Latest / The Daily Word / August 3 – Missing the Point
Transcript
- Brandon: Well, welcome once again to another episode of the Daily Word Podcast. My name is Brandon, and I am one of the pastors here at our church. And on behalf of all of our pastors, and in particular our senior pastors, Pastors Gill and Debbie, let me just say again, it's such a privilege and honor to have you with us as a part of this podcast. We're in August. We are all already halfway through the year. And rounding the corner into what will be a one-year completion of the Daily Word podcast. And I really hope that this has blessed you, that's helpful for you. And like I say often, if this is helpful and if you're finding this is an encouragement to you, share this with somebody. Help us to keep on spreading the word and helping encourage people by sharing this. post it on your social, send it to a friend, whatever, whatever you gotta do. Help us get the word out so we can get more people spending time with God on a daily word basis. That is the goal of this. The goal of this is first and foremost to provide an encouragement each day, but secondly, to remind you that God wants to spend time with you. There's no more valuable thing that you can do every day than to spend time with God. And part of how we spend time with God, it is through opening the Bible and letting God speak to us. So every day on the Daily Word Podcast, we are taking just 10 minutes or less. We're opening to the New Testament portion of the Life Journal reading plan, the reading plan that we use as a church. And we're sharing with you something that we've caught from the scripture that God is speaking to us, that God can also speak to you. Today, August the third, we are in John chapter 5. And I want to read to you from John chapter 5, verse 38 through 39. Jesus is talking to the religious leaders, and here's what he says. He says, But you do not have his word abiding in you, because whom he sent, him you do not believe. Now listen to this, it's the key for to today's insight. You search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of me. The title of my journal entry today simply is this: Missing the point. Can I ask you a question today? Are you missing the point? When it comes to the things that you're doing in relationship with God, when it comes to your church attendance, when it comes to your worship, when it comes to your listening to the Daily Word podcast, when it comes to your prayer, your time in the scripture, whatever it may be, the things that you are doing, are you missing the point? Because if we're not careful, like the religious believers, we can often miss the point. Here in the scripture, what Jesus is telling them is. Is that they do indeed have a devotion to the scripture. They do indeed have a devotion to religious activity. They are, in fact, the religious leaders. They are amongst the most religious and the most strict and the most legalistic, if you will. And yet he says, in all the things that you're doing, you're missing the point. He says, in particular, you're searching the scriptures because in them you think you're gonna find eternal life. If I will do all these things. And I'll know this book, then I will be right with God. And he says, But don't you know? These are they which testify of me. In other words, the point of the scripture, it is to reveal to us the person of Jesus. Jesus, He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the only way to the Father and the point of everything we are doing. It is to see Jesus, to know Jesus. To hear his voice, to follow him, to walk with him, to become more like him. Jesus is the point. You know, often if we're not careful reading our Bible, we we can forget that Jesus is the point. From the Old Testament all the way to the New Testament, the scripture testifies, tells us of Jesus. One of my favorite examples of this is David and Goliath. We can read stories like David and Goliath and go, yep, that's me. I'm David. I'm I'm I'm David, I'm superimposing myself into this Bible story as David, and I am gonna conquer the giants and Goliaths of my life. And while there's maybe some truth to that, that there are seasons where, yeah, there's giants in front of us, and God enables us, like he did David, to through his grace conquer those giants. Here is the point of David and Goliath. It's not it's not that, it's that Jesus. was David. David and Goliath is a type and a shadow, a foreshadowing of what Jesus would do. David is Jesus. We are the children of Israel who were shaken in their boots, afraid, powerless against Goliath. Goliath is a picture of sin. Goliath is a picture of of of the the the the the sin and the inability we had to overcome that in our own strength and and and ability. And Jesus, like David, Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves. David defeated Goliath. Jesus defeated sin, death, hell in the grave. David cut off Goliath's head and led Israel in victory. Jesus has defeated and conquered sin, death, hell in the grave. He's made a way for us to the Father, and now He leads us in victory. Jesus is the point. I think it even applies to our going to church. Well, I'm going to church because I'm checking the box. No, I'm going to church because I want to meet Jesus. I want to hear his voice. I want to be in his presence. I want to be, be, be in a place where I can, where I can sense and know his reality in everything we do. The point is not the religious activity. The point is knowing God, seeing God, hearing God, being with God, and becoming more like him. And so again, the title today for my journal entry, it is Missing the Point. And my question again is, are you missing the point? And here would be my application today. And everything I'm doing as it relates to spiritual, religious, God-centered activity, am I making it about Jesus? Is it about checking the box? Is it about the activity? Or is it about me seeing, knowing, hearing, and becoming more like him? How would that change the way that you approach the things you do? That rather than approaching them religiously, if you came to your secret place time every day and said, Jesus, today I want to be with you. I want to hear your voice. I want to sense your presence. I want to sit here with you. Like I'm sitting with a good friend over a cup of coffee. Jesus, I want to sit with you today and I want to hear your voice. it could change. It could change everything in how you approach God. So, Lord Jesus, would you help us today to not be like the religious leaders doing religious activity but missing the point? No, would you help us to see that you are the point? And in everything we're doing, would we pursue, seek after, and find ourselves in your presence, seeing you, hearing you, knowing you, becoming more like you. We thank you for it today. In Jesus' name, amen. Hey, I hope that was an encouragement to you. I hope it brought some insight to you. And I hope to see you tomorrow. On another episode of the Daily Word Podcast. Love you so much. We'll see you tomorrow. God bless you today.