Why Study The Bible?
How To Study The Bible • Sermon • Submitted
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` I want to welcome you to our first night of “How To Study The Bible”.
I’m so excited to see how many have come out to learn about a subject matter that I believe is not only important, but essential for every Christian that wants to grow in their walk with God.
So, as we get started tonight, I thought it might be helpful to begin by laying a foundation for what we are going to be learning over the next 8 weeks.
But before we get to that, I want to take a few minutes and do two things:
First, I want to help you get a measure on where you are at when it comes to reading your Bible. This is important because you need a baseline to start with so as we go through this class, you have something to measure yourself on.
And to do that, in a few minutes, we are going to walk through a survey you were given when you came in.
Second, I want to talks to you about the purpose of the class. In other words, what it is meant to do and what it isn’t meant to do.
So, let’s get started with the survey. Grab it and we’ll walk through it:
Go through Survey:
So, now you have your baseline. Now, here’s what I want you to do with it. I want you to hold onto this survey for the next several weeks, and then on the last night of the class, we are going to take it again. And my hope is that after you’ve completed this class, your habits and your view of studying the Bible will have changed.
Cool? Ok, let’s move on to discussing what this class is and isn’t meant to do. Let’s start with what it isn’t meant to do.
#1 - This class isn’t meant to teach you how to have a 5 minute devotion every morning.
To be honest, if that’s what you are looking for, then I would recommend that you buy a really good devotional and leave it at that. Because that’s not our goal with this class.
#2 - This isn’t a class that you can just show up to and think that’s all you need to do.
The reality is, what we are going to learn over the next 8 weeks will require an investment of your time outside of the class and even beyond the class. You might ask, “How much time?” I’m going to say bare minimum, at least an hour a day. An hour a day that you would devote to applying what you are learning.
So, that’s what this class isn’t.
So, what exactly is the purpose of this class?
To put it plainly, the purpose of this 8 week course is to teach you how to enter and interact with the world of the Bible in away you never thought possible. A class that will teach you how to Observe what you read, Interpret what you read, and Apply what you read. A process that will be very similar to how I study the Bible week to week in preparation for a sermon. So, if you want to learn how to study the Bible at that level, this class is for you.
Now, you might be thinking, “Pastor, I’m not sure if I could ever read the Bible at that level.”
You’d be wrong in thinking that, and honestly, that’s part of the problem for a lot of Christians who automatically dismiss reading their Bible or studying their Bible because they think they need a seminary degree or some kind of unattainable knowledge.
The fact is, all you need is the desire to learn, a few resources, and the willingness to apply yourself. As far as I’m concerned, anybody can do it. And my goal over the next 8 weeks is to not only show you it’s possible, but to teach you how to do it.
All that to say, if all your looking for is a way to skim over a few verses every morning, then you’re going to be disappointed. However, if you are looking for a way to pick up your Bible, understand what it says, and then apply it to your life in a meaningful and transformational way, then this class is for you.
I say all that because I don’t want anybody to come to this class with any false misconceptions. Because this class is for people who want to move from milk to solid food. People who are willing to put in the time and effort it takes to grow in their relationship with Jesus through the study of scripture.
Now, I will say this, if that’s not what you are here for, that doesn’t mean the class won’t be beneficial for you. Because you’ll still learn something, but it won’t be as beneficial as it could be.
So, I’m not trying to scare anybody off, I just want to be clear what our goal over the next 8 weeks is.
With that out of the way, let’s get started on building our foundation, and to do that we are going to cover two different foundational topics tonight.
First, we’re going to spend some time talking about why learning to study the Bible is important for a Christian. Because the fact is, if you don’t understand the why of Bible Study, then studying the Bible probably isn’t going to be a priority in your life.
Second, I want to give you an overview of what we’ll be learning over the next 8 weeks. And doing so I hope to create an excitement in you and give you a better idea of what to expect.
And then we will close our time out tonight with some recommended resources you might want to invest in along with any questions you might have.
Sound good to everyone?
Ok, let’s get started then as we look at three reasons why learning to study your Bible is so important:
REASON #1 - Bible Study Is Essential to Spiritual Growth
The premise for this reason is found in 1 Peter 2:2. Listen to what the Apostle Peter has to say about this:
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
In this passage Peter uses an analogy to describe and explain why studying the Bible is so important for our spiritual growth. An analogy that can be summed up in three words.
