Not Just What, But What To Do

I remember the first time I heard the Bible taught in a way that I not only understood what God's word said, but I also know what to do with what God's word said. I was at a BigStuf Conference at Union University, & this skinny youth pastor from First Baptist Church in Atlanta walked on stage. From the moment he began sharing from God's word I was drawn in & hooked. He happened to be teaching on sex & purity so he had every teenage boy's attention for a little longer than he might normally, but the hook was set. And he didn't set the hook with something flashy; he set the hook with the truth from God's word. I remember one phrase to this day, "Purity paves the way to intimacy." The point he was making we don't abstain from sexual sin simply out of fear or religious duty. Instead we pursue purity because it leads us to the thing that sexual sin promises but never can deliver: real intimacy, an authentic relationship with someone else that is unlike any other.

Well, that youth pastor was a guy you probably have heard of. His name is Andy Stanley, & those messages that night at the conference are a sort of spiritual mile marker for me. It showed me God's word could be understood & acted upon. It wasn't just another subject to memorize like math equations or historical dates. That practical biblical teaching stirred a hunger in me for God's word that I had never had. Thankfully, I also had a new youth pastor at our church who taught in the same way. He didn't just teach us the Bible; he taught us what to do with the Bible. 

As I've grown up, gone into ministry myself, & taught God's word more times than I can count I've learned an irrefutable truth:

"Application, Not Information, Leads To Transformation."

This truth explains so many of our experiences. It explains why we know people who've only been in church a few months who seem to be growing at warp speed & why we know people who've been in church for decades who still seem to be cold & detached from God & His will. It's because it doesn't matter how often you go to church or how many sermons you hear. It's about what you do with what you hear in those sermons. If you put God's word into practice, it transforms you. If you simply store it away in your memory banks, you will never experience Christ-like transformation. 

That means that guys like me have a huge responsibility. We have to make sure that our teaching is not only biblical but that it's also practical. Biblical teaching & preaching teaches us the Bible, but practical biblical teaching & preaching teaches us the Bible & what to do with the Bible. It asks hard questions. It forces us to wrestle with God's truth & whether it's being trusted in the way we live our lives. Practical biblical teaching removes the excuses of "I don't understand it," or "It's boring" & instead makes the issue a trust issue, a faith issue. It's at that point that our faith can be stretched & therefore strengthened as we surrender new parts of our lives to Christ as we're challenged by His will as revealed in His word. That's why it's so crucial that we not simply teach what God's word says but also help each other understand what to do with it.