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Today's Program

Program Extras

What You Read & Be Careful

Series: Winning the Day Spiritually
Dr. Woodrow Kroll
July 3, 2009

Woodrow Kroll: Jesus said "Watch and pray that you may not enter the temptation." Now that's pretty straight forward talk. What does it mean and how does it play out in our lives today? That's what we'll look at on Back to the Bible. Hi, I'm Woodrow Kroll.

Tami Weissert: And I'm Tami Weissert. All week we've been looking at how to win our day spiritually. And we've been looking at things, Dr. Kroll, to be careful about. Careful what we see; careful where we go; careful what we do. And Jesus' words "Watch and pray" takes on that same tone.

Woodrow Kroll: Really "Watch and pray" means be vigilant and pray at the same time. It's another way of saying "Be careful."

Tami Weissert: OK, we have two more "Be carefuls" today. We're going to zero in on be careful what you read and be careful to be prayerful.

Woodrow Kroll: Yeah, Jesus knew firsthand what the world would offer you would never ever make it easier for you to win the day. In fact it makes it harder. But what God offers you makes it easier for you to win the day every day. Now, how do you buy into that? How do you tap into that kind of power? That's what we want to find out today on Back to the Bible.

You know, temptation is everywhere. Listen to what the New Living Testament translates 1 Peter 5:8-9. I love this translation. It says,

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone he can devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same thing that you're suffering right now" (1 Peter 5:8-9, NLT).

Now there are three things that jump off the page at me in those verses. Number one, it tells me I'm not alone in the difficulty I'm going through right now. The temptation that you face right now--hey, you're not the only person facing that temptation. Our Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are facing exactly the same thing.

Secondly, I learn from this that I need to stay alert to what the devil is doing in my life so I know how to combat the devil. I need to be constantly vigilant. I need to be looking; knowing his strategy, and watching for that strategy playing out in my life.

And thirdly, I need to stand firm against Satan by standing firm in my faith.

Now, isn't it interesting all three of these things relate to my ability to spend time in God's Word and take what I get from God's Word and translate it into my life. See, the issue is not how much of the Bible do I go through every year. The issue is how much of the Bible goes through me every year. You can't let the Bible go through you unless you go through it.

That's why we encourage you here every day on this program to get into God's Word and spend some significant time in there. But here's the key. If you want to win the day you have to get into God's Word and spend some significant time there. There is a direct relationship between the time you spend in God's Word and your ability to beat Satan at trying to keep you from growing to spiritual maturity.

Now, I said there are ten admonitions; ten pieces of advice that come right out of the Bible. We've already gone through eight of them. Let me just buzz through them very quickly. Be careful where you get your advice; number one. Number two, be careful what you look at. Number three, be careful where you go. Number four, be careful what you do. Five, be careful how you walk. Six, be careful what you want. Seven, be careful what you say, and eight, be careful what or how you feel.

Now, the final two, if you want to win the day spiritually, your day spiritually, number nine, be careful what you read. Now, for a lot of people today that's not a problem because they don't read anything. And that may in fact be the problem.

Back in 2003 Back to the Bible began an organization called The Center for Bible Engagement. The whole purpose of this organization was this: I challenged our staff and I said to them find out why so many people own Bibles and so few read them. Everybody has a story or an anecdote as to why Bible illiteracy is so rampant in our society today; even in the church. But they're just stories. They're anecdotes. I wanted data. I wanted facts. I wanted to know for sure.

Now over the course of these years, we've done thousands and thousands of surveys and the three major conclusions, three major discoveries, from The Center for Bible Engagement all relate to this issue of losing the day because we don't spend time in God's Word. Let me tell you what the three major conclusions that have come to from the research of The Center for Bible Engagement.

Number one (and this will shock you), most people--and that includes most Christian people, most evangelical Christian people, most people, 97 percent--most people do not know what the Bible is or what the Bible is for. They know it's a book. They say it's the Word of God. They believe it's the Word of God. But what we discovered is they don't base their beliefs on the Bible.