The first word is “Perspective”.
Notice what Peter says. He says we are to approach the study of God’s Word, “Like newborn infants...” 1 Peter 2:2a
The imagery that Peter has given us is the perspective of a newborn baby. So, a great question to ask would be, “What’s the perspective of a newborn baby?”
Well, for one it’s a perspective of need. So, what does a newborn baby need? Well, they need food. In fact, it’s all they really all they care about and they’re not afraid to let you know. That’s true, right? So it’s a perspective of need.
But it’s also a perspective of dependency. Because the only way that Baby is going to grow is if it gets the nutrition it needs. Which in the case of a baby is milk.
And concerning God’s Word, the same should be true of us. Because Peter says just like a newborn baby, if we want to be nourished and fed spiritually, we need to have a perspective of need when it comes to the Bible. Not only that, we also need a perspective of dependency as we recognize God’s word is the milk we need. It’s the source of our spiritual nutrition.
And the fact is, until we gain that perspective, our spiritual growth is going to be stunted.
Everybody with me on that?
This then leads to our second word. Because along with a newborn perspective of God’s word, we have to have a "PASSION” for it. Peter puts it like this:
“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk...” 1 Peter 2:2b
Peter says we just can’t recognize we need it, but we need to long for it. We need to yearn for it. We need to crave it.
It’s the idea that it’s something you deeply desire and can’t live without.
So, in the context of the Bible, it’s you and I hungering and longing for time in God’s Word. Why? Because we desperately desire it.
Now, here’s the challenge. The challenge is that not every Christian longs or has a passion for studying the Bible? Why not? To be honest, a lot of it has to do with their perspective of the Bible. For example:
Example #1 - Some Christians view the Bible like a plate of mixed vegetables. They know it’s good for them, but they don’t like the way everything on the plate tastes. As a result, they only pick out what they like as they brush the lima beans aside. They only focus on what tastes good to them as they push the carrots to the edge of the plate . And even that goes so far, because after all, the world just offered them a piece of chocolate cake.
Example #2 - For other Christians, they view the Bible like a bowl of dry oatmeal. To them scripture is nourishing but dry. For them, reading the Bible is like eating a bag of feed. As a result, they have no passion to read it and no joy when they do.
Example #3 - But then there are Christians who view the Bible like a a Dairy Queen Blizzard. They just can’t get enough of it. How did they acquire that taste? They acquired it over time as they cultivated a taste for it. In other words, the more they engaged in it, the more their thirst and hunger grew for it. The more their spiritual taste buds longed for it.
This was true for me with vegetables. Because for a lot of years I hated the taste of vegetables. But then somebody challenged me to do the Daniel Fast for the first time. So, for 21 days I ate vegetables, and if I’m honest, the first week was tough. But by the time I got to the end of the fast, I had developed a taste for them. Not only that, but physically I felt so much better. Why? Because for the first time in my life I was putting something in my body that was good for me.
It’s the same with Bible study. In order to long for it, you have to cultivate a taste for it. Which means, you have to change your perspective of it. You have to start viewing it differently, and I can promise you, when you do, your taste for it will change and over time you’ll find yourself longing for it.
This leads us to our third word, the word “Purpose”. Peter writes:
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
Peter says the purpose for Bible study is to grow you up. It’s the idea that as you study God’s Word, over time you begin to grow spiritually.
And this again is where a lot of Christians get confused. Because instead of reading the Bible for growth, they read it for other reasons:
For example, some read it out of religious obligation. In other words, it’s just something they are required to do. Which means, it’s just a duty to them. Something to check off the religious checklist. As a result, no real thought is given to what they’ve read. So they plow through it and move on to the next religious task.
Others read it strictly for knowledge. In other words, they want to be Biblically knowledgable. The want to be the ones who can answer the Bible question. Which is great, but just because you know what the Bible says doesn’t mean you are growing spiritually. The truth is, I’ve met a lot of Christians over the years who could quote chapter and verse, but their Christian behavior was that of a toddler.
But what Peter is saying here is we need to read it for the purpose of growth. Reading it with the mindset that not only do I want to know what it says, I want to make sure I’m applying it to my life. Because if there’s no application, there’s no growth.
