Learning is Fundamental

The late Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was one of the best players in professional basketball. His workout regimen was legendary and his dedication to the fundamentals of the sport was uncompromising.

The story is told that Nike sent Alan Stein, Jr to witness one of Bryant’s workouts. When he arrived at 4:00 am, Kobe was already dripping with sweat with a warmup before the workout. For the next 45 minutes Stein watch Bryant work on basic basketball drills.

Later Stein, who admitted he became bored just watching Bryant’s routine, asked the star of 5 championship teams and many individual awards, why he spent so much time on simple, basic drills? Kobe’s response was golden.

“Why do you think I’m the best player in the world? Because I never ever get bored with the basics.”

Getting back to the basics is necessary in every endeavor in life. Business. Education. Sports. Medicine. And, of course, in our spiritual pursuit.

Our theme this year reflects the importance of the basics. The three words in the subtitle, learning, growing, and sharing, are important to “Fundamentals of Faith.” Let’s think about learning today.

#1 We learn through Bible study.

The Bible puts great emphasis on learning. The word, “learn” or “learning” is used 63 times in the Bible. “Knowledge” is found 164 times. And the word “know” 372 times. God wants to us learn.

A lack of learning can lead to our spiritual downfall. The prophet Hosea lamented that God’s people in the Old Testament were “destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos. 4:6). It’s true today as well. Christians who fall away or become unfaithful, often have failed to either keep learning, or have strayed away from the basic principles of the Bible.

Discipleship is about learning. Inherent in the word “disciple” is the idea of a pupil. A learner. A student. The New Testament Believers are identified as “disciples” 275 times in the New Testament. Thus, before they “were called Christians,” they were described as “disciples” (Ax. 11:26).

Since learning is fundamental, it is implied that reading is fundamental. Paul penned, “when you read you shall under my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (Eph. 3:3).

#2 We Learn through Experience.

Laban, the father-in-law of the Old Testament patriarch Jacob said, “I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.” Laban saw up close and personal God’s goodness. His blessings. His providential care.

The spiritual experiences that we have in our walk with God are a teaching tool. Of course, we must be careful that these are not subjectively based, leading us away from the plain teaching of the Bible.

It was even true of Jesus. “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered (Heb. 5:8). Imagine that. Jesus learned? Yet, from a experiential viewpoint in his human nature. Likewise, our various trials, temptations, problems, and suffering can teach us a great deal in the context of Biblical principles.

#3 We learn from Synthetic Experience.

In other words, we learn from the experiences of others. We don’t have to learn everything by making the same mistakes others have made.

Mark Twain once quipped, “A cat that sits on a hot stove won’t sit on a hot stove anymore.” Of course, he won’t sit on any stove–hot or cold. The point is, we don’t have to always get “burned” by bad decisions, and poor choices.

Paul said the Old Testament scriptures are “written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:4) Furthermore, the apostle said the examples of Israel’s disobedience are recorded for our “admonition,” so that we might not “lust after evil things as they also lusted.”

#4 We learn by doing.

The ultimate test of our learning comes by putting our knowledge into practice. Of applying to our lives. Of being “doers of the Word, and not hearers only” (Jas. 1:25). As Howard Henricks once quipped, “God didn’t give us the Bible to make us smarter sinners.” Or as D. L. Moody wrote, “The Bible was not given {solely} for our information, but for our transformation.”

This takes time. Requires effort. And demands diligence (Heb. 5:12). It also involved developing and being a good steward our skills, talents, abilities.

When it comes to Bible study, Claude Bernard’s observation is often accurate. “It is what we know already that often prevents us from learning.”

Solomon was right. “A wise man will hear and increase learning” (Prov. 1:5).

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman