II Timothy 3:16-17   How Do I Study the Bible?    July 22, 2007

      The great Protestant reformer, Martin Luther, once described how he studied his Bible.  He said, “I study my Bible like I gather apples. First, I shake the whole tree that the ripest may fall. Then I shake each limb. Next, I shake each branch. Then I look under every leaf. I search the Bible as a whole like shaking the whole tree. Then I study book after book. Then I give attention to the chapters. Finally, I study every sentence and word for their meanings.   How about us?  How do we study our Bibles?  

     This morning will be our last message in a series on Growing through God’s Word.  Today I want to encourage and motivate you to begin a serious study of the Word.  I want to teach you how to study the Word.  When I was eighteen years old, I came to a new personal relationship with Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord.  It was the beginning of a great adventure in following God.  But I needed a map for the journey.  I discovered that map in the Word of God.  I began to read the Bible.  I began to study the Bible.  And I found that I received meaning, strength, direction, and power for living.  I learned of the promises of God and how those promises were meant for me today in my own life.  I am so thankful that I had people in my life who taught me how to study the Word.

      How about you?  Have you had anyone really teach you how to study the Word?  You know, there are secrets to studying in order to get the most apples off the tree.  When I was at the University of Virginia, I worked one year in a time management and study skills program where we taught undergraduate students how to study.  We gave them the tools to be able to do more.  Even with tools, there is still work to be done, but it is the difference between digging a deep hole with your hands and digging it with a shovel.  This morning, I want to give you some tools to open the Word.

      The first tool you will need in studying the Word is to obtain a modern translation of the Bible.  For most of us, if we only have the King James Bible, we are going to be digging with our hands.  A version such as the NIV or the RSV can go a long way to help you understand the scriptures.  Having both the NIV and the RSV can be very useful.  Comparing the verses can shed light on the meaning.  Bringing your Bible to church can help you in following along.

      Probably the best tool you can buy on the market today is a copy of the NIV Study Bible.  It will cost you $35 or $40 in hard back.  Look at your handout.  This is a page from the NIV Study Bible.  There you have a modern translation in today’s English.  You have study notes at the bottom of each page written by top scholars.  These notes give historical, archaeological, and philosophical information to help you understand what you are reading.  In the middle of the page, you can compare a verse to other connected verses.  So you see that for verse 3:16, you are directed to also look at II Peter 1:20-21 and Rom 4:23-24. 

       Another great tool for studying the Bible is a Topical Guide and a Concordance.  These are books that can help you look up a particular topic.  Let’s say you want to find scripture about prayer.  Well, with a topical guide or concordance, you just alphabetically look up the word prayer, and you will find direction to the proper verses.  In years past, I had to buy a separate book to have a Concordance.  Today in the back of your NIV Study Bible, you have both a topical guide and a Concordance.  Look on the back of your handout.  There you have a copy of the page on prayer.  There you can see all the references to prayer and the verses where you can go.  This study Bible is filled with many helpful tools, introductions to each book, information about the people, maps to the area.  In all these ways, we begin to actually study the Word, not merely read it casually.  In study, we shake loose and pick every precious fruit that God has for us. 

      I would next encourage you to keep some sort of journal.  As you begin to write down your thoughts and your prayers in a notebook, you will see yourself grow rapidly.  Serious athletes keep a close record of their progress. Weight lifters record each day what they lift so as to keep moving up the scale.   Cyclist record the miles peddled so as to advance.  Serious golfers keep a notebook of their game—the scores on each hole, any difficulties they noticed that day, any new discoveries.  You just cannot trust it all to memory because we forget so much.  Those who are serious about any journey keep a record.  Bible study is the same.

      What should you study in the Bible?  Start with one of the gospels such as Luke.  Work through it chapter by chapter.  When you finish, read it again.  You will be amazed at what you discover the second time around.  Then study one of Paul’s shorter letters such as Philippians.  Study book by book in this way.  Or you can choose a topic which interests you such as prayer or faith or courage.  Look up that word in the Topical Guide and Concordance and then study those passages over several days or weeks.  Or you could do Biographical Studies by reading about the life of various people in the Bible such as Abraham or David or Esther.  In my sermons, I try to model all these types of studies in the Bible.  I do sermon series that are topical such as this summer on the Bible.  Sometimes I preach through a book such as Ephesians.  Every year I do a study of a person such as Moses or Joseph or Joshua.  You can follow along at home in your own personal life.

     If all this seems too overwhelming, then you probably need help.  We all need help in studying the Word.  God’s Word is best revealed to us in community together with other people.  God loves best to speak to His people in the Body of Christ.  Join a group.  Get into a Sunday School Class.  Join an evening study.  Start your own new group.  I would be happy to help you.   This September, many of us will study how God speaks to us.  We will have several groups all through the week and Sunday morning where you can join.  And we would love for some new groups to start.  So maybe God is calling you to lead this fall for six weeks.  Many people would be thrilled to help you get started. 

      Let’s think for a moment.  Of all you have heard today, what methods or ideas interest you the most?  How do you think you could benefit from a serious study of the Bible?  What would that do for you?  Try not to be overwhelmed by all I have said.  Instead, pick one idea for this week.  Try one new thing in reading your Bible for five days and see what that does for you.  It is a long journey to master the Word of God and have it become central in your life.  But the longest journey begins with a single step.  And another step.  And another.  Take that step.  Get yourself a good study Bible.  Start bringing it to church.  Begin to read in the gospel of Luke about the life of Jesus.  Give some serious commitment to joining with some other people to study the Word.  What is the next step for you?  Think with me one more moment.  What is the next step that God is calling you to take?  Then get out of the boat and take that step to God.   Amen.