Dangers of Being in a Church that Loves God's Word: #1 Forgetting the importance of reminders

God's Word is vital to our lives individually and as a body of believers (local church). And a church that loves and teaches God's Word accurately and on a regular basis is an unmitigated good thing. In fact, it is one of the marks of a healthy church. However, there are still dangers to watch out for. Every blessing and trial comes with its own potential dangers in this fallen world. In fact, it is often in great blessing that we find great temptations. The problems are not the blessings but our propensity to go astray.

So, are there any dangers to the unambigiously good gift of a church that loves God's Word? I would say there are some. Over the coming weeks I'll list several dangers.

Danger #1 Forgetting the importance of reminders
A church that loves God's Word usually is a church that loves to learn new things from God's Word. There is a potential danger here though. We can get to a point where we hear each sermon and Bible study as falling into the categories of "I already knew that," verses, "I learned something new."  We can then assume that the whole point of the teaching of the Word is to merely give us new information. We then define "getting something" from the message as "I learned something new." In other words, a good message is one which gives us new facts.

While we should learn new things often, that is not our only goal in hearing the Word or reading it. The Apostle Peter is clear that his teaching (even inscripturated, God-inspired teaching) aimed not only at teaching new things but at reminding believers of things they already knew.

Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. 2 Peter 1:12-15

He writes to "remind" believers of truths they already knew in order that he might stir them up to greater faith and the obedience it produces (2 Pet. 1:3-11).  It could be that we often "don't get anything out of the message" because we fail to see that our foolish hearts are prone to go astray and need constant reminding and exhortations and encouragements to run the race of faith (Heb. 3:12-13).