1
00:00:00,760 –> 00:00:10,640
Please understand that when the question where does spiritual life come from and
2
00:00:10,640 –> 00:00:14,980
how is spiritual life nourished and so forth, when that question is asked there
3
00:00:14,980 –> 00:00:18,660
are three very different answers that are out there.
4
00:00:18,660 –> 00:00:22,020
Welcome to Open The Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. And Colin we’re going to make
5
00:00:22,020 –> 00:00:26,120
everyone wait a couple minutes for the answer to those questions but going back
6
00:00:26,360 –> 00:00:29,900
to that initial question how is a spiritual life nourished.
7
00:00:29,900 –> 00:00:33,360
Well you know it’s okay to wait till the end of the program for the
8
00:00:33,360 –> 00:00:37,799
alternative answers. Spiritual life comes from the Word of God and spiritual life
9
00:00:37,799 –> 00:00:41,080
is nourished and it’s sustained by the Word of God. And that’s why we’re looking
10
00:00:41,080 –> 00:00:46,900
at the Scripture that says let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
11
00:00:46,900 –> 00:00:51,180
What that means and the fruit that it produces if the Word of God has a rich
12
00:00:51,180 –> 00:00:55,320
place in your life and that’s the heart of what this program is all about.
13
00:00:55,320 –> 00:01:00,139
We want to get the word of God richly living in the lives of Christian
14
00:01:00,139 –> 00:01:03,380
believers and people who become Christian believers. So that’s where
15
00:01:03,380 –> 00:01:04,099
we’re at today.
16
00:01:04,099 –> 00:01:07,160
As you say when the word gets into us it produces fruit
17
00:01:07,160 –> 00:01:10,559
and we’re going to hear what that fruit is. So I hope you’ll join us in
18
00:01:10,559 –> 00:01:14,940
Colossians chapter three as we continue the message the Word of God,
19
00:01:14,940 –> 00:01:16,440
here’s Colin.
20
00:01:16,440 –> 00:01:19,419
Now someone’s going to be here and saying, you know, what difference
21
00:01:19,419 –> 00:01:24,019
does it make to my life on Thursday or the pain that I’m going through right
22
00:01:24,019 –> 00:01:29,320
now whether the Bible is human words about God or God’s where- it makes all
23
00:01:29,320 –> 00:01:33,440
the difference to what you’re going through right now. Let me demonstrate how
24
00:01:33,440 –> 00:01:43,779
and why. If God has not spoken then his truth is replaced by our opinion.
25
00:01:43,779 –> 00:01:50,959
The Bible says God is gracious, slow to anger, he is merciful and he is abounding in
26
00:01:50,959 –> 00:01:56,919
steadfast love. That fourfold description gracious, merciful, slow to anger and
27
00:01:56,919 –> 00:02:02,599
abounding and love is repeated no less than seven times in the Old Testament
28
00:02:02,599 –> 00:02:10,679
the question is whose words are these? If God himself spoke these words then they
29
00:02:10,679 –> 00:02:17,639
are his own description of who he is. We can be sure that he is indeed
30
00:02:17,820 –> 00:02:22,440
gracious and merciful and slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love because
31
00:02:22,440 –> 00:02:29,880
this is what God has told us about himself but if these words were simply
32
00:02:29,880 –> 00:02:37,460
the thoughts of Moses or David or Nehemiah or Jonah then we do not have
33
00:02:37,460 –> 00:02:41,839
truth on which we can count for our lives today. All we have is the
34
00:02:41,839 –> 00:02:46,179
experience our opinion of these particular men which may or may not
35
00:02:46,179 –> 00:02:51,839
prove to be true or relevant for us today. See, when the word of God to us is
36
00:02:51,839 –> 00:02:57,000
viewed as our word about God, not only do we lose the promises and end up just
37
00:02:57,000 –> 00:03:03,059
with a bunch of human wishes but we lose the truth that is the very foundation of
38
00:03:03,059 –> 00:03:07,360
faith on which a person can build life and we end up simply with a bunch of
39
00:03:07,360 –> 00:03:10,360
human opinions. What do you think? What do i think? What difference does it make
40
00:03:10,740 –> 00:03:18,139
anyway? Third, if God has not spoken then his
41
00:03:18,139 –> 00:03:26,080
wonderful welcome, his embrace, and his love are replaced by our unending
42
00:03:26,080 –> 00:03:33,399
journey. Think about this. The Bible is a book full of invitation. It’s all over.