Think of it like this. Imagine if you read a book on how to grow a plant. But then after gaining the knowledge, you don’t water the plant. You don’t put it in the sun light. What do you think is going to happen to your plant. Well, over time it’s going to wither and die. Why? Because while you had the knowledge to grow it, you didn’t apply it.
It’s the same with our spiritual growth. You can know what the Bible says, but if you’re not applying it, you’re not going to grow.
All that to say, until you begin to view studying the Bible has a necessary component to your spiritual growth, you will never grow spiritually.
This leads us to the second reason we need to study the Bible:
REASON #2 - The Bible Is Essential For Spiritual Maturity
The premise for this reason is found in Hebrews 5:11-14. A passage that we looked in detail at a few weeks ago. Look at what the writer says:
11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
In this passage the writer is challenging his audience to grow past their infant state as they move from milk to solid food. But unfortunately there’s a problem. And the problem is that they are “Dull of hearing”.
It’s the idea that they are slow to learn. In other words, while they should be moving to a college level, they are still operating at a Kindergarten level.
So, what’s the problem? Why are they slow to learn? They’re slow to learn because they lack constant practice. In other words, they’re lazy Christians. Yes, they have a Bible, but they never open it. Yes, they have the Bible app on their phone, but they never launch it. Yes, they believe the Bible is God’s Word, but they don’t have time to look at what it says.
So, as a result, they remain in the infancy stage of their birth trying to survive on the ABC’s of the faith, while never growing into maturity.
Unfortunately, this is true for many Christians and why so many Christians lack spiritual maturity. Because while they can give you the basics and quote a few scriptures, that’s about as deep as it goes.
This leads us to the final Reason we need to study the Bible:
REASON #3 - The Entire Bible Is Essential For Spiritual Effectiveness
The premise for this reason comes from 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Paul writes:
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.
What I want you to notice is that Paul says “All Scripture” is profitable. And by “All Scripture” that includes the book of Leviticus. That includes the book of Numbers. That includes the book of Deuteronomy.
My point is, when it comes to Bible study, we have to be willing to study it all. We can’t just pick and choose what we like or what is easier to read. We have to be committed to studying all of it. Why? Because Paul says it’s all profitable.
Think of it like this. Let’s say you lived in Communist China, and the only part of the Bible you had access to was the book of Deuteronomy. If that was the case, do you think you could spiritually survive with only access to that book?
Now, you might be thinking, “Wow Pastor, I don’t know. Last time I skimmed through the book of Deuteronomy I didn’t get much out of it.”
I get that. But let me tell you about a person who did depend on it. A person who in the midst of a spiritual battle used the book of Deuteronomy to battle the devil.
This person is found in Matthew 4, and His name is Jesus. Because as Jesus is tempted in the wilderness in Matthew 4, in order to defeat the devil, Jesus goes to the book of Deuteronomy. Bet you didn’t know that, did you? And in doing so he quotes three times from Deuteronomy as he responds to the devil’s temptations saying, “It is written...”
You see, the entire Bible is profitable and is necessary for your Effectiveness as a Christian. Which means, we need to be devoted to studying all of it.
So, a great question would be, “What’s it effective for?”
#1 - Paul says it’s effective for teaching where the Bible is the instructor and you are the student. Which means, it’s profitable for learning as it begins to change the way you think. Because that’s what teaching does. It changes your thinking.
#2 - It’s profitable for rebuke. Which means it tells us when we are out of bounds or on the wrong path. The Bible tells you what sin is and what God wants for your life.
#3 - It’s profitable for correction. Which means, not only does it show you what sin is, but shows you how to clean it out of your life. It corrects you.
#4 - It’s profitable for training in righteousness. Which means, after correcting us, the Bible gives us a new path and new boundaries and guidelines to live by.
Bottom line, the Bible brings spiritual maturity and equips us for Christian service.
Think of it like this. If you got hired in a new job, but you refused to do what it takes to learn and grow as an employee, how long do you think you’d have that job? Probably not very long.
The same is true in our faith. The fact is, if you want to be used by God, then you have to be committed to growing in God’s Word. Committed to learning what His Word says. Committed to making changes that will grow you up spiritually and allow God to use you.
You see the problem for a lot of Christians, is they want to be spiritually promoted, but they’re not doing what it takes to be promoted. They’re not spending any time growing in God’s Word.
The bottom line is this. We study the Bible because it’s essential to our growth, it’s essential to your maturity, and it’s essential for your effectiveness.
That being the case, I don’t know about you, but I want to become a student and studier of the Word. Which is why we are here tonight.
So, with that as our foundation, let’s stop for a moment, because if there are any questions at this point, I want to make sure and give you the opportunity to ask.
Ok, moving on then, I want to spend the next few moments giving you a preview of what we are going to learn over the next several weeks.
So, to get us started, let me give you the 30,000 foot view.
Over the next several weeks we are going to develop a three step method to Bible Study. A method that you can use and apply to any book, chapter, paragraph, or verse in the Bible. A three step process that will guarantee spiritual growth and life change.
So, here are the three steps:
STEP #1 - Observation
In this step we will ask and answer the question, “What do I see”.
It’s the idea that we are going to learn how to approach the Bible like a Biblical detective as we learn to ask some key questions concerning the text. Here are just a few we will learn to ask:
Question #1 - Who is the author of the book.
This is an important question because it gives us the context and perspective of the writer.
For example, the Gospel of Matthew was written by none other than Matthew. Why is that important? It’s important because Matthew was one of Jesus’s disciples, which means he had 1st hand knowledge of Jesus.
Not only that, but before he followed Jesus, he was a tax collector. Which is significant because in the 1st century Jewish world, tax collectors were the scum of the earth. Why? Because they were Jews collecting tax for Rome. Which in a way made them traitors to their own people.
What does that tell us? It tells us that Matthew didn’t have a squeaky clean past. Matthew didn’t grow up in church. Matthew had some baggage. And yet God used him to write one of the four Gospels.
All that to say, knowing who Matthew is gives us context and perspective.
Question #2 - Who is the author writing too?
This is an important question because it tells us something about the content and focus of the book. For example, in Matthew’s gospel, Matthew is writing this Gospel to the Jewish people in order to convince them that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
As a result, Matthew will often use Hebrew terminology and idioms to communicate his ideas.
If you’re not sure what an idiom is, an idiom is a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words.
For example, if somebody did something spectacular, you might say to them, “You hit it out of the park”. That phrase is an American Idiom which means what? That they did a great job, right?
But here’s the deal. If you were to say that phrase to somebody from China, they may not have any idea what you are talking about. In fact, they may think you are talking about something literal.
It’s the same with Hebrew idioms. Because they aren’t familiar to us, we might overlook them or misunderstand what they mean. But because we know Matthew is writing to Jewish people, we are now aware what to look for.
And that’s just one example of many within Matthew’s gospel.
All that to say, knowing who the author is writing too helps give us context and meaning.
Question #3 - Are there people or places that need to be identified?
This is important because the Bible gives us details for a reason. Details that are meant to point us to meaning and an understanding of the text.
For example - In 2 Samuel 11 we read about the story of David and Bathsheba. If you’re not familiar with the story, David is the king of Israel. One night he’s out on his porch, and as he looks out over the city, he sees a woman bathing. He likes what he sees, so he inquires on who she is. One of his servants tells him it’s Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, who is a soldier and is deployed in battle. So, David the sends for her, sleeps with her, and sends her home.
Several days pass and Bathsheba sends David word that she is with child. Uh oh. So, David comes up with a plan. He sends for Uriah the Hittite, invites him into the royal court for dinner, and precedes to get Uriah drunk so he will go home and sleep with his wife.
But Uriah is a noble man, and tells David it wouldn’t be right for him to go enjoy his wife while his fellow brothers are sleeping in tents on the battlefield.
So, David goes to plan b. He gives Uriah the Hittite a sealed letter to give to the commander of the army. A letter that orders the commander of the army to put Uriah the Hittite in a dangerous position where he would be killed in battle.
And that’s exactly what happens as Uriah the Hittite is killed in battle, and David takes his wife Bathsheba as his wife.
A rather diabolical plan by a man the Bible calls a man after God’s own heart. But as bad as that is, it gets worse. Because if you fast forward to 2 Samuel 23 we learn a little bit more about Uriah the Hittite. Because in 2 Samuel 23, the writer gives us a list of the men who were closest to David. Look at what he tells us:
24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa, 27 Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai of Netophah, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the people of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth of Bahurim, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai of Maacah, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezro of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, the armor-bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
Notice the last name that the writer gives us. Now, do you think that detail means something? Does it tell us something? You bet it does. It tells us not only did David have a man killed to cover up his sin, he had one of his best friends killed.
