Discipline & Devotion to His Word
The sermon emphasizes the importance of discipline and devotion to God's Word in developing godliness and the mind of Christ, leading to a good destiny.
Bishop M.A. Lalachan delves into the restlessness of the human heart, quoting Saint Augustine's profound words that our hearts are restless until they find rest in God. He emphasizes the insatiable nature of human desires and the futility of seeking satisfaction in worldly things. The sermon highlights the importance of turning to the Bible for godly wisdom, as it provides guidance for every aspect of life. Through the example of King David, known for his love for God's Word, Bishop Lalachan stresses the transformative power of discipline and devotion to Scripture in shaping our character and aligning our will with God's.
Text
Saint Augustine said "thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee..." There is an inherent restlessness in everything. Nobody can possibly describe all the restlessness of life. . First, human desire is never satisfied: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing. Nor is the ear ever satisfied with hearing. Nothing in itself will satisfy. No Things, no pleasure, no relationship, nothing we accumulated had enduring value in life.
The most obvious source of godly wisdom is the Bible. You cannot think of a question or life circumstance about which God's Word is silent. His principles for right character, conduct& conversation apply to every situation & decision confronting human beings. David was the greatest king to rule the nation of Israel and a man after His (the Lord's) own heart (I Sam. 13:14). The key to his greatness is: His love for the Word of God: Oh, how I love your law! it is my meditation all the day (Ps. 119:97); Godliness & mind of Christ is the result of Discipline & devotion to His word.
We cannot be influenced by that which we do not know.1 Timothy 4:7 "Train yourself for godliness;" The more we expose our lives to the Christ's righteous life, the more his image will be burned into our character. It bends our wills to God's will. We must let God's Word draw our lines of conduct. An old saying sums it up: "Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny."No computer will ever be able to think God's thoughts or know the heart of God or do his works. But it's what the brain was created for--to have the mind of Christ. "We are created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).
Sermon Outline
- I. Human Desire is Never Satisfied
- A. The eye is not satisfied with seeing.
- B. The ear is not satisfied with hearing.
- II. The Bible is the Source of Godly Wisdom
- A. God's Word is silent on no question or life circumstance.
- B. His principles apply to every situation and decision.
- III. Discipline and Devotion to God's Word
- A. Leads to godliness and the mind of Christ.
- B. Bends our wills to God's will.
- IV. The Importance of Exposing Ourselves to God's Word
- A. His image is burned into our character.
- B. We must let God's Word draw our lines of conduct.
Key Quotes
“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.” — Bishop M.A. Lalachan
“Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.” — Bishop M.A. Lalachan
“We are created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” — Bishop M.A. Lalachan
Application Points
- We must let God's Word draw our lines of conduct in every situation and decision.
- Through discipline and devotion to God's Word, we can develop godliness and the mind of Christ.
- Exposing ourselves to God's Word is essential in burning His image into our character.