43
00:03:33,399 –> 00:03:38,679
Incline your ear and come to me. Hear that your soul may live. I will make an
44
00:03:38,679 –> 00:03:46,020
everlasting covenant of love with you. Draw near to God and he will draw near
45
00:03:46,020 –> 00:03:52,779
to you. What kind of an invitation is that from the Almighty come let us
46
00:03:52,779 –> 00:04:00,460
reason together says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as
47
00:04:00,460 –> 00:04:04,339
white as snow. You hear the invitation and all of these wonderful words.
48
00:04:04,539 –> 00:04:13,419
Question of course is who said them? If God really said these things, then God
49
00:04:13,419 –> 00:04:22,500
himself is reaching out to you in love, and we have much more than a God who’s
50
00:04:22,500 –> 00:04:28,540
out there somewhere watching us from a distance. We have if God has spoken these
51
00:04:28,540 –> 00:04:34,059
words. Truly a God who reaches out to you and in love and in all of your need even
52
00:04:34,059 –> 00:04:41,660
today he says come to me and you on that basis can come to him in confidence and
53
00:04:41,660 –> 00:04:47,140
know that you will be received in love, and that you can enjoy an authentic, true
54
00:04:47,140 –> 00:04:51,859
relationship with this living God who loves you, and you know it to be so
55
00:04:51,859 –> 00:04:57,179
because he has invited you to come. He’s said it himself. But if these words draw
56
00:04:57,179 –> 00:05:00,679
near to God and he will draw near to you, if they were simply the words of James,
57
00:05:00,799 –> 00:05:04,899
if they were simply the words of Isaiah, if they were simply a reflection of what
58
00:05:04,899 –> 00:05:07,940
other people have discovered, how could you possibly know that the same would be
59
00:05:07,940 –> 00:05:13,880
true for you? And here’s one of the great tragedies of our generation, in which you
60
00:05:13,880 –> 00:05:18,160
know there are thousands of people who would describe themselves as being on a
61
00:05:18,160 –> 00:05:22,619
spiritual journey, on a spiritual search, and it’s all-seeking and there’s hardly
62
00:05:22,720 –> 00:05:33,380
any finding. Why? Because the word of the living God who reaches out to us in
63
00:05:33,380 –> 00:05:38,399
invitation and in love and in mercy and in grace has been ditched and all we’re
64
00:05:38,399 –> 00:05:45,700
left with is our own unending journey. You have loads of people who will say
65
00:05:45,820 –> 00:05:53,140
I’m seeking after God, all in their own way but losing sight completely of the
66
00:05:53,140 –> 00:06:01,459
God of love who is seeking people. So, do you see how much is at stake here?
