PROFESSIONAL CHRISTIAN STUDENTS

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You have met them.  People who find it easier to 

study than to work.  So they go to school as long

as they can get grants or someone to feed them.

We call them "professional students".

I must confess that in the Christian realm I along

with many others have become "professional students".

No, not for money.  But it is far easier to sit at a desk

or with other people of a like mind and study the Bible

than it is to go out and live out the Bible instructions of 

service.  So we spend our spare time going to "Bible

Studies", or "Bible conferences" etc.

We use as our excuse the reference in the Old King

 James version 11 Timothy 2:15;

"Study to show thyself approved

unto God, a workman that needeth

not to be ashamed, rightly dividing

the word of truth."

But stop and think a minute.  [I am sure you 

can better than I can.]  The same writer in the

same version said;

"And that ye study to be quiet,"

(1 Thessalonians 4:11 KJV)  

Have you ever undertaken a study or a

class in how to be quiet?  No, because that

is not what the old English meant.  The Greek

word translated "study" here meant;

"be diligent".  In other words put into practice

what you have been learning.

I love to read, study and soak up the truths of

the Bible.  But with God's help I intend to put

them more into practice.

REAPING FROM READING

REAPING FROM READING

I do not read as well as you do.  But I have learned 

to read a little bit.  And over the years there have been

so many things that; encourage, inspire, motivate, or

even warn me, that I feel compelled to share some of

it with you.

Mrs Rosalind Goforth in her book,

Jonathan Goforth

mentions how she had an opportunity to see

Jonathan's Bible before they were married.

"Jonathan Goforth was called out of the room.

As he rose, he placed his Bible on the chair.  

Something happened then which I could never

explain, nor try to excuse.  Suddenly, I stepped

past four or five people, took up his Bible and 

returned to my seat.  Rapidly I turned the leaves

and found the book worn almost to shreds in parts

and marked from cover to cover.  I quickly returned

it to the chair, and returning to my seat, I tried

to look very innocent.  As I sat there, I said to 

myself, 'That is the man I would like to mary!'"

p.9

"He would never borrow, nor ever go in debt,

and God always honored His servant's trust in him."

p.106

A TRUTH WE DON'T WANT TO ADMIT

A truth you know too. That is, deep down. We just

prefer to ignore it.

Over the years the privilege has been mine to be

associated with at least three "home Bible studies".

I love them. These were with different Churches.

Usually they were mostly the Church

folks. You get to know each other better. You

share together. Help each other. Pray together, and

for each other. And on and on.

The first one was an over coffee and donuts type.

Bible spread out on the table in front of us and a cup

of coffee in hand. And we studied(?)

The second one was a Saturday night "pot luck".

The ladies decided each time what the meal theme was

going to be the next time. So we ate. We sang.

We prayed. We read. We shared, we studied(?)

And it was exciting.

The third one was similar to the second. But forget

all the meal planning. Just bring something. Believe

it or not, the Lord let it work out great without all

the meal planning. Friday nights we met together

and unwound from the week. Something to look

forward to each week and encourage each other

in the Lord. We fellowshiped, eat, prayed and studied(?)

Just a side note. The last one was "sparkpluged"

by a wannabe preacher. That was O.K. for years.

Then he tried to "institutionalise" it into a teaching/

preaching opportunity. - THAT KILLED IT.

The truth I learned over the years is that

most of the people, at a Bible study, do not want

to study the Bible. That would be work and

require thinking. THEY WANT TO PRETEND TO

STUDY THE BIBLE. It's a lot easier that way.

PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS

Back about the time

you were born (If you

were born late enough.)

I became acquainted

with a very interesting

man. [Well, that is one

way of looking at it.]

He was a married man
with teen age children.
If I remember his wife correctly, he had been going to

school for twenty six years at that time. He had

several different majors and had studied seven

languages.

He told me that one of his majors had been archaeology.

He said the digging was too hard. So he changed his

major.

Later at a "work day" for some one in the church, or

in the community, I noted something. He sat in a

chair, in the shade, and read, while his family and

every one else worked. Hmmm.

I begin to understand his lack of interest in

archaeology.

I cannot remember any of his other majors. But

later he wanted me to recommend him to the

school of Theology he was applying to. What would

you think? You guessed it. He was what we called a
"Professional Student".

As you know, a few years later when he could no

longer get grants he quit going to school.

After all those years in school, he took a menial job

in a local hospital.

Apparently that did not suit him either. He divorced

his wife and married a tottering old lady with -

M-O-N-E-Y.

Thus I learned what professional students are.

Come with me to church for a few minutes now.

Currently I attend a good church. A small church.

Mostly older folks. But still a good church.

Consider our mid week service. It is a Bible study.

Not a prayer meeting. But a Bible study. Now Bible
study is good and good for you. We all know that.

This Bible study has older, mature Christians attending.

There is one younger fellow. He was "born and

raised" in the church, and is now an aspiring minister.

That puts him a long way from being a new Christian.

But most of us have been Christians from ten to sixty

years.

The Scriptures say,.

"Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of

Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a

foundation of repentance from dead works and of

faith toward God, with instruction about ablutions, the

laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and

eternal judgment." - Hebrews 6:1,2 RSV

Do you know what we are studying, and has a good

attendance?

Biblical Foundations. Repentance, how to be

saved. Water Baptism. The second coming of Jesus etc.

I thought we were supposed to go on the maturity.

Now think with me. I'm sorry. I know thinking hurts.

But please bear with me.

The "Western Church" as we know it is weak, anemic,

powerless. Like a rat that has been living on d-CON

for the past week.

Could it be because we have become "Professional Students".

It it easier to study than to travail in prayer.

It is easier to study that to witness.

It is easier to study than to serve.

It is easier to study than obey.

Have we substituted studying for living and

working for God?

Are we, "Ever learning, and never able to come to

the knowledge of the truth." - 2 Timothy 3:7 KJV

Do we need more knowledge? Or just to apply what

we already know?