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Studying for the Final Exam - J. Kennedy · Faith On A Hill

• 0:09
  When I was still in high school and even before, if I made a bad grade on my tests or my quiz, my mom or dad would look at me and they'd they'd ask me one question in particular.
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  Did you study?
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  Did you prepare for this test, for this quiz?
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  Now, of course, if I said the answer was no, well, there might be some punishment going alongside of that.
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  But if it was, yes, I did study and I still made a bad grade, then it was a an approach of, well, what's what's wrong?
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  Why didn't you understand it?
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  Why didn't you retain it?
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  Let's figure this out and help you to get it right the next time.
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  But as we think about the idea of of studying, of tests coming up, for those who have tests coming up, we know that that's a a stressful thing.
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  But the ease of the test, the easy
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  Feeling that you get when you're going through a test is if you studied.
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  If you've prepared for the test, you're not worried about the test.
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  Regardless of what age you are, regardless of what stage of life you're in, every single person in this room has a test that's coming up.
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  We all have a test that is approaching.
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  The question that comes to us then is are we studying for it?
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  Are we preparing for the test that's to come?
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  Paul in 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse number 16, or verse number 15, rather, he writes something that I want us to really consider.
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  And study together this evening for a few moments.
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  He writes, Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
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  Now, this is often quoted in the Lord's church, but stop and consider what's being said here.
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  As Paul is writing to Timothy, his son in the faith, his his protege, we might say, the one that he is mentoring.
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  He writes to him and tells him to study, the King James says.
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  The new King James says, give diligence.
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  It's the idea of giving your all, of taking time, of considering, of pondering, of putting effort in to being found approved of God.
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  Now, as Paul addresses this idea of being found show thyself approved unto God, he says that if you're going to
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  Show yourself approved unto God.
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  If you're going to put your all into being approved by God, then there are a few things you need to do.
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  Number one, he says, a workman that needs not to be ashamed.
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  When we are going to be approved by God, if we're going to be found right in God's sight, then we need to be found as people who are willing to work.
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  As people people who are willing to serve one another, of course.
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  But also, more importantly, to work in God's kingdom, doing things that honor Him, that lead souls to Him.
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  We sing the song sometimes that we we're working in the vineyard, in the vineyard of the Lord.
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  I will work, I will pray, I will labor every day in the vineyard of the Lord.
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  If we want to be found pleasing in God's sight, we need to be a worker.
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  We need to be workers.
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  Then he also says, rightly dividing the word of truth.
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  Now, this is where the study aspect comes into play.
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  It's not a simple, well, let me let the Bible fall open where it where it lies, and I'll read a passage or two, and that covers my bases, right?
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  I'll just read a few verses and that covers the idea of studying, of rightly dividing God's word.
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  No.
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  No, when when Paul talks to Timothy here and he says to
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  To rightly divide the word of truth, there's effort that has to be taken.
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  There there is a diligence that must be found in one's approach to scripture.
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  Not a haphazard I'll read it, I'll skim it as I would any other book.
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  No, this is the word of God.
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  This is a letter from God to us to to tell us how to live, to show us what good things can come, to remind us that He's always there for us.
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  As a friend, as a father, wanting his children to be with him.
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  And so as we think about the idea of studying, we need to understand that you can cram for a test, but do you really know the material?
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  Well, we can we can have some interaction with God's word on Sundays and Wednesdays, but is that enough to truly rightly divide the word of truth?
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  Is that enough to truly understand what God is wanting you to know?
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  And I'd argue it's not.
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  If we are to be found acceptable in God's sight, and then this is not just to you all, this is starting behind me and going forward.
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  If we want to be found acceptable in God's sight, we have to study his word.
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  We have to take time out of our day to sit down and sit down and to read God's word and to ask ourselves.
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  Why did God leave this for me?
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  The Bible is a wonderful and amazing book that has been preserved for thousands of years.
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  And every text has a meaning.
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  Every passage has a purpose for being in there.
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  As you study, as you look at God's word, ask yourself, why is this here?
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  Ask yourself, what is God wanting me to know about Him, about my life?
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  About the life that's to come.
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  What is God wanting me to know about sin and how to avoid it, how to overcome it?
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  What is God wanting me to know about how to treat one another?
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  All these topics and more can be found in Scripture.
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  And it's up to us as readers, as students of God's Word to study, to give diligence, to put our all into looking at what God has said.
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  And trying our hardest to follow it.
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  Trying our hardest to be found acceptable in God's sight.
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  One thing that we all find as we look through the pages of scripture is it serves as a mirror, reflecting back to us the image that maybe we don't want to see.
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  Maybe it's an image of one who is not a member of the Lord's church, of one who has not never submitted to God's plan.
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  Salvation is available.
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  God's word tells us why we need salvation and that it is available to all who will obey.
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  His plan is simple.
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  But as most of us in here this evening are Christians, when we look at God's word, when we look at the pages of Scripture and see it as the mirror that it is, reflecting back to us
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  who we are and how we measure up to God.
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  And how we measure up to his standard, maybe it's the case tonight that you look at your life and you say, I'm not measuring up.
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  I see where I my faults are and I want to make that right.
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  No matter what your need is, we want you, and God wants you to be found acceptable, to be found approved in his sight.
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  And if we can help you to be found approved, then come forward now as we stand and as we sing.
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  I am kind of friend in Jesus.
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  Everything to me is a fest of ten thousand to my soul the valley in him alone.
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  I see all I need to glance and make me fully whole.
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  In sorrow each my comfort, in trouble each my stay.
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  He tells me every care on him to roll.
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  The bright and morning star, he's a fairest of ten thousand in my soul.
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  He will never, never leave me.
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  Yet forsake me here while I live by faith and do his blessed will.
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  Oh water about me I've nothing now to fear with this man I my hungry soul shall fill.
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  Then sweeping up to glory to see his blessed face where rivers of delight shall ever row He's the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star, he's the fairest of ten thousand
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  in my soul.