Spending quality time in the Word of God Part 1
Introduction
Today we continue our study of spiritual growth by looking at how to spend quality time in the Word of God. In part 1, we will learn about hearing God’s Word, reading God’s Word, and studying God’s Word. In part two we will learn memorizing God’s Word, biblical meditation, and applying God’s Word.
Many Christians rightly believe that they need to read the Bible. Such Christians have reading plans and study the Bible themselves. Many other Christians though, tend to focus on reading the Word of God without application. Finally, many Christians read the Bible more like it’s a book of stories than the inspired Word of God. Understanding how to hear the Word of God, read the Word of God and study the Word of God is vital.
Hearing God’s Word
The easiest of the spiritual discipline is the intake of God’s Word by hearing the Word of God preached. If one doesn’t discipline themselves to hear God’s Word regularly one may only hear it accidently or when one feels like it or not at all. Discipling oneself to hear God’s Word means developing the practice of steadfastly attending a New Testament Church where God’s Word is faithfully preached.
Luke 11:28, “But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" Merely listening to God-inspired words is not the point. The purpose of spending quality time in the Bible is obedience to what God says and the development of Christlikeness. The method Jesus encourages this is hearing God’s Word.
Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. “ This passage doesn’t mean a person can come to faith in Christ only by hearing Scripture for multitudes have become believers as Jonathan Edwards did through reading the Bible. Most like Edwards were converted while reading the Scripture are also like him in that they heard the proclamation of God’s Word prior to conversion. Romans 10:17 teaches that initial faith in Christ comes from hearing the inspired Word about Jesus Christ which also means that the Christian day to day need is to hear the Bible. For example hearing about God’s provision may aid a family to trust God in the families’ difficult financial situation. Hearing a biblically based sermon on the love of Christ may be God’s meanings of granting assurance to a downcast believer. Gifts of faith are often given to those who discipline themselves to hear God’s Word.
There are other ways Christians may discipline themselves to hear God’s Word which is hearing it preached in one’s local church. The most obvious of these ways is through radio, podcasts or tapes. These can be used with one’s ipod, laptop, or other ways.
1 Timothy 4:14, “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.“ The Apostle Paul instructs his young friend in the ministry here. Paul stresses to Timothy the importance of hearing God’s Word. The ongoing worship of God cannot be separated from the Word of God. A Christian is to discipline oneself to go and hear the Word of God.
How do I prepare to hear the Word of God? Jeremiah Burroughs wrote in 1648 the following counsel regarding preparation for the discipline of hearing God’s Word: First, when you come to hear the Word, if you would sanctify God’s name, you must possess your souls with what it is you are going to hear. That is, what you are going to hear is the Word of God. Therefore you find that the apostle, writing to the Thessalonians, gives them the reason why the Word did them so much good as it did; it was because they did hear it as the Word of God. 1 Thess. 2:13.[1] Hearing the Word of God is not merely passive listening, it is a discipline to be cultivated.
Reading God’s Word
Recent statistics regarding Christians regarding the Bible demonstrate the great need to not only hear the Word but also read the Word of God. Jesus often asked questions about people’s understand of the Scriptures, beginning with the words, “Have you not read?” He assumed that those claiming to be the people of God would have read the Word of God. A case can be made that this question implies a familiarity with the entire Word of God. Matthew 4:4, “But he answered, "It is written,” ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Jesus intends for His followers to read every Word of God. 2nd Timothy 3:16, “ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,“ Again every Word of God given by God is profitable which means every Christian should read every Word in the Word of God. Revelation 1:3, “ ‘ God promises that those who read and heed His Word will be blessed, but only those who discipline themselves to do so will receive these blessing.
The spiritual disciplines are scriptural paths where we encounter the transforming grace of God. The most critical discipline is one’s intake of Scripture. If one wants to be changed, if one wants to become like Christ, disciplining oneself to read the Word of God is vital. First one needs to find time to read the Bible. One of the reasons never read the entire Bible is discouragement. The primary reason why people don’t read the Bible is because they don’t discipline themselves and aren’t motivated to do it.
