Spiritual Disciplines: Study the Bible

Introduction:

Illustration:

Years ago, we had a home built. Part of our responsibility was to plant grass seed in the back yard. We became aware that there was more work that needed to be done than just buying the grass seed and putting it on the ground. The land had been leveled, but there are large stones in the dirt. Some were on the surface of the ground. Others were just under the surface of the ground, and still others were a little deeper. We had a few tools to help us do the task of getting the rocks out. We had a garden rake. With the garden rake you could only go so deep. You could scratch the surface and this helped some. We rented a rear-tine tiller. This would go deeper and turn over the ground and help bring the rocks to the surface. Then, we had the shovel. Believe it or not, there were some rocks that the tiller would hit but the tiller could not unearth. The shovel is what we used to dig to unearth the larger stones.

Similarly, you can hear the scriptures which is like passing over them with a garden rake. You can get more land covered more quickly. You can read the scriptures yourself. This is like taking that tiller and processing the soil a little bit; but we are speaking this evening of studying the scriptures. This is where the shovel comes into play.

“Reading gives us breadth, but study gives us depth.” - Jerry Bridges

Notice a few preliminary thoughts this evening from our passage:

(1) It is part of a larger account - the Spirit of God is empowering the laborers of God to preach the word of God in modern-day Europe.

(2) The people examining the scriptures here are people who already hear and read the scriptures regularly.

This means: It is possible to study the scriptures all of your life and have missed the point of the scriptures.

Proposition:

It is not merely the studying of the scriptures that should matter to us, but it is important how we study the scriptures.

There are three movements in Paul’s message?

(1) Paul alleges what the scriptures plainly teach -

(a) The Messiah must needs have suffered

(b) The Messiah must rise again from the dead

(2) Paul alleges that “this Jesus” is that Messiah (He makes the connection to this Jesus) - , (Peter does the same thing)

Principle:

We should examine the scriptures with the goal of seeing how they point ahead to Christ or flow forth from Christ.

John 5:39 KJV 1900

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Illustration:

This requires work

How many of you have ever done any digging with a shovel? There are two primary kinds of shovels. There is the flat edge shovel and the spade shovel. It is tremendously more productive when you use the spade shovel to excavate or dig.

Similarly, you must search the scriptures with this important tool of seeing how the scriptures point us to Christ.

Romans 10:4 KJV 1900

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Example:

Option One:

(1) “sinner” - fallible, sinful

(2) “entice” - persuade

(3) “consent” - yield

Summary: Don’t give in to sinners! Be careful with peer pressure!

Berea Example:

Option Two:

(1) What does the scripture plainly teach? (define each; give same summary)

(2) How does this point me to Jesus Christ?

(2) “entice” - persuade

When I am forced to study the scriptures with Jesus in view:

(a) it forces me to humble myself and realize that I could never do what this passage is commanding me to do - like Jesus did.

(b) it causes me to be grateful for how Jesus fulfilled this passage’s command

(c) it leads me to have faith in Christ to enable me to obey this command - since he is the one who perfectly fulfilled it.

Illustration:

(3) “consent” - yield

There was a brilliant preacher/teacher who was traveling throughout Asia. His understanding of the scriptures were unparalleled compared to others of his generation. This was a man who had been educated in one of the most advanced cities of his time. One day, he came to a particular place in Asia and began to preach. It was there that two faithful servants of the Lord: a husband and wife listened. To their delight, he was a powerful speaker. To their dismay, he taught but he left out the most important part. Read how the story concludes in .

(4)

Similarly, just as preaching without pointing to Christ can be mighty but still lacking so when we study the scriptures without looking to Christ, we too are lacking.

Conclusions:

Two simple questions to ask each time you study:

(1) What is the scripture plainly saying?

(2) Where is Jesus?

He is the hope of the patriarchs. He’s the angel of the Lord.4 Then go to Exodus through Deuteronomy. He’s the rock of Moses. He’s the fulfiller of the law—both the ceremonial law, because he makes us clean in him, and the moral law, because he earns the blessing through his perfectly righteous life. He’s the final temple. Now go to the history of Israel after Moses. He’s the commander of the Lord’s host (). He’s the true king of Israel—indeed, he’s the true Israel. He fulfills everything Israel was supposed to do and be. Now look at the Psalms, the songs of David, in which Jesus is the sweet singer of Israel (). Then go to the prophets, and there he is the promised King (), the suffering servant (), and the world healer (). Go to Proverbs and find that he is the true wisdom of God. To those who are being saved, the cross is the wisdom of God (). - Keller, Timothy. Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism (p. 45). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Keller, Timothy. Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism (p. 45). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Keller, Timothy. Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism (p. 45). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Jesus is the true and better Adam, who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us (). Jesus is the true and better Abel, who, though innocently slain, has blood that cries out for our acquittal, not our condemnation (). Jesus is the true and better Abraham, who answered the call of God to leave the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void “not knowing whither he went” to create a new people of God. Jesus is the true and better Isaac, who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us all. God said to Abraham, “Now I know you love me, because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love, from me.” Now we can say to God, “Now we know that you love us, because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love, from us.” Jesus is the true and better Jacob, who wrestled with God and took the blow of justice we deserved so that we, like Jacob, receive only the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us. Jesus is the true and better Joseph, who at the right hand of the King forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them. Jesus is the true and better Moses, who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant (). Jesus is the true and better rock of Moses, who, struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert. Jesus is the true and better Job—the truly innocent sufferer—who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends (). Jesus is the true and better David, whose victory becomes his people’s victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves. Jesus is the true and better Esther, who didn’t just risk losing an earthly palace but lost the ultimate heavenly one, who didn’t just risk his life but gave his life—to save his people. Jesus is the true and better Jonah, who was cast out into the storm so we could be brought in. - Keller, Timothy. Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism (p. 51). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Keller, Timothy. Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism (p. 45). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Keller, Timothy. Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism (pp. 51-52). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

I want to remind you:

(1) If you are not a Christian, these disciplines will not aid you in spiritual growth. must be born again.

(2) If you are a Christian, these should flow out of your secure identity in Jesus Christ and not because you have to work to gain your salvation.

Illustration:

Keller, Timothy. Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism (p. 51). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Study with a way to take notes.

When Josiah and Joanna speak to me, they do not do so with the hopes that they can become my children. They do so because they already have an identity as my children.

We should study the truth of God’s word because of Who Jesus is in our lives, and not because this gains us status with the Lord. Will you discipline yourself to read the Word of God?

Invitation:

(1) How many of you would honestly say that you presently study the word of God daily or at least on a regular basis?

(2) Of those who study, how many of you would say that you have been missing the Christ connection in much of your study?

(3) Of those who do not currently study regularly, how many of you have a desire at least to do so? Will you commit/yield to Christ this evening about this matter?