I was wondering who, of all those I know and love, might be affected by this virus. I had some real impactful thoughts of fear and unease starting to simmer below the surface, like a volcano building up its explosive power. It was not healthy—OK, I was afraid!
But then I had numerous opportunities to settle into the Word and start discussing this whole shift in our nation under the scrutiny of the Word of God. In our open perusal of the Word of God, we quickly discovered passages like this:
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
And . . .
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. (Isaiah 43:2)
As we discussed these passages, it became clear that God was acknowledging the natural presence of fear in the human psyche. He was not denying our human frailty but rather addressing it. And then God gave sincere reasons why I could drop my fears. He promised he wouldn’t leave me or any of my loved ones alone. He was going to be with us in the thick, thin, and blur of future events.
Further discussions that centered on God’s Words brought the encouraging truth that God had purposely claimed the position of “Our God.” He was not going to let anything or anyone else dethrone Him. Would I be willing to live according to this truth? The more I talked about this with God’s people and kept the Words of God close, the whole combination became highly encouraging.
Why did I need others with whom to discuss this? Why couldn’t I sit in my own room and just pore over His truth for myself? I can’t claim to know all the reasons why, but Hebrews 10 says that the body of believers possesses a gift called “encouraging.” God made us to be encouraged by others. Do you have this encouragement? If you don’t, it is my prayer that you will.
Where can you find this encouragement? We find it wherever two or three gather in the name of Jesus. We find it in coffee shops where two, three, or four believers sit down and discuss life over an open Bible. We find it on Saturday morning Zoom Bible class as believers share, ask questions, and quote and discuss the Very Words of the Living God. It is, as Hebrews 10 puts it, NOT something to be neglected. We are to gather, and we are gathering, so that there is encouragement.
May we all find open Bibles with open-hearted believers; may we have a fellowship that is rich with discussion and study. May God ignite our Spirits with the presence of His Spirit.
Blessings!
Luke 24:13-27 (ESV)
13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (ESV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
Hebrews 10:22-25 (ESV)
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (ESV)
6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, 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.
W(ORD OF GOD) → Abide in the Word
O(SMOSIS) → Soak up the Word
N(EED) → Understand our need to love and be loved
D(ISCUSS) → Talk about the Word with other believers
E(XPERIENCE) → Try out what you’ve learned
R(ELAY) → Pass on what you’ve learned
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