Even evangelical Christians base their beliefs on what they think the Bible should say or what their notion of what the Bible says. If you ask them, "Have you actually read the Bible to find out what it says?" the answer would have to be no. So, number one conclusion we've discovered is most people don't even know what the Bible is for.

The second major conclusion from The Center for Bible Engagement (we call it CBE by its initials) is that most people who identify themselves as Christians claim that they have no time to read the Bible. In fact 65 percent said that. "Yeah, I believe the Bible is God's Word. I believe it's God's revelation to me. I believe the Bible gives me the answers to my life. I just don't have time to read those answers." And as a result they lose the day spiritually.

Now, often we unwittingly participate in a daily series of behaviors that actually keep us from winning the day spiritually while at the same time saying we don't have time to read God's Word which would help us win the day spiritually.

Here's conclusion number three and for what we're studying today I think the major conclusion. It's this. There is no measurable difference in the moral behavior of someone who claims to be a Christian and reads the Bible fewer than three times a week than the individual who is not Christian and doesn't read the Bible at all.

There is, however, and this is one of the major discoveries from The Center for Bible Engagement; there is, however, a significant difference in the moral behavior of someone who consistently reads God's Word four or more times a week. They're far less apt to engage in activities that are detrimental to winning the day spiritually like gambling, or being involved in illicit sex, or abuse of drugs and alcohol. They're far less likely to be involved in something like that.

Now, here it is right in black and white in front of us. It is undeniable. The data is in. The facts are there. There is a direct relationship between the amount of time people spend in this Book and their ability to beat Satan and the temptation that comes to their life. You spend less time reading your Bible, less time thinking about your Bible, less time imbibing the teaching of the Bible, you will spend more time losing the day spiritually. We know that for a fact. The statistics are all there.

When we ask people, "What is it that helps you win your day spiritually?" one quarter of them, 25.3 percent, said my contact with the Scripture every day helps me win the day. The number one answer for people who actually are beating Satan, for people who actually are living a life that helps them understand what God wants for them and helps them to win their day spiritually. Those people said, the number one answer was, "My time in God's Word, my engagement of Scripture, that's what enables me to win the day spiritually."

Followed closely behind that, 23 percent of people said, "My time talking to God in prayer." So, take Scripture engagement, reading the Word of God or having it read to you or viewing it somehow having God's Word brought to your heart--take that and your time with God in prayer and you then have virtually 50 percent of the answers that help people win the day spiritually.

Take away God's Word, take away your time praying to God and you are a miserable failure, and it's nobody's fault but yours.

If I don't spend time in God's Word, I can't blame other people for my loss when I battle Satan and neither can you.

Now, here's the thing. The statistics are pretty blatant. They're there. They're understandable. We don't like them, but we have to live with them. Fifty-two percent of people responded to a Yankolvic study and the study said that they usually get something out of the Bible. Every time they open the Bible they get something out of it. Fifty-two percent of the people responding to that study said, "Yep, I open my Bible, I'm gonna learn something; I'm gonna get something useful."

The Gallup Organization has determined that 92 percent of Americans say that reading the Bible has a great deal or somewhat has helped them to feel at peace with God and with others around them. Ninety-two percent.

So, it's not a question of do people think the Bible is helpful. Yes, people think the Bible is helpful. Do they believe that the Bible is God's Word? Yes, they believe the Bible is God's Word.

So, what's the problem? They don't read it. This led George Gallup to say I think one of the most insightful things I've heard anyone say in my entire lifetime. Americans revere the Bible, but by and large they don't read it and because they don't read it they have become a nation of Biblical illiterates. You want to win your day spiritually? I'm gonna cut right to the chase. You will never win against Satan if you don't spend time in this Book. There is a direct relationship between your time in God's Word and your ability to win the day spiritually.

Now, we want to help you, and the reason we keep talking about getting into God's Word and spending significant time there is we now have the data to prove that that is the key way you win your day spiritually.

My prayer for you is this: that you'll think through everything we've said this week and notice that everything we've said relates right back to God's Word. It came out of God's Word; I guess you would expect it to go back to God's Word.

