Text: Acts 17:10-11 | 2 Timothy 2:15 | Romans 12:1-2
Theme: God does not want you to treat Christianity like a part-time hobby.
Intro:
- Churches today are full of hobby Christians. They are under committed, unconsecrated, and uneducated in the Scriptures. They view Christianity like a weekend hobby, rather than a daily life of godliness.
- Today, I am going to compare these Christians to two kinds of hobbyists.
- The casual hobbyist, who dabbles but is never really committed.
- The fervent hobbyist, who is dedicated but is far from a professional.
I. The Casual Hobbyist
- The ignoble Christian (Acts 17:10-11)
a. To be ignoble means to be without honour, of low estate.
– Acts 17:10-11 describes the Christians at Berea as being more noble. What was the reason for this? It was because they heard the word and studied the word daily to see if what they were being taught was true to the Scriptures.
– It is a noble thing to be a discerning Christian. Too many Christians sit in church and hear what is being preached and just assume that the man behind the pulpit knows all there is to know about the Bible and so they just take him at his word.
b. If the noble Christian is one who is discerning and studies the Word, then an ignoble Christian is one who does not do those things.
– The ignoble Christian does not conduct themselves in an honourable way, but takes a lazy approach to Bible study and scripture truth.
– Ham many Christians want their Pastor to do all the study for them and then they turn up on Sunday and sit passively under the preaching and pretend they did their part? - The honourable workman (2 Timothy 2:15)
a. In 2 Timothy 2:15 we find the Christians only real gold standard.
– It is simply this, “approved unto God.”
– There is no other standard higher or more noble than this one. The approval of God should be our highest goal.
b. The Christian who is diligent in study, is a workman who will not be ashamed.
– The comparison drawn in this verse is of a workman who is not ashamed because he knows he has done his job properly. When it comes time for inspection of his work, he will not be embarrassed by his poor workmanship.
– If the Lord were to inspect your labours in studying His Word, would he find you embarrassed by your lack of scriptural knowledge and understanding?
c. Bible study is work, not a casual hobby.
– How many Christians today treat Bible study like a side hustle, or a casual hobby? They pull the Bible out of the cupboard on in moments of impulsive interest or on special occasions, instead of approaching the Bible with the goal of becoming a skilful workman who needs not to be ashamed. They are babes and are in need of milk, not meat.
– The casual hobbyist is the Christian baby.
Hebrews 5:11-14 “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
Maybe you can look at the casual hobbyist and say, “that isn’t me. I am a diligent student of the Bible and I have an abundance of Bible knowledge.” Well, my follow up question is, “What are you doing with that information? Is your Bible knowledge affecting your life?”
II. The Fervent Hobbyist (Romans 12:1-2)
- So, you have been diligently studying the Word of God, isn’t that enough?
a. If your Bible study has no further effect than to equip you to win a Bible trivia quiz, then you really haven’t done your duty to be renewed in your mind.
– Accumulation of Bible knowledge does not equal spiritual maturity or spiritual growth. There are professing atheists who know more about the Bible than many professing Christians. Does that make them spiritually mature, renewed in their mind, approved unto God? No!
b. The true Christian is depending upon the Holy Spirit to take the Word of God and apply it to their life in a practical way.
– If all you ever do is accumulate knowledge about the Bible, but you never apply it to your life then you are no better a Christian than the man who has only ever read about aeroplanes but has never flown one is a pilot.
– Like the one with a head full of aeroplane knowledge is only a hobbyist, so you are a hobby Christian with no practical experience in the Crucified Life. - We need transformation, not conformation!
Romans 12:1 gives us a number of steps to follow in order to be practical and intentional in our study of the Bible.
a. We are supposed to be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1)
– To present your body a living sacrifice means that you have to give yourself to God. God will not take control of your life unless you give him control.
– We are to be a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable to God. To be holy is to be consecrated to God, sacred, and blameless. Like the Old Testament sacrificial lamb was to be spotless, God wants us to be spotless as living sacrifices.
– To be acceptable unto God ties us back to our precious point of being approved unto God. Our lives ought to be lived for the approval of God, not the applause of men.
b. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind
– To be transformed is to have our habits and our behaviour changed, or conformed to the pattern of Scripture. This outward transformation will not take place if our minds are being conformed to this world.
– Outward transformation is preceded by inward renewing of the mind. The Psalmist often referred to the renewing power in the Word of God which lights our way and points us to God. - The conclusion that we must draw from all of this.
a. True Christianity is not a hobby for the weekend.
– To be a true Christian is to be a consecrated, living sacrifice unto the Lord. That isn’t a mantle that we pick up on Sunday morning and put back down on Sunday night. It is a lifestyle that is to be maintained at all times.
b. True Christianity demands that we do more than just read the Bible, it demands that we apply the Word to our lives.
– Did you know that you can read the Bible without allowing it to renew your mind? Unless you allow the Word of God to change your thinking on things, you will not be renewed in your mind, and you will inevitably be conformed to this world.
– The reading, teaching, and preaching of the Bible must be allowed to change you, otherwise, you will only ever be a hobby Christian, rather than a living sacrifice.
Conclusion:
- Are you a diligent student of the Word of God, or are you a casual hobbyist?
- Are you a living sacrifice, or is Christianity a weekend hobby for you?