Discipline yourself to find the time to read the Word of God. Make a habit of getting up early if you go into work early, or at the very least when you wake up to read the Word of God. The second suggestion is to find a good Bible reading plan. Many Christians just open up their Bible and play Russian roulette with the Bible. Many study Bibles contain a reading schedule somewhere within their pages. There are inexpensive Bible reading plans in every Christian bookstore. Most local churches can provide you with a daily reading schedule also. Apart from a specific plan, reading three chapters everyday and five on Sunday’s will take one through the Bible in a year‘s time. Read three in the Old Testament and three in the New Testament everyday, and one will finish the Old Testament once and the New Testament four times in a twelve-month span. At the beginning of the year my own Bible plan begins in Matthew 1, and I read one chapter in Matthew and the preceding Gospels till I finish with the Gospels, and start over with Matthew. Secondly at the beginning of the year I begin by reading one chapter on Acts and then go through the read through the rest of the New Testament. At the beginning o the year I begin with the book of Psalms and read through the wisdom books- Psalms, Proverbs, Job and Song of Solomon. Finally I begin with Genesis and work my way through the rest of the Old Testament till the end of the year.
Regardless of the plan one uses I encourage you to read in more than one place at a time to keep up the momentum. Even if you don’t read through the Biel in a year’s time, keep a record of which books you read. Put a check beside a chapter when you read it or the title of that book in the table of contents when you’ve completed. Regardless of how long it takes or in what order they are read, you’ll know when you’ve completed reading the Bible.
The third suggestion on reading the Bible is to find at least one word, phrase or verse to mediate on each time you read. We will explore meditation in part two of this blog post but if one does not meditate on Scripture your Bible reading will become another chore your doing than a discipline of joy it should be. Take at least one thing you’ve read and think deeply about it for a few moments. Your insights into Scripture will deepen and you’ll better understand how it applies to your life. The more you apply the truth of Scripture the more you’ll become like Jesus.
Studying God’s Word
Ezra 7:10, “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.“ There’s an instructive signifance to the sequence in this verse. Ezra 1) “devoted himself,” 2) “to the study,” 3) “and observant of the Law of the Lord,”, 4) “and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” Before he taught the Word of God to the people of God, he practiced what he learned. Ezra’s learning came from the Scriptures. Before he studied he first devoted himself to study. Ezra is an example of disciplining himself to study God’s Word.
The second example comes from Acts 17:11. Missionaries Paul and Silas has barely escaped from Thessalonica after their successful evangelistic work had provoked the Jews there to jealousy. When they repeated the same course of action in Berea, the Jews there responded different: “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with greater eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” The willingness to examine the Scripture is commended as noble character here.
2nd Timothy 4:13, “13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. “ The Apostle Paul is in prison writing the last chapter of his last New Testament letter. Anticipating the coming of his younger friend, he writes, “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.” The scrolls and parchments Paul requested included copies of the Scriptures. In his cold and miserable confinement, the godly apostle asked for two things: a cloak to wear so his body could be warned and God’s Word to study so his mind and heart could be warmed. Paul had seen heaven (2 Cor. 12:1-6) and the resurrection Christ (Acts 9:5), he had experienced the Holy Spirit’s power for miracles (Acts 14:10) and even for writing Holy Scripture (2 Peter 3:16); nevertheless, he continued to study God’s Word until he died. If Paul needed it, surely you and I need it and should discipline ourselves to do it.
