Matthew 13

“‘Have you understood these things?’ ‘Yes,’ they told Him. ‘Therefore,’ He said to them, ‘every student of Scripture instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who brings out of his storeroom what is new and what is old.’” Matthew 13:51-52 (HCSB)

Over the past 15 years of performing concerts and touring around, I have met some brilliant people. Some folks are almost too smart. You may want them as your “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” lifeline phone call, but otherwise, they can hardly relate to the average intellect.

I’ve also met people who are almost exclusively socially oriented. They are by no means scholars, but they’re sure fun at a party! These folks are always up on the newest movies, music, and media. Sadly, their interests seldom go beyond the surface level.

The bookworm and the socialite generally only communicate with others of their kind, but Jesus connects with anyone. Fully God and fully man, Jesus is perfection personified. Unlike Jesus, we are hindered by our personalities.

The Bible calls us “members” of the body of Messiah. Individually, we may not be too impressive, but put us all together, and you get a better picture of Jesus. It is sort of like staring at an impressionist painting close-up; you need to take a few steps back to catch the artist’s true visual statement. The same can be said for analyzing the shortcomings of an individual believer instead of seeing what Christians can do collectively. The purpose of community is to make our weaknesses ineffective. A healthy Christian community overrides our weaknesses and enables everyone to work within their God-given strengths, each person’s strength covering another’s weaknesses.

Jesus taught His disciples to be well-balanced. When we search the Bible, God’s Spirit reveals the truth, making it clear. The Holy Spirit literally puts God’s Word into the storehouses of our hearts.

In addition, Jesus calls us to be His witness in our day. With His Word stored away, we carry His message wherever He leads.

The Gospel is timeless. It will never change or lose its power. Every generation may hold a unique perspective on the Gospel, but the Gospel’s truth is constant. Kingdom-minded believers are continually developing new societal, media-driven, and contemporary platforms from which to share the Gospel. Still, the Bible never changes.

As you read the Bible, ask God to bring new light to the ancient text. Then pray He will give you someone to share it with today in a relevant way: Something old and something new. From the storeroom of Scripture, He is filling up in Your heart.