Spiritual Disciplines – 04

Scripture Intake III

MEDITATION

Text: Psalm 1:1-6

Place Preached - (Mississauga International Baptist Church)

Date Preached - (10/09/03)

Introduction:   

Psalms 39:3  My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,

Jeremiah 23:29  Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

Thus far we have discussed the sub-disciplines of HEARING, READING, STUDYING & MEMORIZING God’s Word.

Tonight we look at an Additional aspect of the Discipline of Scripture Intake.

ILLUS: A Tea Bag dipped in the water can be likened to Hearing / Reading /Studying even Memorizing God’s Word. 

But to Meditate is like steeping the bag thoroughly until the essence has been thoroughly extracted into the water – Now it is rich with colour, aroma & flavour.  (Not Tepid)!!

APP – The longer the tea is in the water the more effect it has.

MEDITATION

We will look at both the Benefits and Methods.

One sad feature of our modern culture is that meditation has become identified more with non-Christian systems of thought than with Biblical Christianity.

Associated often with yoga, TM, relaxation therapy, or the New Age Movement.

Don’t discard meditation just because the world has adapted it to its purposes!

Biblical meditation differs in several ways from its worldly counterpart.

1. The world says “empty your mind” – The Bible says “fill your mind with God’s Word”.

Colossians 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;.....

2. The world calls for mental passivity – “disconnect”  - The Word calls us to mental activity – “connect with the truth”.

3. The world’s mantra is “create your own reality”  - God’s mandate is to think on “whatsoever things are true” – Phil. 4:8

DEFINITION – To think deeply on the spiritual realities revealed in Scripture – for the purposes of understanding, application and prayer.

The FRUIT of meditation is action.

I. It’s Benefits – Scriptural Promises associated w/ Meditation

1. Promise of Success

In God’s Eyes – Not necessarily the World’s!

Joshua 1:8  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

2. Promise of Stability

Psalms 1:3  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

3. Promise of Fruitfulness – Psalm 1:3

“...that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;...”

4. Promise of Perseverance– Psalm 1:3

“...his leaf also shall not wither...”

5 Promise of Prosperity – Psalm 1:3

“...whatsoever he doeth shall prosper...”

ILLUS: What is needed for a strong tree?  Consistent Absorption of moisture into the soil.

Not sudden, violent downpours (most runs off, very little sinks in), but a mist, or gentle and consistent seepage from the rivers waters.

Isaiah 28:10  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

6. Promise of Wisdom

Psalms 119:98-99  Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.

99  I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.

ILLUS: Our distracted minds of today contrasted with Puritans author Richard Baxter – Baptist Preacher, John Bunyan.

We can’t roll back time,  but we can take some steps to unclutter our thinking.

II. It’s Methods – How do we meditate in the Biblical sense?

1. Select an appropriate passage

What impresses you during your intake of Scripture?

That may sound subjective – but there is a reason it impresses you – That reason is the Holy Spirit of God.

They will often be the things that pertain to your life and experience.

Always look for the person and work of Jesus Christ & the Great Themes of Scripture.

Look for the main message of the portion you are in.  It is always tied to the context (of various lengths – could be many chapters to a single verse).

2. Repeat it in different ways.

ILLUS: Like turning a diamond for careful examination.

Use Psalm 23 as an example - emphasize different words each time (The Lord is My Shepherd)

3. Rewrite it in your own words

“Don’t THINK it, INK it!”

Helps you focus your attention – This can be very productive.

Paraphrase your thoughts, use synonyms, make it personal!!

4. Look for applications of the text

How am I to respond?  What would God have me to do?

Chewing is not good, unless ultimately you swallow!!

5. Pray Through the Text

Psalms 119:18  Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

In prayer the mind is submitted to the Holy Spirit’s illumination and direction.

EXAMPLES – The Psalms and epistles are great in this way.

LOOK at one passage to Illustrate.

6. Don’t Rush – Take your Time!

You can read 3, 4, 5 chapters a day, but what value is there if the impact of truth vanishes by mid-morning?

Better to read a little and meditate, than vast portions read without meditation.

Read less (if necessary) in order to meditate more.

“I seemed often to see so much light exhibited by every sentence, and such a refreshing food communicated, that I could not get along in reading; often dwelling long on one sentence to see the wonders contained in it, and yet almost every sentence seemed to be full of wonders.” – Jonathan Edwards soon after his conversion

III. Applying God’s Word – Benefits & Methods

We may struggle to understand portions of Scripture, but taht isn’t our main problem.

Our main problem is applying it to daily life, and that ought to be our chief concern.

1. The Value of Applying God’s Word

John 13:17  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

We do not receive full value until we practice the truth we meet each day in the mirror of God’s Word.

2. Expect to discover an application

God wants us to be doers of the Word – He will have an application for us.

Open the Word with Expectation!!

3. Understand the Text

Misunderstanding of a verse can lead to misguided applications.  Eg. Col. 2:21

ILLUS: Man who flipped open Bible to “Judas went and hanged himself” etc.

BALANCE – Until we apply the Scriptures we really don’t understand them.

Our main problem continues to be action and not comprehension.

4. Meditate to discern application

Meditation is not an end in itself.

Meditation is the pathway to application!!

5. Ask Application oriented Questions about the text.

Ask and answer as many questions as possible about the verse or passage.

• Does this text reveal something I should believe about God?
• Does this text reveal something I should praise or thank or trust God for?
• Does this text reveal something I should pray about for myself or others?
• Does this text reveal something I should have a new attitude about?
• Does this text reveal something I should make a decision about?
• Does this text reveal something I should do for the sake of Christ, others, or myself?

“Interview” the verse.  Applications don’t always jump off the page.

6. Respond Specifically

Identify one specific response after you have concluded your time of Bible intake.

Is it Praise, Prayer, Faith?

Is it asking Forgiveness from another, a word of Encouragement that needs to be spoken?

Is it an act of Love, Obedience etc.?

Conclusion:     (Review)

Will you cultivate the discipline of meditating on God’s Word?

Not isolated thoughts of Him, but dwelling upon Him in seasons throughout the day and night.

“A man may think on God every day, and meditate on God no day.”

Some Ask – Is it worth my time?

SEE II Peter 1:3-8

Will you prove yourself an applier of Scripture?

It will not be easy – we face spiritual opposition (Eph 6)

This is one of the Devil’s first lines of attack.

If we count the cost and “Exercise ourselves unto Godliness”,  - we will be successful – God has promised it!!