2 Timothy 3:16-17

¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷ God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

 If you’re faithfully serving every week during a worship service or leading a small group and not studying Scripture, you aren’t prepared. In order to do good works, we must follow God’s “order of operations.”

1. Believe in Jesus

Romans 10:9

⁹ If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

2. Love God
3. Love others (and yourself!)

Matthew 22:37-39

³⁷ Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’^[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

4. Do good works

Ephesians 2:10

¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

5. Make disciples

Matthew 28:19

¹⁹ Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Once we are saved, we can choose to be a follower of Jesus, or become His disciple. We can follow Jesus from a distance and watch what He does in the lives of others, or if we want to truly know Him, we must become a disciple. Becoming a disciple requires discipline. We do this not because religion demands it, but because we want to pursue a relationship with Jesus Christ.

When we discipline ourselves to study Scripture we get to know God.

When we get to know God, we begin to know ourselves.

When we get to know ourselves, we begin to realize our rebelliousness against Him.

When we realize our rebelliousness against Him, we become grieved over our sin.

When we are grieved over our sin, we humble ourselves and allow Him to correct what is wrong in our lives- and our relationships, and teach us to do what is right.

Matthew 5:23-24

²³ “So if you are presenting a sacrifice^[a] at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, ²⁴ leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

We cannot, I repeat canNOT go through the “order of operations” out of order. If we skip 1, 2 & 3 and try to start solving our life equation at step 4 or 5 we’ll never discover God’s promise of eternal & abundant life. Furthermore, Jesus warns those with disorderly lives in Matthew 7:21-23 who do work in His name- they must depart from Him, because they don’t know Him.

God is a God of order.

Follow His “order of operations.”

Don’t know the order?

Dust off that old Holy Bible on your bookshelf or download You Version and lets start studying Scripture, together!