Back in the saddle...

I am thrilled and blessed to be teaching "how to study the Bible" at Carmel Baptist Church for the next 10 weeks. Here is a note that gives a summary of what was covered last night and what is coming next in this series.

Dear Bible study group,

Thanks for your attendance and attention last night as we begin a 10 week series on "how to study the Bible." As I mentioned this series is intended to be like a marathon and not a sprint. My goal last night was to have you know a little about me, background and the practical ways studying the Bible over the years has impacted my life. Also it was to introduce you to a section of Scripture in Luke 24. As you remember the Lord Jesus takes two sad disciples and after explaining Scriptures transforms them into hearts burning with a passion to proclaim "Christ is alive". Nothing would thrill me more, than to hear that as a result of our the next 10 weeks your hearts are burning to understand and apply the word of God daily into your lives.

The title of our course is a little misleading because we are dealing not only with the "how" but also the "why". One of the main focuses of ministry for me over the past 10 years has been to ask "why" Christians don't read, study nor have devotions on a regular basis. As you read this email do a quick survey of your own Bible reading, study and devotion time in the last 3 years. Each of us has 10,080 minutes every week. Most Christians I have taught over the years understand the command that we are to love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. However, when they do an honest review of minutes available as opposed to minutes actually committed to study, reading and devotion time there seems to be a gap between what they know and what they do. Therefore, one of the goals of this 10 week series is to once again get you into the word in order that the word can get back into you. This point needs some further clarification. We live in the culture of America. Many live by a motto that goes something like this "if it's to be then it's up to me". Therefore when you tell an American Christian to get back to the Bible they think "I can do it, I will do and if you don't think I can then watch me". All that produces is a group of people that have a "duty" mentality and that is NOT my goal for you in this series. Instead my goal is that you would "DELIGHT" in picking up your Bibles each morning, have a meeting with the living Lord Jesus as He explains His word to you.

I have found it helpful to look at two aspects of the "why" as it relates to Bible reading, study and devotion time. The first category I want to share with you are the main reasons I continue to hear as to "why" people don't study their Bibles. As you read would simply make a mental note if any of these reasons apply to you specifically. Now please don't be offended at my next statement. But Vance Havner, one of the great all time Baptist preachers, used to say "An excuse is the skin of a lie stuffed with a reason". So with all that said here we go.
1. The Bible doesn't seem relevant to my life
2. The Bible is confusing and hard to understand
3. I end up always feeling guilty when I read the Bible
4. I rely on my pastors and leadership to teach me what the Bible says
5. The Bible is boring to me
6. My life is hectic and I simply don't have time to read the Bible
7. The Bible is full of contradictions and therefore lacks credibility
8. I don't read period, not just the Bible but I don't read anything

From time to time I have dealt with each of these objections but let me go straight to the bottom line. All of us make time to do that which is important to us - right? Last night and in this initial email I am asking you to honestly evaluate what priority does God's word have in your life right now. This is one of the most, if not the most important question that you will every ask yourself. Because as we will see your answer to that very question will have eternal consequences. A pastor once said that when his mother gave him his first Bible she wrote on the inside cover "sin will keep you from this book or this book will keep you from sin". How true is that statement in light of Romans 6:23 that plainly tells us that the wages of sin is death. So now allow me to give you the other category of "why". This is going to be a list of "why" as a Christian you should study the Bible. Let me mention that while this is my list it certainly is not an exhaustive list.

Christian should study the Bible because: (the "why" we should)
1. It is commanded by God Himself.
Read carefully and slowly 2 Timothy 2:15 - "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth".
The words "be diligent" can be translated study and in this particular sentence it is a verb that is used in the "imperative" mood. The "imperative" mood carries with it the mood of command, it other words we aren't asked to study but rather commanded to in God's word!
While we are on the subject of God's commands let me mention something that you might find interesting about accurate Bible study. Go back with me to the garden of Eden when God commanded Adam in Gen. 2:17 "but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." Do you think that Adam really understood what God meant by what He said? I vote yes for a number of reasons that I won't go into other than Adam totally understood that command. Now later on Eve had a conversation with the serpent that is recorded in Gen. 3:4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! Now doesn't that seem to be in conflict with what God said to Adam? And as Paul Harvey says "you know the rest of the story". Can you see one of the strategies that Satan is constantly using on us as believers? He wants to be sure that we do not know what God really means by what He says. If fact Satan takes the very word of God and twists it around because he knows that a wrong believing will lead us to a wrong behaving. Folks, we need the tools and principles to accurately know how to interpret the word of God for ourselves, our families and our lives.

2. There is no subject that is more worthy of our time. By the way I meant to ask last night if you were asked to give the subject of the Bible in two words how would you respond?
My answer to that question would be Jesus Christ. Let me give you a quotation from one of the great Bible teachers who taught for many years at Columbia Bible College now known as Columbia International University. His name is Buck Hatch and he now resides with that great cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 12. Here is a quote directly from Buck Hatch - "What is more important to man than God? He is everything. To know God is the primary, pre‑eminent pursuit of any human. And how is he, man, to study, to know God? God has shut Himself up, as it were, or limited Himself in His revelation to mankind through the channel of the written Word of God ‑ The Bible.
This is the only authentic, true text to which we may turn. Anything God has of Himself or His blessings comes from Himself immediately, directly, and only to a human being through this book, God's Word. Consequently, to know God is to know the Bible; to know the Bible is to know God. If God is all important, then His Word is all important. In other words, The Word of God is as important as God Himself. As far as mankind is concerned, this is true. A hunger for God will mean, must mean, a hunger for the Word of God. Therefore, one must immediately realize if God's Word is as important as God Himself (for by it we can know and understand God), then how we interpret God's Word is just as important as God's Word. We must know exactly what it says so that we may know exactly what God says! This is where correct and accurate Bible study plays its important role."