67
00:06:01,459 –> 00:06:07,019
You see how relevant this is to your life on Thursday or whenever? If the Bible is
68
00:06:07,019 –> 00:06:14,380
our word about God rather than God’s word to us then God’s promises end up
69
00:06:14,480 –> 00:06:19,519
being replaced by our wishes and we lose the basis of hope. God’s truth ends up
70
00:06:19,519 –> 00:06:25,140
being replaced by our opinions and we lose the foundation of faith, and God’s
71
00:06:25,140 –> 00:06:29,420
wonderful welcome and his reach out to us in love is replaced by this ongoing
72
00:06:29,420 –> 00:06:34,320
ongoing journey, and we lose the assurance of his love. All we lose when
73
00:06:34,320 –> 00:06:38,000
we lose sight of the Scripture being God’s word is faith, hope and love. We
74
00:06:38,000 –> 00:06:43,980
lose everything. We lose everything and so when you’re speaking with someone who
75
00:06:44,179 –> 00:06:46,899
talks about the Bible in this way well you know that was in the Old Testament
76
00:06:46,899 –> 00:06:50,279
you know they were just crude ideas and all this kind of thing and and they
77
00:06:50,279 –> 00:06:53,459
betray that they’ve just bought hootline and sinker, this whole
78
00:06:53,459 –> 00:07:02,299
evolutionary view of the Bible. You say you really believe that? And press them
79
00:07:02,299 –> 00:07:07,119
on it. Make this point. How in all the world do you have any basis for faith or
80
00:07:07,119 –> 00:07:12,019
for hope or even for the knowledge of the love of God if God himself has not
81
00:07:12,019 –> 00:07:20,200
spoken? And I feel at this point I just like breathe a huge sigh of relief which
82
00:07:20,200 –> 00:07:24,160
I hope you’ll be breathing with me as well and just say thank God for the word
83
00:07:24,160 –> 00:07:30,980
of Christ, right? Thank God for the word of Christ. Thank God that he has spoken
84
00:07:30,980 –> 00:07:36,700
and that he has spoken to us in his son and that we have the basis of hope in
85
00:07:36,700 –> 00:07:40,140
the difficulties of life and we have a foundation of faith and we have a
86
00:07:40,260 –> 00:07:44,500
genuine knowledge of the love of God who reaches out to us in Jesus Christ
87
00:07:44,500 –> 00:07:50,660
because he himself has said it and he himself has done it. Lose that and you
88
00:07:50,660 –> 00:07:57,500
lose everything. Just a drift on the sea of some kind of human search
89
00:07:57,500 –> 00:08:00,500
that never turns up any great result.
90
00:08:00,739 –> 00:08:04,720
You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called
91
00:08:04,739 –> 00:08:10,140
The Word of God it’s part of our series called soul care and if you’ve missed
92
00:08:10,140 –> 00:08:13,720
any of the series or if you tuned in late today you can always go back and
93
00:08:13,720 –> 00:08:19,519
listen again on our website that’s open the Bible.org.uk or you might find it
94
00:08:19,519 –> 00:08:23,079
easier to keep up with Pastor collinsmiths teaching by using our
95
00:08:23,079 –> 00:08:26,980
podcast service and the messages are available as podcasts on your regular
96
00:08:26,980 –> 00:08:31,920
podcasting site you can follow the link on the website or indeed go straight to
97
00:08:31,980 –> 00:08:36,760
your favorite podcast site search for open the Bible UK and subscribe to
98
00:08:36,760 –> 00:08:41,820
receive regular updates the website address again is open the Bible dot org
99
00:08:41,820 –> 00:08:47,760
dot UK back to the message now we’re in Colossians three here’s Colin thank God
100
00:08:47,760 –> 00:08:52,260
for the Word of Christ what the Word is why it matters now let me encourage you
101
00:08:52,260 –> 00:08:56,640
as soon as we say but yeah that’s what we believe the word of Christ it really
102
00:08:56,640 –> 00:09:01,760