If I want to win against Satan today, I need to make sure my time in God's Word today is significant enough and sufficient enough to prepare me to do battle with my great enemy. You know what? Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. The Spirit of God can help you win your day today. Be careful what you read, or in this case, be careful what you don't read.

Well, we'll be back; wrap up our study today looking at one last admonition from God's Word about how you can beat back Satan and win over temptation. I'll be right back.

Announcer: You're listening to Back to the Bible with author and Bible teacher, Woodrow Kroll.

Tami Weissert: You know, we all have to set priorities and we do that with a clock. So we measure time and we set time for those important appointments in our lives from official meetings to time to sit with a close friend. So, when was the last time that you met with God? Yeah, I know--we get busy. At least I do. But taking time to get to know God through His Word--well, that's really the most important meeting you can have.

Well, here's something to help you set up an appointment. It's our monthly devotional and it's called--would you believe it?--Meet with God. Meet with God is a small booklet with a big purpose: to get you a little further into your relationship with God.

Each of the four lessons provides a Scripture focus along with solid Bible interpretation and some great ways to help you see what God's Word means for you. And all it costs is the time you take to call in the order. It's that easy.

No cost, no fuss; just time. Got some?

Then use it to download Meet with God from our Web site at backtothebible.org.

Woodrow Kroll: Well, I said just a minute ago that reading the Word of God is the key element when we ask people what is it that helps you win the day spiritually. The number one answer for those who consistently are winning the day is, "My time in God's Word." But followed right behind it, closely on the heels of Scripture engagement was my time praying and talking to God.

So I want to wind up our week long study of how to win the day with this advice right out of God's Word. Be careful to be prayerful. Be careful not to forget to talk to God intimately and personally in prayer all the time.

Let me take you to a passage of Scripture that you're probably very familiar with. It's Matthew 26; Matthew 26 at verse 36. Listen to this: "Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here, while I go over there and pray'" (Matthew 26:36).

OK, now, get the verbs--sit, pray. You sit here. I'll go pray over there.

"And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, 'My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.' And going a little further he fell on his face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as you will.' And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, 'So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak'" (Matthew 26: 37-41).

Don't you love verbs? I was teaching young men to be preachers years and years ago at my ministry and one of the things I always taught them in their homiletics class, their preaching classes, was pay attention to the verbs because the verbs are where the action is. Jesus says to the disciples, "Sit." Sounds like dogs, doesn't it? "Sit. I'll pray; you sit." So they all sit down. "Peter, James, John, you come with me." So they go with Him. He says to them, "You stay here and watch with me and I'll go pray."

Now, the word watch simply means "to be vigilant." It means "to be on your guard." I mean it's pretty evident here Jesus got up from His prayer, He went back to His three disciples that He'd asked just to simply be vigilant and stay there and be in prayer with Him. And He told them to stay there and keep watch. He didn't want His time with the Father disturbed. He didn't want people coming in and interrupting Him. He did not want to be taken off for judgment while He was talking to His Father. So He says to these three, "You stand guard. You be vigilant right here."

Well, instead of showing their support for Him and doing what He asked He comes back He finds them sound asleep. OK. It's late at night. They've had a hard day. They've gone through a lot of things the last few weeks. You can understand why they're tired. But Jesus addresses Peter directly in this passage. Look at this.

He says to Peter, "Look I asked you simply to stay here and be watchful." Jesus needed prayer and He needed support from His disciples. They gave Him neither.

So He rebukes Peter for his inability to keep watch while Jesus was off praying. Jesus then goes off again and begins to pray. Now, Jesus knew that these men would need some extra strength. It'd really been a tough time.

I think Jesus added this phrase, "For though the spirit is willing the body is weak." I think he added that just to help us to understand, look, this is a tough fight. When you're tired; when you're weary; when you're tired of fighting Satan, it's not easy to be watchful and prayerful. But if there's a point at all to this passage it is this: Jesus uses Peter's drowsiness to warn us that there's a battle out there. And we need to be very vigilant. We need to watch and pray. It's kind of like keeping one eye open watching while you close the other eye in prayer doing two things at the same time. Being vigilant for how Satan is about to attack us while we're praying to the Lord God to prevent Satan's attack on us.

