Do We Have To Be Spoon-Fed Into Heaven?
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesOf all people on earth, Americans have the blessing and privilege of having easy access to a Bible. There are Bibles everywhere, in every version (or perversion) imaginable. And yet, we don’t appreciate the easy access we are afforded in having a Bible close at hand, because we very rarely open them — even in Bible class.
As an adult Bible class teacher, I’m appalled at the lackadaisical attitude some members display when they come to Bible class not having their Bibles. After all, do we not gather in a Bible class setting to study the Bible? Where has the enthusiasm to study God’s word gone? (cf. Psalm 1:1-2; Titus 2:11-14).
We should have the same enthusiasm to study God’s word as we do when we attend a sporting event. Do we just sit there, waiting for someone to entertain us, or do we look forward to opening our Bibles and eagerly participating in class?
When I ask a member of the class to read the Scriptures, it is almost like pulling teeth for someone to speak up and participate. Why is this? I believe it has to do with simple laziness — we want someone to spoon-feed us into heaven without our having to do much of anything.
One of the reasons the church is not growing, is simply because we have grown lazy in our affluent and technologically advanced society. So much so, that if something doesn’t happen instantaneously, we become upset and go on to something else more entertaining.
Brethren, God does not want Christians who have to be spoon-fed into heaven. In fact, the very word “study” in 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV, and the use of the word “diligence” in 2 Timothy 2:15 ASV, gives us the idea that we ourselves are to intensely look into the Book — not to be spoon-fed from it.
About twenty to thirty years ago, churches of Christ used to have a board at the front of their auditoriums which displayed the total attendance at the worship service, along with a sign which read: “Daily Bible Class Readers.” Every Sunday morning, the preacher would ask, “How many folks have read their Bibles every day this week?” The total would then be put on the board to encourage those members who had not read their Bibles every day, to start doing so (cf. Acts 17:11).
For the most part, those signs have disappeared. Why? The answer is obvious. Very few members of the church want to read their Bibles anymore, and that’s a shame — not only to the church, but to the Lord who died for it (Acts 20:28; Hebrews 9:14).
This writer has spent countless hours writing and posting Bible study articles and other Bible-related information to this Bible study blog. Let’s not be lazy in printing out this information and using it to teach others about the many spiritual benefits of reading and studying the Bible. Knowing, understanding, and making proper application of God’s word is the only way we will ever gain entrance into that eternal abode (cf. Ephesians 3:1-21; Colossians 1:1-29; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10).
Brethren, let’s not be lazy in the reading and study of God’s word, and let’s not be lazy in teaching others the benefits of Bible study (2 Timothy 2:1-2; Hebrews 5:12-14). As co-workers with God (1 Corinthians 3:9; cf. Acts 15:4; 2 Corinthians 10:8-18), we have to carry some other folks with us to heaven (cf. Psalm 51:10-13; Proverbs 11:30; Daniel 12:1-3; James 5:20), and we can’t spoon-feed ourselves in that effort.
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