is the Word of God let me encourage you now in what it will produce in your life
103
00:09:01,780 –> 00:09:06,359
if you let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly which is what we’re being
104
00:09:06,359 –> 00:09:12,679
called to here let me point out five things just very quickly the Word of God
105
00:09:12,679 –> 00:09:18,059
dwells in you richly you will grow in strength against temptation and I put
106
00:09:18,059 –> 00:09:22,460
this one in today from First John chapter 2 in verse 14 particularly
107
00:09:22,460 –> 00:09:27,359
thinking about back to school and thinking about our younger people so
108
00:09:27,359 –> 00:09:31,039
all middle school students high school students folks going off to college
109
00:09:31,520 –> 00:09:41,419
listen to this from 1 John 2 14. I write to you young men because you are strong
110
00:09:41,419 –> 00:09:53,859
and the Word of God abides in you and you have overcome the evil one here is
111
00:09:53,859 –> 00:09:57,440
the Apostle John writing to a church and he says now I’ve got a word for all the
112
00:09:57,559 –> 00:10:05,179
people and here’s what I want to say I’m thanking God for a young people in this
113
00:10:14,000 –> 00:10:21,880
you’ve not chosen to go to some church that will entertain you and just put on
114
00:10:21,880 –> 00:10:25,880
a program that will tickle your fancy you’ve immersed yourself in a place
115
00:10:25,880 –> 00:10:30,880
where the Word of God comes into your life and here’s the good that comes
116
00:10:30,880 –> 00:10:35,580
from that here’s why it’s a good idea for a family to root itself in a church
117
00:10:35,580 –> 00:10:41,840
that is serious about the Bible because when the Word of God remains in you
118
00:10:41,840 –> 00:10:46,520
that’s what makes you strong going into the college or the high school or the
119
00:10:46,520 –> 00:10:50,619
middle school that you’re facing and even though you’re young there is
120
00:10:50,619 –> 00:10:54,299
strength in you and it’s being seen in victories over
121
00:10:54,500 –> 00:10:59,679
the evil one standing in the place of temptation and what’s enabling you to
122
00:10:59,679 –> 00:11:04,960
stand is that the Word of God is remaining within you. Make a covenant
123
00:11:04,960 –> 00:11:08,960
today at the beginning of a new school year I’m going to take in the Word of
124
00:11:08,960 –> 00:11:12,200
God every day I’m going to drip feed it into my life I’m going to give it
125
00:11:12,200 –> 00:11:16,739
priority every Sunday and I’m going to give a space for it every day so that
126
00:11:16,739 –> 00:11:21,080
the Word of God dwells richly in me because I need to be strengthened by
127
00:11:21,080 –> 00:11:25,119
that if I’m going to stand in the pressures of the environment in which
128
00:11:25,119 –> 00:11:29,539
God is sending me. But I give you this promise right out of the Word of God
129
00:11:29,539 –> 00:11:32,539
this is what it’s saying that if the Word of God dwells in you richly you
130
00:11:32,539 –> 00:11:36,020
will be able to stand against temptation. And if you’re the sort of person that
131
00:11:36,020 –> 00:11:38,739
rarely cracks a Bible open don’t be surprised if you’re falling for
132
00:11:38,739 –> 00:11:43,719
temptation all the time. There’s a connection there’s something you can do
133
00:11:43,719 –> 00:11:47,880
you can let the Word of God dwell in your richly if you’re not doing that I
134
00:11:48,039 –> 00:11:51,280
want to give you encouragement today here’s how you can grow and strength
135
00:11:51,280 –> 00:11:57,559
second let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly and you will grow in
136
00:11:57,559 –> 00:12:01,400
effectiveness and prayer how would you rate the effectiveness of your prayer
137
00:12:01,400 –> 00:12:09,119
life how could you grow in prayer listen to what Jesus says in John chapter 15 if
138
00:12:09,340 –> 00:12:18,320
you abide in me and watch for it and my words abide in you then ask whatever you
139
00:12:18,320 –> 00:12:23,239
wish and it will be done for you do you notice what Jesus says effectiveness of
140
00:12:23,239 –> 00:12:30,419
prayer arises directly from the Word abiding in your soul if my word abides
141
00:12:30,419 –> 00:12:37,119
in you then effective prayer is going to come out of that so how important is it
142
00:12:37,119 –> 00:12:41,119
that you should be able to pray effectively for your children your
143
00:12:41,119 –> 00:12:46,520
grandchildren your spouse your colleagues your unconverted friends how
144
00:12:46,520 –> 00:12:50,380
much does it matter that you should have an effective ministry of prayer here’s
145
00:12:50,380 –> 00:12:54,799
how you can have it the Word of God abides in you effective prayer will come
146
00:12:54,799 –> 00:12:59,320
out of that the kind of person that really cracks a Bible open in the course
147
00:12:59,320 –> 00:13:04,260
of a week probably isn’t much prayer that’s coming out of you either number
148
00:13:05,000 –> 00:13:08,760
you will grow in wisdom and in discernment I’m coming back to
149
00:13:08,760 –> 00:13:14,200
Colossians 316 here let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly teaching in
150
00:13:14,200 –> 00:13:20,000
admonition one another in all wisdom how am I to navigate my way through the
151
00:13:20,000 –> 00:13:27,640
complexities of life how am I to find my way in all of the difficulties of the
152
00:13:27,640 –> 00:13:33,219
environment that I now face the answer to these questions is in one word in the
153
00:13:33,260 –> 00:13:38,979
Bible it’s the word wisdom and the best way to cultivate wisdom and to become a
154
00:13:38,979 –> 00:13:43,640
wise and discerning person who’s able to navigate your way in life is to go on
155
00:13:43,640 –> 00:13:48,659
thinking God’s thoughts after him which is what happens when the scriptures
156
00:13:48,659 –> 00:13:53,299
having an entrance daily into your life and it’s remaining in your mind and in
157
00:13:53,299 –> 00:14:02,140
your heart it shapes wisdom it will keep you from foolish choices that’s how it
158
00:14:02,340 –> 00:14:07,320
happens number four you will grow in usefulness to others let the Word of
159
00:14:07,320 –> 00:14:12,340
Christ well in you richly teaching and admonishing one another here’s a
160
00:14:12,340 –> 00:14:17,539
beautiful picture of a healthy church here are people in whom the Son of God
161
00:14:17,539 –> 00:14:23,619
lives and now the Word of God is coming into them and dwelling richly in their
162
00:14:23,619 –> 00:14:29,200
hearts another interacting in the course of real life together and someone says
163
00:14:29,260 –> 00:14:32,820
you know I’m really struggling with what’s happening with my 13 year old
164
00:14:32,820 –> 00:14:37,280
daughter or whatever it is and then someone else says you know here’s the
165
00:14:37,280 –> 00:14:41,280
principle that I found in the scriptures that I tried to apply in that situation
166
00:14:41,280 –> 00:14:46,900
and and there’s teaching that’s going on helping each other to apply the Word of
167
00:14:46,900 –> 00:14:54,760
God to the particular situations and circumstances of people in the group now
168
00:14:54,760 –> 00:14:59,140
that can only happen when the folks within the group are letting the Word of
169
00:14:59,140 –> 00:15:03,880
God dwell richly in their own lives, then they’re able to minister to one another
170
00:15:03,880 –> 00:15:08,440
and teach and admonish one another so I challenge you with this think how much
171
00:15:08,440 –> 00:15:15,419
more useful you might be to other believers if the Word of God was
172
00:15:15,419 –> 00:15:22,380
dwelling in you more richly. Let the Word of Christ dwell and you richly it will
173
00:15:22,380 –> 00:15:26,140
increase your usefulness to others and it will bring into your heart growing
174
00:15:26,140 –> 00:15:30,400
joy and thanksgiving which is right here. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you
175
00:15:30,400 –> 00:15:34,760
richly and what comes out of that, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual
176
00:15:34,760 –> 00:15:39,080
songs and all with thankfulness to the Lord. You let the Word of God dwell in
177
00:15:39,080 –> 00:15:44,000
you richly, you’re going to be more thankful than you’ve been and you’re
178
00:15:44,000 –> 00:15:50,599
gonna have greater joy as well. Now understand what we’re being told here
179
00:15:50,700 –> 00:15:57,059
that a rich diet of the Word of God running through a believer’s life is the
180
00:15:57,059 –> 00:16:03,539
way in which spiritual life is fed and it is nourished and the way in which it
181
00:16:03,539 –> 00:16:13,119
grows. And I just to underline this let me put it this way please understand
182
00:16:13,119 –> 00:16:17,780
that when the question, where does spiritual life come from and how is
183
00:16:17,919 –> 00:16:21,880
spiritual life nourished and so forth. When that question is asked there are
184
00:16:21,880 –> 00:16:27,159
three very very different answers that are out there and it’s really important
185
00:16:27,159 –> 00:16:33,080
to distinguish them. Where does spiritual life come from, how is spiritual life
186
00:16:33,080 –> 00:16:39,500
nourished? Let me give you the answer of the cults. The answer of the cults is
187
00:16:39,500 –> 00:16:45,380
it’s in the people around you that’s why the cults always say if you really want
188
00:16:45,380 –> 00:16:51,640
spiritual life you’ve got to join us. You’ve got to be in our group because
189
00:16:51,640 –> 00:16:54,979
the spiritual life lies in this particular group and it doesn’t lie
190
00:16:54,979 –> 00:16:58,099
anywhere else. It lies in the people around you that’s the answer of the
191
00:16:58,099 –> 00:17:02,179
cults, you don’t want to go there. That also by the way was the answer of the
192
00:17:02,179 –> 00:17:06,400
Pharisees and too many evangelical Christians have had the idea that
193
00:17:06,400 –> 00:17:10,199
somehow spiritual life lies in other people being around us. Being connected
194
00:17:10,199 –> 00:17:15,239
to other people will not be a source of spiritual life. That’s not where it
195
00:17:15,800 –> 00:17:18,920
comes from. Oh, it may be a helpful thing that is a one another, but that’s not
196
00:17:18,920 –> 00:17:24,359
what it comes from. Being connected won’t give you spiritual life, not in and of
197
00:17:24,359 –> 00:17:29,619
itself not in those around you. Then there’s the answer of secular
198
00:17:29,619 –> 00:17:33,939
psychology which is of course that spiritual life all flows from the
199
00:17:33,939 –> 00:17:38,459
instincts that are within you. So so you go with that you end up on a long long
200
00:17:38,459 –> 00:17:41,380
journey trawling through everything you’ve ever thought or felt and all this
201
00:17:41,380 –> 00:17:46,500
kind of stuff looking for all the answers inside of you and what a long
202
00:17:46,500 –> 00:17:53,979
journey that is and how discouraging, but the Christian answer is not to say that
203
00:17:53,979 –> 00:17:59,160
spiritual life is found in the people around you nor in the instincts that lie
204
00:17:59,160 –> 00:18:05,339
within you which are a very great mixture indeed but the spiritual life is
205
00:18:05,339 –> 00:18:10,020
found and it is nourished and it grows in the Word of God that is before you.
