The Word of God Sermon Week 4 - Studying the Word of God

Intro/Welcome

Finish up Word of God Series

Recap of Weeks 1-3

Week 1: Why we need the Bible?

Week 2: The Bible is alive and gives life

Week 3: The Bible is trustworthy

Today, very practical — How do I approach this thing?

Giving 10 books away

Comment your “name and I want a book” and we’ll do a kind of raffle at the end of the service.

Give away 10 books.

Let’s Pray

Pray

Pray

What is the Bible about?

The Bible consists of 66 Books that were written

over a period of more than1500 years

More than 40 authors

on 3 continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe).

in 3 languages (Hebrew, Greek, and a bit in Aramaic)

One unifying message: Jesus

All Scripture Points to Jesus

Luke 24:44 CSB

He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

See also: Matt 5:17, John 5:39, Luke 24:27

Reading scripture doesn’t just lead to truth, it leads to a Person

What is in the Bible?

Content:

39 Old Testament — Before Christ

27 New Testament

Old Testament (3/4 of Bible)

Torah, Prophets, Poetry, Wisdom, Historical

Hebrew: Moses (Torah), Prophets (History + Prophets), Writings (Wisdom Lit. & Psalms)

Tell the Story of God’s People and points to Jesus, the need for a savior

New Testament 27 Books

4 Gospels

Acts

13 Pauline Letters (9 to regions, 3 Pastoral, 1 to Individual)

Identified by Recipient

8 General Letters (Hebrews, James, 1&2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude)

Identified by Author

Revelation

Why do we struggle to read?

Three Enemies:

The World, The Flesh, The Devil

The Devil

Genesis 3 casting “doubt on God’s Word”

If you knew the cure to a disease would you not get it to that person right away?

The Devil does just the opposite.

How do you win a war?

Take out the communication.

POINT: Don’t be surprised that it is a struggle

You have an enemy, this is his number one scheme.

Keep you out of the Word

Uses the World and the Flesh to keep us out of it.

Don’t let him Win

How do we Study the Bible?

Prayer

Holy Spirit wrote the Bible and the Holy Spirit will illuminate the Bible

My story— reading as an unbeliever

Ask.

Open and Close your time in the Word with Prayer.

Two Methods: Light Method / COMA

Light Method

Pray

Read

Look For:

Light — What shines out? What sticks out?

Question Mark — What is hard to understand?

Commentary

Application — What applies to your life?

Pray

Simple effective way to begin.

Just start somewhere.

COMA Method

Context, Observation, Meaning, Application.

You already know how to do this

You do it everyday of your life.

Events happen in your life

Whenever you watch a movie or read a book.

Send an email or a text message. .

Just need to do the same thing to the Bible.

CONTEXT:

Genre

Genre — what kind of literature is this?

Biblically:

Narrative vs. Letter

Poetry vs. Apocalyptic

Example:

Emails vs. Novels

Movies vs. News Report

It changes how you read it.

Historical Context

Who wrote it?

Why did they write it?

Who did they write it to?

Culture of that time.

Texts messages — send from you to someone for a purpose.

Same thing with Scripture.

Literary Context

Words, sentences, paragraphs, chapter, book, Bible.

OBSERVATION

Read the text.

Make Observations

Ask Questions of the Text

What is the main point or points?

What surprises are there?

What are the key words? What words or ideas are repeated?

Why is this here?

Why did he say it that way?

What is confusing?

MEANING

What did the Author mean to communicate?

How do we interpret this section?

How does it relate to other parts?

How does it point us to Jesus?

What does it tell us about God?

Contextualization

What did the author intend to communicate: Principle

What needs to be left in that time and place

What transcends into our time and place

Contextualize: what does this mean for me

APPLICATION

What does this truth mean for me?

How should I respond to this truth?

Use of a Commentary:

This can be very helpful in answering some of these questions.

Gives context, draw parallels to other scriptures.

Recommendation:

ESV Study Bible Hands Down.

Example: 2 John

2 John 1–13 CSB

The elder: To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth—and not only I, but also all who know the truth—because of the truth that remains in us and will be with us forever. Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, in keeping with a command we have received from the Father. So now I ask you, dear lady—not as if I were writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. This is love: that we walk according to his commands. This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: that you walk in love. Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves so that you don’t lose what we have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who does not remain in Christ’s teaching but goes beyond it does not have God. The one who remains in that teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home, and do not greet him; for the one who greets him shares in his evil works. Though I have many things to write to you, I don’t want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come to you and talk face to face so that our joy may be complete. The children of your elect sister send you greetings.

Walk through COMA

Context:

Personal Letter

Written near end of 1st Century

By Apostle John to an Elect Lady?

Observations:

Why Elect Lady?

Greek: Why 2nd person plural

Talking about a Churc

Meaning:

Love is tied to obedience

Obedience is tied to Love

There are False Teachers

Don’t acquiesce to false teachers, practice love

Don’t let False teachers teach at your church.

Application:

Where have I let unbiblical teaching into my life?

Where am I tempted to compromise

Why is this so important? is it a big deal?

Where do I need to love more, obey more?

How I read the Bible

Question: Where do I begin?

Daily > 5 min a day

Psalms (8-12 verses)

Gospel

Wisdom (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes)

NT - Non-gospel

OT - Narrative/Prophet

Resources

Reading Plans

You Version

Logos Bible App

ESV Study Bible

Books: One to One, How to read the Bible, God’s Big Picture

Giving books away — Comment your name and “I want a book”

The Bible Project

One Hope Supplemental Videos

Challenge:

The Bible points us to a Person

You have an enemy

Just start somewhere

Pray