Get It?

There was a woman who would always say to the preacher following his sermons, "Boy, you sure gave it to them this morning! You sure preached at them today!" However, one day, due to very bad weather conditions she found herself the only one able to show up for services. The preacher decided since she was there he might as well preach as usual. When he was through he was very interested to see how the lesson impacted her. As she prepared to exit the building she turned to him and said, "Boy, if they had been here they sure would have gotten it today."

I don't direct my preaching at any one person, though it does need to relate to the congregation in some way. Some lessons may be more needed than others by particular individuals, but there is always something there within the message of God's Word to be picked up. I know as I preach I need to be concerned whether or not the message of God -- from the Scriptures looked at -- is GOTTEN. It is more important for me to get people "sold" than merely "told". Still, there is an individual responsibility to look for and receive personally the message God desires to bring to our hearts. We miss out on much when we approach the Scriptures from the standpoint of how they relate to everyone else. It would be a mistake also for me to preach and fail to GET what I must apply to myself from the passages on which we focused.

Regarding the Scriptures, Paul wrote. . .
"(16) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for TEACHING, for REPROOF, for CORRECTION, and for TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, (17) that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." ( 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)

If the passage is teaching then I need to GET the point. If the verse reproves (or rebukes), then I need to GET what is out of place in my life and respond appropriately. If the Scripture is correcting, then I need to GET the understanding of how parallel my life is to the truth of God's Word. And if the passage is training in what is right, then I need to GET that training being offered. It is only through this personal focus that I can GET equipped for the work in which God intends for me to be involved.

GET IT? Do I? Do you? Let us pray we do; for that is God's blessing and will for us!

Have a great day GETTING THE PERSONAL APPLICATION GOD PRESENTS!
Carl

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[This focus was originally sent 02/05/1999 (Edited some with passage changed to ESV)]

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