How to Study the Bible (2)
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Introduction
Introduction
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
The Bible is inspired by God himself:
“All Scripture is ‘breathed’ out by God”
The Word “breathed” means inspired. Now the Bible we know was written by men, but these men were inspired by God Himself and they wrote what God was downloading into them.
***Give example of Moses***
Before we begin to ask why we should study the Bible, we need to understand exactly what the Bible is: the Words of God written down.
***Everyone likes to read stories written by people, but it is a shame that nobody wants to read the Words written by the Creator of the world.
Why Should We Study the Bible?
Why Should We Study the Bible?
Direction from God
Direction from God
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
God’s Word will light up our path of life. Think of His Word as a lamp that you are holding on a dark path. You couldn’t see without it. That is what this verse is saying.
In life we need direction, and there is only 1 person who is qualified to give us direction, because He is the only person who has died and rose again, you know who that is? Jesus. You know what His Word looks like?
***Hold up the Bible***
To Hear God
To Hear God
Being that the Bible is God’s Word, the more we learn it and read it, the more likely we are to know when something we are told does not line up with His Word.
There are many voices in our heads, we have ours, satan’s and the Holy Spirit. Discerning which is which is highly important.
When we study the Word of God, we are actually becoming aquatinted with how God speaks to us. The Primary way He speaks to us is through His Word, the more we saturate our minds with His Word the more we learn what His voice sounds like.
God will never contradict His Word, if it does not line up with His Word, then it is not truth, and we shouldn’t follow it.
19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
To Defend Ourselves
To Defend Ourselves
The Word of God is described in the Bible as being a sword. Twice it is called this. Both mention two ways the Bible defends us:
The Bible defends us from the lies and schemes of the Devil.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
Isn’t it amazing that the Bible describes the Word of God as being apart of our armor against the enemy! But how is that so?
The Bible says that satan is the Father of Lies (John 8:44) therefore, he cannot tell the truth, on the contrary our Heavenly Father is the author of truth, and He even called the Bible the “word of truth” (Eph 1:13; Col1:5; 2 Tim 2:15)
Do you know how to fight a lie? You speak the truth! And that is what we are to do when we are being told a lie, we speak the Word of God! Out loud and from our heart!
The devil cannot fight against the truth of God’s Word. Now if we just play around with satan’s lies a little and we don’t speak God’s Word, then satan will beat us over and over again.
We have to Speak it, and Speak it with Faith!
2. The Bible defends us from falling away from God:
The last way we mentioned the Bible defended us, was from outside forces, now we will see that the Bible will also protect us from inside forces: ourselves.
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
**We have all heard this one, but what does it mean?**
This verse is saying that God’s Word is so powerful that when we read it, it cuts all the way through our eyes, into our minds, through our souls and down into the very depths of our heart. It reveals what we have in our hearts. Good and bad!
By doing this God’s Word will uplift us and encourage us when we are going through a rough time, and likewise when we mess up, it will easily correct us by revealing to us where we went wrong.
**Remember when I said that God’s Word is truth, well when we fall into sin or are falling away from God, we are in a way, living a lie because we are not living up to what we confess to live by. This is where the truth of God’s Word comes in: it quickly will sweep into our hearts and minds and reveal the truth about the condition of our heart, so that we can repent and come back in right standing with God!**
How to Study the Bible
How to Study the Bible
Prayer:
We can’t go into Bible study without first speaking to the one who wrote it!
Who in hear has to read shakespeare for school? Wouldn’t it be a whole lot easier to understand what shakespeare is saying if he was right there with you will you read?
Absolutely!
That is why we must be in a state of prayer while we read the Bible! Because we have the author right there with us! The Holy Spirit is within and around all of us! And He will reveal to us what the Bible means!
Most people who don’t like to read the Bible, probably don’t take it as a time of communing with the Holy Spirit.
***You should not look at Bible Study as a chore or something you just check off your list, in order to get full enjoyment out of it and actually learn from it, is to take it as a time where you are spending with God! Because that is exactly what you are doing.
You aren’t reading some book, you are reading God’s inspired Word, and your Bible study is as much about you knowing and growing in your relationship with God as it is about you learning what His Word means.
Some prayers to pray as you study God’s Word:
Ask for Wisdom: James 1:5
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Ask for God to reveal his will to you: 1 Cor 2:9-10
9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
Ask God to teach you His Word: Psalm 25:4
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
2. Observation:
The next step in bible Study is actually reading the Bible. At this phase you are just getting used to the passage.
Your asking these questions:
Who is the author?
Who is the audience?
What is the context?
What does this passage mean?
What does this “specific” word mean?
What characters are present in this passage?
When was this written?
Where was this written?
Etc..
But your not just reading, your looking at the text deeply and your asking questions to God as you read, and taking notes (your english teachers in school should have taught you this), and also your listening.
Things to Observe:
- Context is huge! Before determining what a passage may mean, you must first look into the context:
— Context is what is going on before and after the passage you are reading.
- When you read a passage, you cannot just pick Bible verses out of the Bible and make them mean what you want it to mean. Bible verses have a specific meaning behind them, and the context is important in trying to find out what the Bible means.
When you are trying to figure out what a certain verse may mean, read the chapter before and after the chapter the verse is in. This will help you understand the context and find the meaning.
3. Interpretation:
The next phase is where you come to determine what the passage means. This is where your observation and prayer go to the next level, now you are taking all the information you have gathered and asking the Holy Spirit: What does this mean?
This is where you think and Listen, not to your mind, but your heart.
4. Application:
Aside from context, application is the most important part of our Bible Study. This is where we take what the Word means and we apply it to our lives. This is where we ask the question: I know this means this, now what?
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you how to apply God’s Word.
If we do not apply God’s Word to our life, we have wasted our time:
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
By reading God’s Word and not obeying we are being “foolish”, but also we are stripping away the ability for God’s Word to be active in our lives, which is the real tragedy.
- You may be reading a passage and all of a sudden you feel convicted about something, that is the Holy Spirit trying to speak to you! Stop and obey what He is telling you! God may ask you to call someone tell them your sorry, or forgive them. Obey. This is the most crucial step.
Everytime you say yes to God, you are one step closer to being like Him.