What does that tell us? For one, it tells us how blind sin can make us.
All that to say, by learning how to Observe, we are going to begin to pick up on details in the Bible we never saw before. Details that will lead us to the next step in this process.
STEP #2 - Interpretation
In this step we will ask and answer the question, “What does it mean?”
In this step we will learn to ask questions that lead us to meaning. And when I say meaning, I’m not talking about what we think it means, but what it actually means.
Because behind every scripture there is an actual meaning and a message the writer is trying to communicate. Our job is to discover what it is.
Which means, before we ask the question, what does this mean to us, we are going to ask, “What did this mean to the author?”
Big difference.
Now, as we search for meaning, there will be some barriers for us to overcome.
The first barrier is:
Barrier #1 - Language Barriers
What we’re going to learn is that the Bible was not written originally in English. In fact, it was written in two different languages. The OT in Hebrews and the NT in Greek. And this creates a barrier.
The good news is, we have resources that will help us overcome that barrier. We’ll talk more about those resources in a moment:
Barrier #2- Cultural Barriers
Not only was the Bible written in another language, it was written in the context of another culture. A culture that isn’t just foreign to us, but that is far removed from us by thousands of years. So, in order to discover meaning, we have to reconstruct the cultural context in areas of communication, transportation, trade, agriculture, occupations, religion, perceptions of time, and so on.
Again, we will have resources we use to help us overcome this barrier.
Barrier #3 - Literary Barriers
Not only is the Bible written in another language, not only are their cultural barriers, but the Bible is also full of different Generes of literature.
For example, the Psalms and Proverbs represent Poetic literature. The letters of Paul are Epistles. The book of Acts is written is Narrative. The book of Revelation is apocalyptic. What that means then is, each has a unique way of being interpreted.
Again, we will look at resources that will help us overcome those barriers.
So, those are just a few of the barriers we will face and have to overcome. But as I said, they are not impassible barriers. With the right resources and some hard work, we can overcome them.
This now leads us to the final step in the process.
STEP #3 - Application
In this step we ask the question, “How does it work?” In other words, “Based on what I’ve observed and interpreted, what does this mean in my life?”
And at the end of the day, isn’t that what we all want to know? To know how the Bible applies to my life.
And in this step our goal will be to identify truths and principles that transform. Truths that lead to life change. Truths that keep us moving forward as we implement what we’ve studied into our everyday lives.
Now, I know like that sounds like a lot, and maybe for some it may feel overwhelming, but I promise you if you show up each week and you put int he work, at the end of this class you will begin to read your Bible in a whole new light. In a way that I believe will take you to a new level in your faith journey.
So, let’s stop for a second, because I want to give opportunity for questions.
Ok, so let’s move on because I want to cover one more thing before we leave tonight concerning the resources you’ll need for this class.
Resource #1 - A Study Bible: NIV or ESV suggested.
ESV is literal equivalence - Word for Word (For example, Hebrew idioms)
NIV is dynamic equivalence - Thought for though translation (For example, translated idioms)
Resource #2 - Concordance: A list of words and terms in the Bible with reference to where each word is used. Most study Bibles have this in the back of the Bible.
Resource #3 - Bible Dictionary
A reference work containing encyclopedic entries related to the Bible, typically concerning people, places, customs, and doctrine.
Resource #4 - Bible Atlas
A map of the Biblical world of the OT and NT. Most study Bible contain Atlases.
Resource #5 - Bible Commentaries
A Bible commentary is a written, systematic series of explanations and interpretations of Scripture.
Depending on what book of the Bible you are studying, you would get a commentary that goes with that book.
All Encompassing Resource: Logos 8 Fundamentals ($49.99)
Questions
Homework -
#1 - Purchase the necessary resources, at bare minimum a good study Bible.
#2 - Answer these Bible Knowledge questions:
How many books are in the Bible?
What books of the Bible are known as the Pentateuch?
What books of the Bible are known as the Historical Books?
What books of the Bible make of the Gospels?
What two languages was the Bible originally written in?
Pray & Dismiss