HoHum:
Mark Lowry says we are fighting the battle of the B’s: Baldness, bifocals, bridges, bulges, bowlegged knees and bunions.
WBTU:
Read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Outwardly we are wasting away. We don’t like to hear that but it’s true. Saw Michael Jordan play basketball in the NBA when he was 40. Played for the Washington Wizards and I thought he did a great job- scored several points. However, the standings at the end of that season showed a losing record for his team. What was the difference? Several things but the main thing was that Michael Jordan was 40 years old. Reflexes slow down; the elasticity goes; eyesight isn’t as keen; memory fades. If our focus is on this life only, then the older we get, the more discouraged we will be, because no matter how well we try to eat, or how much we exercise or jog, we still get older. Eugene Christian wrote a book called How to Live to Be One Hundred- he died at the age of 69. Out of desperation people quit. They may not quit life, but they quit their jobs, they quit their marriages, they quit the straight life, they quit the church and they chase after some fantasy of youth. To paraphrase Paul says, “Let’s be honest; outwardly we’re wasting away, but inwardly we are being renewed day by day. We don’t quit because our focus isn’t on this body, it’s on the spirit. Instead of developing the body, we develop the soul. The spirit inside is going to live forever, so we don’t lose heart.”
If you are a senior citizen, the younger Christians need you to set an example of a Christian spirit. Love the song, “It gets sweeter as the days go by.” As the outward body wastes away, set an example of what it is to be renewed inwardly day by day.
That’s nice but how did those sweet elderly Christians get that way. Must renew our spirits everyday. “Growing Old Ain’t For Wimps”- Best to start when we are young. When we are babies, we are feed by our parents. As we grow, we start to feed ourselves. Then we do not need help anymore, “I can do it by myself.” The same is true spiritually. When a babe in Christ, need help to feed my soul. Just starting to use the Bible and prayer and make many messes. However, through time and practice we are able to feed our souls without any help from others. Now, this talk is on an individual level, there is food for our souls in fellowshipping with other Christians and in corporate worship. But what if there is there is little help from others, corporate worship is not feeding us, how are we going to feed our souls? For so many this is true, “Our bodies are overfeed while our spirits are starving.” So many never pick up a Bible or really pray, have a time with the Lord throughout the week, and there spirits are starving and the sad part is they have no idea of how to feed themselves. They will die!
“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22, NIV. Used to watch the show Survivor- cast complained that many of the contestants were so lethargic- why? Because they had nothing to eat. Problem with many Christians today.
Bible bowl helped me to be able to feed myself. “Bible bowl is a way of life”- wish more viewed it that way. Never really went that far in competitions- oh, had my moments of achievement, those awards are sitting on a shelf in a church basement. What remains- a well feed soul, a renewed soul.
Thesis: How can we be renewed day by day?
For instances:
I. By a daily encounter with the Word of God
I believe in the Book of Books. This is the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God. It is not just a history book. It is not just a book of moral lessons. It is not just our text that we study so we can win a game. No, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12, NIV. And as we read this and the Word enters our mind, our minds become renewed. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2, NIV.
Our minds are constantly programmed by the world’s system. We need to have our minds renewed, transformed. We do that when we engage with the Word. Bible bowl helps with that
Doctors Karni and Ungerleider of the National Institute of Mental Health did a fascinating study asking subjects to perform a simple motor task- a finger tapping exercise. As subjects tapped, the doctors conducted an MRI to identify what part of the brain was being activated. The subjects then practiced the finger tapping exercise daily for 4 weeks. At the end of the 4 week period, the brain scan was repeated. In each instance, it revealed that the area of the brain involved in the task had expanded. That simple task- finger tapping exercise- literally recruited new nerve cells and rewired neuronal connections. When we study Scripture, we are recruiting new nerve cells and rewiring neuronal connections. In a sense, we are downloading a new operating system that reconfigures the mind. Our brains are rewired in alignment with the Word, and we develop the mind of Christ. What an inspiration for Bible bowl!
II. By a daily time of prayer and repentance
The Lord communicates to us through the Word and we communicate to the Lord through prayer. A wise man said, “Prayer is the better part of study.” Bible bowl emphasizes prayer
When reading through the Word, many times I pause and pray as directed by the Word. Move in our day to pray through the Word, use Scripture to guide our prayers.
Had a constant struggle with a certain sin in my life- was engaging in that sin and the Holy Spirit took Scriptures I had learned in Bible bowl (mainly from 1 Corinthians) and helped me to “renounced secret and shameful ways” 2 Corinthians 4:2, NIV. Had prayers of repentance and asked the Lord, “What should I do to get this thing out of my life?” The Lord gave me answers, answers that I did not like so that pattern kept going on. This sin was taking control of my life, “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” John 8:34, NIV. Through prayer, the Lord again gave answers of how to get help- had enough and so did what the Lord said to do. Almost lost it all but now I have freedom. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17, NIV. Can that temptation again take control of my life- Oh yes- “Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.” Ezekiel 18:30, NIV. This is why I continually need to feed my soul through the Word and prayer. ““Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”” Matthew 26:41. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” 1 Peter 5:8, 9. “Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death.”
III. By a daily worship experience
I constantly go back to worship songs and this helps me to praise the Lord. Worship renews us. It gives us a new perspective. In life it is easy to get tunnel vision. Focus on a problem so much that the problem just gets bigger and bigger. Worship renews us by getting our eyes off the problems, the tough situations, and focusing them on the one who is greater than all of this. When we worship, we are lifting up our spiritual eyes and see that God is greater than our problems. Much like 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Paul exhorted the Colossians this way “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2. Give Biblical example
David and his 600 men are outside of Israel because of King Saul’s jealousy. They live in a Philistine town called Ziklag and from Ziklag they raid the enemies of Israel and live on the plunder. On one such raid, as they came back home, the smoke was descending into the sky. Upon arrival they discover that their families had been taken captive by the Amalekites. Their despair was real. “So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.” 1 Samuel 30:4, NIV. Everyone was upset. “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.” 1 Samuel 30:6, NIV. How did David find strength in the Lord his God? Everyone there, his companions and spiritual advisors, were disheartened and unable to offer any advise, they wanted to stone him. No one was there to feed David so David had to feed himself. Knowing David he went away from everyone and began to worship. From that, David's perspective changed. David had learned to get his eyes off of the problems and onto God. I think as David began to adore His God, he began to think about all the times when God had helped him. God had delivered him from the paw of the lion, the paw of the bear, and the hand of Goliath. David began to think, “God has delivered me time and time again. He can deliver me now as well.” The account goes on in 1 Samuel 30 that they went after the Amalekites and they got everyone and everything back. David was renewed and able to go on and renew his men. Remembered what God had taught him, Bible bowlers remember too
Paul and Silas did the same thing in prison, beaten, in shackles, yet they praised God and it wasn’t long before the place shook with God’s power and they were renewed.
So What?
Don’t quit. It just may be that we are almost home. That’ why we need to sing about Heaven- we need to sing those songs about “when the roll is called up yonder”. We need to remind ourselves that “some glad morning, I’ll fly away”, and “This world is not my home, I’m just passing through.” We need to sing about being “in the sweet by and by.” These songs help us to focus our eyes on the goal. We may be almost there, so we don’t quit. “I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14, NIV.