206
00:18:10,020 –> 00:18:16,079
You are born again through the living and enduring Word of God. A man or a
207
00:18:16,079 –> 00:18:21,900
woman shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the
208
00:18:21,900 –> 00:18:29,020
mouth of God. That’s true for you. Jesus says that. Sanctify them by your truth
209
00:18:29,020 –> 00:18:38,479
says the Lord Jesus to the Father. Your word is truth. So my question then as we
210
00:18:38,619 –> 00:18:42,359
come to our last part in these very last moments, our responsibility to the
211
00:18:42,359 –> 00:18:45,319
Word. We’ve seen what it is and why it matters and what it produces, what it
212
00:18:45,319 –> 00:18:55,660
does. Does the word of God dwell richly in you? Dwell, remain, have an honoured
213
00:18:55,660 –> 00:19:07,119
place. Richly. Not a little but a lot. In any congregation, dear friends, in any
214
00:19:07,119 –> 00:19:16,119
congregation, the same seed of the Word of God produces very different results
215
00:19:16,119 –> 00:19:22,479
in different lives. With some people, it’s like the seed just lands on their life
216
00:19:22,479 –> 00:19:26,439
and it’s gone by the time they’re out the door. It doesn’t remain. Satan picks
217
00:19:26,439 –> 00:19:33,760
it up and off to the next thing. Back next week, same thing. And the
218
00:19:33,760 –> 00:19:38,479
greatest tragedies is to sit under a ministry of the Word of God, week in,
219
00:19:38,479 –> 00:19:43,199
week out, to grow up under it and for the Word of God not to be in you or to
220
00:19:43,199 –> 00:19:49,000
remain in you or to be rich in you. And then you remember how Jesus puts it for
221
00:19:49,000 –> 00:19:52,520
other people. The seed does land and it does get started and it does produce
222
00:19:52,520 –> 00:19:57,760
something but it’s just crowded out. You say I’m a Christian but this isn’t the
223
00:19:57,800 –> 00:20:04,380
that’s most important to you. This isn’t really where your heart is. It’s just all
224
00:20:04,380 –> 00:20:10,900
crowded out and then says Jesus there are others like the well plowed field
225
00:20:10,900 –> 00:20:15,420
and the seed of the Word of God comes into your life and it produces an
226
00:20:15,420 –> 00:20:22,479
abundant harvest and it can be 30 and it can be 60 and it can be a hundredfold
227
00:20:22,640 –> 00:20:29,680
you look at lives over years and you say look at what God has done is the Word of
228
00:20:29,680 –> 00:20:38,319
God dwelling richly in you producing this wonderful fruit I encourage you
229
00:20:38,319 –> 00:20:45,359
determined to make the most of every Sunday we gather to feast around the
230
00:20:45,359 –> 00:20:50,640
word of God and to nourish strength of faith to face the realities of life
231
00:20:50,640 –> 00:20:58,140
together and be part of a life group and keep your life group focused on the Word
232
00:20:58,140 –> 00:21:03,619
of God and agree together within your life group let’s be the kind of group
233
00:21:03,619 –> 00:21:08,800
that really does practice teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom as
234
00:21:08,800 –> 00:21:13,619
the Word of God dwells in us richly let’s do that let’s be that kind of
235
00:21:13,619 –> 00:21:19,739
people and that kind of church and in order to do that maybe you make a
236
00:21:19,739 –> 00:21:23,459
commitment today and say you know I need to get the Bible open every day in my
237
00:21:23,459 –> 00:21:27,699
life and take something from the Word of God and start feeding myself on it
238
00:21:27,699 –> 00:21:31,959
because I need more of this wonderful fruit that is coming from the Word of
239
00:21:31,959 –> 00:21:43,359
God in my life let friends the Word of Christ dwell in you richly richly
240
00:21:43,359 –> 00:21:48,760
right reminder there from Colin that the Word of God should dwell in us richly
241
00:21:48,800 –> 00:21:53,020
you’ve been listening to open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and today’s
242
00:21:53,020 –> 00:21:57,800
message called the word of God and it’s part of our series called soul care and
243
00:21:57,800 –> 00:22:01,260
if you’ve missed any of the series to date or if you’d like to go back and
244
00:22:01,260 –> 00:22:05,739
listen again you can do that by coming online to our website open the Bible
245
00:22:05,739 –> 00:22:11,699
org.uk or you can find us as a podcast go to your favorite podcast site
246
00:22:11,699 –> 00:22:16,839
search for open the Bible UK and subscribe to receive regular updates
247
00:22:17,020 –> 00:22:21,760
also on our website you’ll find open the Bible daily and that’s a series of short
248
00:22:21,760 –> 00:22:26,760
two to three minute reflections every day based on Pastor Colin Smith’s
249
00:22:26,760 –> 00:22:30,959
teaching and read in the UK by Sue McLeish and again you can find that on
250
00:22:30,959 –> 00:22:36,599
the website or as a podcast open the Bible is listener supported it’s your
251
00:22:36,599 –> 00:22:40,579
generosity that keeps Pastor Colin’s teaching on this station and online
252
00:22:40,579 –> 00:22:45,540
thank you if you already give regularly if that’s something you’ve been thinking
253
00:22:45,540 –> 00:22:49,239
about doing if you’re able to set up a regular gift to the work of open the
254
00:22:49,239 –> 00:22:54,079
Bible in the amount of £5 per month or more, this month we’d love to thank
255
00:22:54,079 –> 00:22:58,719
you by sending you a copy of Chris Lungard’s book the enemy within
256
00:22:58,719 –> 00:23:02,959
straight talking about the power and defeat of sin. Colin for those of us
257
00:23:02,959 –> 00:23:06,280
not familiar with Chris Lungard what can you tell us about him
258
00:23:06,280 –> 00:23:11,520
Well Chris Lungard has done a brilliant job of describing the battle that
259
00:23:12,219 –> 00:23:18,359
against sin and pointing us in the direction of how we can prevail in that
260
00:23:18,359 –> 00:23:22,699
battle. Now the Bible speaks about this very clearly especially in Romans
261
00:23:22,699 –> 00:23:28,040
chapter 8 in verse 13. We’ve got to put to death the misdeeds of the body by the
262
00:23:28,040 –> 00:23:32,640
power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us that’s the ongoing battle of
263
00:23:32,640 –> 00:23:38,040
the Christian life. I think one of the most insightful writers in all of human
264
00:23:38,040 –> 00:23:42,459
history on this is a Puritan writer by the name of John Owen.
265
00:23:42,459 –> 00:23:49,119
He wrote on the battle against sin in a profoundly helpful way. You’ve got to
266
00:23:49,119 –> 00:23:54,400
know what sin you’re up against, you’ve got to find where it’s lurking in your
267
00:23:54,400 –> 00:23:59,119
heart and then you’ve got to be ruthless in giving it no quarter in putting it to
268
00:23:59,119 –> 00:24:03,979
death, that’s Romans chapter 8 and verse 13 but the problem with John Owen is
269
00:24:04,119 –> 00:24:09,640
that he was a 17th century Puritan and he wrote hundreds of pages that are quite
270
00:24:09,640 –> 00:24:15,680
difficult to read and the genius of Chris Lungard is that he has taken the
271
00:24:15,680 –> 00:24:20,760
insights of John Owen, some of the richest insights into the battle of the
272
00:24:20,760 –> 00:24:26,079
Christian life in history, and he has put these in clear and contemporary and
273
00:24:26,079 –> 00:24:31,699
compelling terms and that is why this is such a wonderful book. It is brilliantly
274
00:24:31,900 –> 00:24:38,140
titled the enemy within, straight talk about the power and defeat of sin. Anyone
275
00:24:38,140 –> 00:24:43,099
who wants to prevail in their battle against sin should read this book. It is
276
00:24:43,099 –> 00:24:47,599
wonderfully practical, wonderfully encouraging and wonderfully helpful.
277
00:24:47,599 –> 00:24:52,020
Well we’d love to send you a copy of this book, to thank you for setting up a
278
00:24:52,020 –> 00:24:55,560
new donation to the work of Open the Bible this month. There are full details
279
00:24:55,859 –> 00:25:02,760
on our website openthebible.org.uk. For open the Bible and pastor Colin Smith
280
00:25:02,760 –> 00:25:07,540
im David Pick and I hope you’ll join us again next time.
281
00:25:10,859 –> 00:25:19,939
Should we as Christians fear God or love God? Find out next time on Open the Bible