Why do so many Christians neglect the study of God’s Word? Dr. R.C. Sproul said: “Here then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God’s Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring but because its work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy.”[2]
For some the problem may be and security about how to study or how to begin to study. The basic difference between Bible reading and Bible study is as simple as a pencil and a piece of paper (one can even use a laptop and word to write down observations). Write down your observations about the text as you read and record questions that come to your mind. If your Bible has cross-references, look up the ones that relate to the verses that prompt your questions, then record your insights. Find a key word in your reading and use the concordance found in the back of most Bibles to review the other references that use the word, and again note your findings. Another way to begin is to outline a chapter, one paragraph at a time. When you read that chapter, move on to the next until you’ve outlined the rest of the book. Before long you’ll have a far stronger grasp on a section of Scripture than you had by just reading it.
As you advance in the study of the Bible you will learn the value of in-depth word studies, character studies, topical studies, and book studies. You’ll discover a new richness in the Scripture as your understanding grows of how the grammar, history, culture, and geography surrounding a text affects its interpretation.
Don’t’ let a feeling of inadequacy keep you from the delight of learning the Bible on your own. Books, thick and thin, abound on how to study the Bible. They can provide more guidance regarding methods and tools that we can delve into in this blog post. Don’t settle only for spiritual food that has been “predigested” by others. Experience the joy of discovering biblical insights firsthand through your own Bible study.
Conclusion
If one could measure the quality of growth in godliness by the quality of one’s Bible intake what would be the result? One’s growth in godliness is greatly affected by your Bible intake. Jesus in John 17:17 said this, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth”. God’s plan for sanctifying us, that is, for making us holy and godly, is accomplished by means of “the truth”- His Word. If we settle for a poor quality of intake of hearing, reading and studying God’s Word we restrict the main flow of God’s sanctifying grace to us.
What is one thing I can do to improve my intake of God’s Word? Joining a group of like-mined believers to hear god’s Word preached each week should be a minimum. Many Bible-believing churches provide more than one opportunity each week to hear God’s Word. You may want to consider tapes of the Bible, sermon tapes, podcasts or Bible exposition on radio as options for increased hearing of God’s Word Also inexpensive workbooks and study guides on every book in the Bible and a multitude of topics are available in Christian bookstores. Besides launching out individually, join a Bible study group in your church or community or even start a group study.
Whatever way you choose, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness by committing to at least one way of improving your intake of God’s Word. Those who use their Bibles little are really not much better off than those who have no Bible at all.
In Christ Alone, Pastor Dave
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Bibliography
Lewis, Peter, The Genius of Puritanism (Haywards Heath, Sussex, England: Carey Publications, 1979), page 54.
Sproul , R.C., Knowing Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1977), 17.
[1] Peter Lewis, The Genius of Puritanism (Haywards Heath, Sussex, England: Carey Publications, 1979), page 54.
[2] R.C. Sproul ,Knowing Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1977), 17.
Gospel Centered Evangelism and Discipleship
Acts 1:8 holds to the settings of Acts 1:1-2:13 which opens up with explaining the Promise of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit’s descent at Pentecost. The foundation for Acts is laid in the first eleven verses as Luke discusses the Kingdom of God and the Great Commission. The Commission of Jesus is set within the context of a question concerning when the kingdom of Israel will be restored (Acts 1:6). The question the Apostles asked was a routine one since Jesus has been resurrected. The Promise of the Spirit led them to think that the Messianic Era had dawned, and the final salvation of Israel was imminent. The reality is that the Apostles were still thinking of a political and military kingdom that would drive out the Roman armies and restore national sovereignty toIsrael. Jesus corrects the Apostles, telling them in Acts 1:8 that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit, not to triumph over the Roman armies, but to spread the good news of the gospel throughout the world. In other words Jesus’ return is in God’s timing, and in the meantime there are key things believers are to do.
