7. Read Meditatively & Purposefully

Benjamin Roy

Living By the Book • Sermon • Submitted 2 months ago • Presented 2 months ago

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Random Question

If you could eliminate one food from the face of the earth, what would it be?

Study

Read Meditatively

What is meditation?

Today’s philosophies...

Lot’s of people have a terrible idea of what meditation is all about. Where do you think we’ll find the answers to this question? The Scriptures! Open up to Joshua 1:8 (In booklets too)

Joshua 1:8

Joshua 1:8 NKJV

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

According to the start of the verse, where is God’s Word told not to depart from? (Mouth)

Keep that in mind as we keep reading...

“but you shall meditate in it...”

Biblical definition: Deep reflection on a subject, understood as murmurring.

Mathematicians pacing the room murmurring equations under their breath...

Preaching the Word to yourself

Repeating the Word in memorization

Trying to understand the depths of truth

How often are we told to meditate on the Word? (Day and night)

Does that mean we must stay awake 24/7, reading and memorizing the Word?

What does it mean then?

Always going back to it when your mind is free...

Notice the connection that meditation has with our actions...

“you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.”

Meditation on God’s Word is so important because it will directly affect how we act on a daily basis.

Proverbs 23:7

Take a look at this verse...

Proverbs 23:7 NKJV

7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.

“You are what you eat!” We understand what that means, but nobody ever takes that literally.

- Esther won’t literally become a Quarter pounder combo with fries and a coke next time she goes to McDonalds.

But you can switch things around and say, “You are what you think!”

Not shapeshifting

Metidate on sinful things, you will become like them

Psalm 1:1-2

Psalm 1:1–2 NKJV

1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.

Just like Joshua said, David says, “Meditate” how often? (Day and night)

PowerPoint: Empty meditation vs. full meditation

Psalm 119:97

Psalm 119:97 NKJV

97 Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

How long is the psalmist meditating on God’s Word? (All day)

What does that tell us about meditation? Does it come quickly? (It requires us taking time, reflecting and processing the truth)

Doesn’t mean you can’t do anything but read your Bible, it means that you process it as you go along with your day… Deuteronomy 6 is a prime example of this...

Deuteronomy 6:7 NKJV

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

Psalm 19:14

This Psalm is a beautiful prayer to the Lord, and it ends off with this beautiful request in vs. 14...

Psalm 19:14 NKJV

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

What do we learn about meditation from this verse? (It can please or displease the Lord)

God is sovereign, He sees our meditations, this psalmists recognized that! God know the thoughts that we think. Now, for us Christians, don’t you think we should want to please God with our thoughts?! Absolutely we should! It’s not something that we can do on our own, so we ask for the Lord’s help in this.

Transition to Next Point

Meditation is absoluetly crucial in our walk with God. It’s going to reflect in the way that we live...

Read Purposefully

Intro

Take a look at our verse on the screen...

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NKJV

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Every one of God’s Words matter, we don’t want to miss a word then when we study our Bibles!

So, we’re going to take a look at how we can study the Bible with purpose...

Purpose Through Grammatical Structure

I know, grammar is probably the last thing you want to think about right now. I promise it won’t be boring like English class. You’ll see how important this is to Bible study in just a second...

1. Verbs

Verbs are ultra important!!!

Verbs can shape our theology...

Ephesians 5:18 NKJV

18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

PowerPoint Illustration

“Be filled” = passive

“Be filled with the Spirit”

What happens if you switch it up...

“Fill yourself with the Spirit”

Verbs help us understand what we ought to do...

Colossians 1:9–13 NKJV

9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

Action packed passage, verbs help us understand the goal of all it.

2. Subject and Object

Subject = Does the acting

Object = Acted upon

We are watching Disney Plus

What’s the subject? What’s the object?

Take that to Scripture...

Galatians 6:4 NKJV

4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

What’s the subject here? (Each one)

Talking to individuals here...

And what are we told to examine? (His own work)

Are we good at examining ourselves? (We are experts at the opposite!)

If we don’t pay attention to the wording here, we could come to believe Paul is saying, “Examine brother ______’s work, write a list of their shortcomings and slam it on them!”

3. Modifiers

Philippians 4:19 NKJV

19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

How much of our needs will God supply? (ALL)

4. Prepositional Phrases

Describe where the action is taking place...

In, to on, upon, through, etc.

5. Connectives

Two powerful connection words: And, but

2 Samuel 11:1 NKJV

1 It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

Where’s the problem here? (David stayed in Jerusalem when he should’ve been in battle)

How does the grammar show us that’s a problem? (But)