It was after worship on an otherwise normal Sunday when Joe approached his pastor after service. Prefacing his statement with the obligatory compliment, Joe said, “Pastor, I love your preaching…” Then came the but, “but I sure wish you’d give us something deep. We need to dig deeply into the truths of God’s word. I know I need it.” Pastor Goodman smiled at the semi-regular church member, responding with a simple, “Thank you, Joe, for your encouraging feedback,” before shaking the next hand in line.
How wonderful it is when God’s people have a deep hunger for His word! Savoring the riches of scripture allows it to penetrate the crevasses of one’s soul, shaping the believer even more to the likeness of Christ.
But often the desire for depth is a distraction. In 1 Corinthians 3, the apostle Paul admits, while he would like to address the Corinthian believers as spiritual, giving them some deep, meaty teaching about the Lord, he nevertheless teaches them as spiritual infants, feeding them “milk, not solid food". Why? He says, “You were not yet ready. Even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh.”
Study 1 Corinthians 3 and you quickly see that, while Paul identifies his readers as believers, their fractious behavior shows they are acting no different from lost people. And until they obeyed the most basic truths Paul had given them, they would have no capacity for the deeper truths they sought.
Christians today can easily find themselves at this same place. The quest for depth can be a distraction when it deflects our attention from the most basic teachings in scripture. Do we really love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and mind? Do we love our neighbors as ourselves, really, by our action, even those who anger us? Do we share the faith, making disciples? Are we denying self, taking up the cross and following Him wherever he leads? According to Paul, failure to follow the word we’ve received renders us unable to receive anything deeper.
When God gave us the scripture, he didn’t hide the important parts so that, if you dig deeply enough in the right place, it would change your life. He put everything you need to live faithfully for Him pretty much on the surface. He’s given you His Spirit to illuminate His word, bringing conviction of sin and His will for you. And He’s given you His church, His body, so that together His people can consider and follow His ways.
So, study God’s word! Ponder every biblical sermon you hear. Take the simple truths, meditate on them, believe what they say to believe, and obey what they say to obey. Then you will be ready to dig more deeply.