So, you want to win your day spiritually? Be careful to be prayerful. Be careful--watch. Be prayerful--pray.

Jesus said two things: watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation. Well, there it is in black and white. In your Bible just like it is in mine. The key to beating back Satan and allowing the Spirit of God to move us on to spiritual maturity.

You want to win your day today? You know what? If you win today, it'll be easier to win tomorrow. And if you win the day today and win the day tomorrow, it will be easier to win the day three days away. And the more days you and I can put in a string of days we win the battle over Satan, the stronger we are for the fight of our lives which is still to come.

So, win today. Spend time in God's Word. Spend time talking with Him. Be careful what you read or don't read, and be careful to be prayerful. Because God talking to you through His Word and you talking to Him through your prayers--those are the two things that will most help you to win your day spiritually.

Well, I'm not gonna say good luck because this is not a matter of luck. I'm gonna say read the Word and pray. It's the key to winning the battle. We'll be right back to wrap up our week in just a minute.

Tami Weissert: Maybe one of those Bible reading guides isn't for you. You need something shorter. Look, I know how it is. You're motivated for a couple of days, the week, maybe a month . . . but things come up. Things take time and you need accountablility, like a Bible personal trainer who shows up at your house every day right when you need it. Sort of like if your pastor showed up and encouraged you to read a little bit every day.

Well, with 411God, all you have to do is answer your phone and there it is: a little bit of God's Word read to you. It's like your own spiritual fitness instructor. Schedule what time you want 411God to call you and all you have to do is listen for one minute.

All right, you know what life is like without the Bible, so get it in there. See how interacting with God's Word every day will make a difference.

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Well, Dr. Kroll, you've really shown us over and over this week that there is a direct relationship between getting into God's Word and winning the day spiritually. But then you really nailed it on the head, I think, when you just talked about that's a choice for us. So, we make that decision to win the day spiritually. So, for someone that's listening today maybe they want to make that choice. They're ready, but they are a little fearful or maybe just don't know quite how to take that first step. Help us out.

Woodrow Kroll: Well, when we are babies the first steps we take are usually pretty small steps. We call them baby steps for a good reason. Most of us are spiritual babes. We come into the family of God as a baby, a brand new Christian, a babe in Christ Jesus. Those steps that we take generally are very tiny steps. Now, here's the problem. There're some people who have been in the family for forty years and they're still taking baby steps. And if that's you, if you're a been in the faith a long time, but you're still taking baby steps you need to do a little more walking. You know. You need to do a little more eating.

You need to get a better diet because God's intent for you is not to be a child all of your adult life. His intent for all of us is to move down the road to spiritual maturity. The problem is just tons of Christians are stuck very close to where they got into this family. They're stuck in spiritual infancy.

So, what do you do? Well, you take a little bite today. You take a little bigger bite tomorrow. You walk a little today. You get a little more exercise tomorrow. It's like anything else in life. You have to start and today is the day for you to start. You will win the day tomorrow if you start by working on winning the day today.

I hope you'll contact us if the Word of God has made a change in your life and made a difference. Tami, why don't you give them the address where they can tell us how God's Word has impacted their winning the day spiritually.

Tami Weissert: Well there are a number of ways you can contact us. First our Web site, that's backtothebible.org; backtothebible.org. Or you can call us. Our number is 800-759-2425. Or we'd love it if you'd write us. Our address is P.O. Box 82808 Lincoln, Nebraska 68501.

Woodrow Kroll: Well, the weekend is here and I know you're going to want to be in your place this weekend serving the Lord. That's also a good place to get some good meat and potatoes for God's Word. And then join us on Monday. We're continuing our study in the Gospel of John on Monday. We want to look at answers to life's questions right out of the Bible, the Gospel of John.

We'll see you on Monday. Thank you for being here today. Thanks to all of you for being a part of our study group as well. I'm Woodrow Kroll. God bless you all. Have a good and godly day.

Scripture used in today's program was taken from the English Standard Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.