The backdrop for Acts 1:8 is Luke 24:44-48, “4Then he said to 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 and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." 45Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things.” Jesus statement “my words” refers to His teaching concerning His death and resurrection (Luke 9:21-22). Jesus of Nazareth and the risen Lord Jesus are one and the same. The Law of Moses and the Prophets and Psalms refers to the divisions in the Old Testament in Jesus’ day. “Psalms” is an example of a synecdoche, in which one of the books in the Writings represents the whole. True understanding of the Scripture occurs when one understands how all of redemptive history fits together and is a gift of God (Luke 9:45; 18:34). Luke 24:45 teaches that the Christ should suffer, which repeats verse 26 and emphasizes that Jesus’ death and resurrection were necessary in order to fulfill God’s providential plan. Repentance and forgiveness of sins form the basis for the content of the Gospel while in His name provides the authority for how salvation is affected. As eyewitnesses, the Disciples served as guardians of the Gospel (Luke 1:2). ThePromise of My Father refers to the Holy Spirit who had been promised by God the Father (Acts 2:33). The coming of the Holy Spirit had been announced by John the Baptist as a sign that the Messiah had come (Luke 3:15-17). The Holy Spirit would enable the disciples to fulfill their commission as Jesus’ witnesses (Acts 1:8). The futuristic present tense of the words (“I am sending”) emphasizes the certainty of the Spirit’s coming.
Acts 1:8 teaches that the Apostles (and every believer after them) will “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Jesus corrects the disciple’s question (v.6) with a commission: “this time” (v.6) would be for them a time of witnessing for the gospel, and the scope of their witness was not to be just Israel but the entire world. The word translatedwitness is the Greek martus meaning, ”One who testifies, bears witness, declares, confirms.”[1] A witness for Jesus Christ is simply someone who tells the Truth about Him. There is a sense in which believers do not choose whether or not to be witnesses. They are witnesses, and the only question is how effective their witness is. [2]
Verse 8 is the thematic statement for all of Acts. It begins with the Spirit’s power that stands behind and drives the witness to Jesus. Then it provides a rough outline of the book: Jerusalem (chapters 1-7), Jude and Samaria (chapters 8-12), and the ends of the earth (chapters 13-28). “You will receiver power” is a phrase that has caused a great deal of discussion among interpreters on whether the Holy Spirit was at work in the lives of ordinary believers prior to Pentecost or in a lesser way or not at all, except for the empowering for special tasks. On either view, something new that needed to be waited for was here. This powerful new work of the Holy Spirit after Pentecost brought several beneficial results: more effectiveness in witness and ministry (1:8), effective proclamation of the gospel (Matthew 28:19), power for victory over sin (Acts 2:42-46; Romans 6:11-14; 8:13-14; Gal 2:20; Phil 3:10), power for victory over Satan and demonic forces (Acts 2:42-46; 16:16-18; 2 Cor. 10:3-4; Eph 6:10-18; 1 John 4:4), and a wide distribution of gifts for ministry (2:16-18; 1 Cor. 12:7, 11; 1 Peter 4:10; Numbers 11:17, 24-29). The Spirit is tied to power, which refers here to being empowered to speak boldly by testifying to the message of God’s work through Jesus. The Disciples’ direct and real experience of Jesus and his resurrection qualifies them as witnesses, but the Spirit will give them the capability to articulate their experience with boldness.[3] The Disciples likely understood “power” in this context to include both the power to preach the gospel effectively and also the power (through the Holy Spirit) to work miracles confirming the message. The same word (dynamis) is used at least seven other times in Acts to refer to power to work miracles in connection with gospel proclamation (Acts 2:22; 3:12; 4:7;; 6:8; 8:10; 10:38; 19:11).
Christ’s death and resurrection form the basis for the Christian faith. Paul said in Romans 4:25 that Jesus “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are necessary for forgiveness of sins and justification. When God the Father raised Christ from the dead, it was a demonstration that he accepted Christ’s suffering and death as full payment for sin, and that the Father’s favor no longer his wrath against sin, was directed toward Christ, and through Christ toward those who believe. Paul saw Christians as united with Christ in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:6; 8:-11; Eph 2:6; Col 2:12; 3:1). God’s approval of Christ at the resurrection resulted in God’s approval of all who are united to Christ, and in this way results in their “justification.” As a result of believing in the death and resurrection of Christ, the Holy Spirit, who is the supernatural and sovereign agent in regeneration, baptizes all believers into the Body of Christ (1st Corinthians 12:13). The Holy Spirit also indwells, sanctifies, instructs, empowers for service, and seals believers unto the day of redemption (Romans 8:9-11; 2nd Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13). The significance of the resurrection is that Jesus empowers believers through the Gospel to live lives that are transformed by His grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit to make disciples and be used for His glory.