3. It is a litmus test for us as to determine if we are true disciples of the Lord Jesus. Check out John 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine". Sometimes what I like to do is to contrast what I have just read in order that the truth even be brought into my mind and heart in a more significant way. Therefore based on the verse above would it be fair to say that those who don't continue in His word aren't true disciples! Whoa, now that should really get our attention! By the way the word "continue" in this verse is the Greek word "meno" and it means to reside or stay in. If you cross reference this word it also appears in John 15:4 - "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me". One of the keys for determining whether are true or just professing disciples of the Lord Jesus is do we abide in His word!

4. This is the primary way in which we as believers can know God. The Bible is a unique Book. There is no other like it. It is a Supernatural Book ‑ it is God's Book, written by Him to us, about Himself. The Bible is simply everything a person needs to know about God in order to have an intimate personal relationship with Him.
Remember what Phillip asked the Lord Jesus in John 14:8 - "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." And Jesus says to him "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father". Since we know that Jesus is the Word then to know the Word is to know God. How sad that for many people the knowing is only information that resides within the head instead of a transformation that is known in the heart!

Next week we will cover "who" can study the Bible to know God. In addition to the "who" we will get an overview of the entire Bible in order to see it as a whole that is written as one book with one Author. For some people this may be your first real effort to get serious about time in God's word. This again is a marathon and not a sprint and as you have probably heard before the journey of 1000 miles begins with that of a single step. Therefore we will begin one step at a time to learn the principles of Bible study in order that we may come to know what the author meant by what he wrote.

Now before I conclude this initial email I need to give you a homework assignment for next week. Yes, I said a homework assignment. Come on you really didn't think you could come away from our class and not have some homework did you? OK, I will be explaining in weeks to come the difference between reading the Bible, having devotions in the Bible and studying the Bible. Don't let that bother nor intimidate you at this point. First let me ask you a question - in the last 3 years how many times have you read through the entire Bible? It may surprise you to know that many Christians have never read through the entire Bible even once. So, we need to come to terms with is a plan and process for you to read through the entire Bible. My suggestion and it is only that, is for you to do this in one year. Therefore I am going to provide you with several options to choose from and then tell you what I am doing this year. By the way this is always my recommendation as a starting point for healthy Bible study. Let me give you an illustration, suppose a good friend has just built a new home and they invite you over for a house warming party. Upon arriving you observe the home, its design, style and the landscaping. Then entering the new home you are given an overall view as you walk with the host from room to room. Most people don't immediately go into the dining room to examine each of the chairs at the dining room table. But many people do start their Bible study by going to a particular verse within the Bible in order to observe, interpret and apply. Even though that is a way to study I don't think it is the best way to study the Bible.

Here is step #1 of our 1000 mile journey:
Find a Bible reading plan that can take you through the entire Bible in one year.
Link #1 - We used this in our church and had many people give positive feedback with this particular method. Each week you are reading in:
Epistles
the Law
History
Psalms
Poetry
Prophecy
Gospels

Link #2 - I have never used this particular system but have heard others give this a high recommendation

Link #3 - This is what I am personally doing this year and would very much recommend it. You start with a survey of the book and then each day some insight on what is going to be covered for that particular day. I think you can find this at either Barnes and Nobles or Borders bookstore here in Charlotte.

Link #4 - Last year a young man that I was able to disciple used this particular Bible reading plan and he would give you this as his recommendation. I call this either the "turbo" Bible reading plan because it covers the whole Bible in 90 days. I want to encourage you first to read through the whole Bible as quickly as your schedule and time will allow. You will see in coming weeks how the "unity" of the Bible will play a major role in how we learn to interpret Scripture in an accurate manner.


Well there you have it 4 recommendations - 2 online and 2 books for your choosing that you should be able to find in Charlotte or that you can order immediately from Amazon.

In closing I hope to have our blog site up and functional by sometime this weekend. I will include first my book recommendations that cover "how to study the Bible". These will be books that I own personally and many of the teachings, comments, and paraphrases will be from this material. In addition to these there are another 3 reference sources that I will be using "Hermeneutics - how to study the Bible" from Columbia International University, "Hermeneutics for the rest of us" by Jim Wright, and finally "A workman approved which is a how to study the Bible series by Mark Keilar. Just as a matter of information I will not be footnoting the textbook information nor the resource materials as I write to you from week to week. Please allow these book recommendations and reference materials mentioned here to cover this as we move forward.

Also please know that I am available to you as the schedule allows for questions about "how to study the Bible." Apparently I am going to be tied up for the next 3 weeks in jury duty but please don't hesitate to call or email. Thanks again for your kind welcome last night and I consider it a real privilege to be able to share with you during the next 10 weeks these principles of Bible study.
My prayer for you the next week will be as follows:
Col. 1:9 ¶ For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
Col. 1:10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Col. 1:11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
Col. 1:12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

Blessings,