Paul in Ephesians 1:19-20 gives us a hint of the meaning of Jesus “sitting at God’s right hand” when he said, “And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand in the heavenly places.” God’s great power that very power which raised Jesus from the dead and lifted Him by ascension back to glory to take His seat at God’s right hand, is given to every believer at the time of salvation and is always available (Acts 1:8, Col 1:29). Paul therefore did not pray that God’s power be given to believers but that they be aware of the power they already possessed in Christ and use it (Ephesians 3:20). The power Jesus gave us was power to be His witnesses. The term “power” appears ten times in Acts, sometimes referring to miracles or other effects of power (Acts 2:22; 3:12; 4:7; 8:13; 10:38; 19:11) and other times to enablement (Acts 3:33; 6:8).[4] The “right hand of God” was a sign to the disciples that Jesus had gone to heaven. Jesus told the disciples that He had to go away so that He could send the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-15). He had told them in Acts 1:8 that they would, “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,” which would be on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13), proving Jesus’ statement as truth. Paul says in Romans 8:34 that Jesus, “is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. The meaning of “God’s right hand” refers to the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. Jesus is of equal position, honor, power and authority with God the Father (John 1:1-5). The very fact Jesus is sitting refers to the fact that His work of redemption is done.
There is much discussion in Christianity today regarding the definitions of biblical evangelism and discipleship. Luke teaches in Acts 1:8 that power was granted not to establish believers own kingdom but to build the Kingdom of God. John Calvin on Acts 1:8 said, “For hereby he meant to drive out of his disciples’ mind that fond and false imaginations which they have conceived of the terrestrial kingdom, because he showeth unto them briefly, that his kingdom consisteth in the preaching of the gospel. There was no cause, therefore, why they should dream of riches, of external principality, or of any other earthly thing, whilst they heard that Christ did then reign when as he subdueth unto himself (all the whole) world by the preaching of the Gospel. Whereupon it followeth that he doth reign spiritually and not after any worldly manner.”[5] Much of the discussion regarding evangelism and discipleship in the Church begins with, “How can I reach postmodern people?” While this question is valid by beginning immediately with, “How can I reach postmodern people?” and not with the Gospel the Church is relegated to the arena of philosophical speculation rather than authority from God’s Word. The Church does not stand on its own authority but on the authority of Christ’s finished work. Believers have received power from the Holy Spirit to be witnesses for Christ’s glory.
The Church is robbed of its God given authority when it compromises the person and work of Jesus. There is a need for a clear understanding and a rediscovery of the gospel in the 21st century. Jerry Bridges says, "The gospel is not the most important message in history; it is the only essential message in all of history. Yet we allow thousands of professing Christians to live their entire lives without clearly understanding it and experiencing the joy of living their lives by it.[6] Only the Holy Spirit can take the gospel to the hearts and minds of men and women and change them into disciples of the Lord.”[7] Liberal Christianity has contributed to a faulty understanding of Christianity that focuses on what a believer needs to do in order to please God rather than living out the truth of the Gospel. The Church is being robbed of its power not from just false doctrine, false teachers but by a faulty approach to the Gospel. American Christianity is experiencing decline because of a Gospel of performance rather than Gospel of transformation.
The message of the Gospel is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1st Corinthians 15:1-8; Romans 4:25). The Gospel is the message of the Bible and the means God uses to draw sinners to Christ, bring them into relationship with Himself, build the Church, and expand the Kingdom of God. The Gospel is not just a call to salvation but the call to discipleship. Jesus’ “call to discipleship” is the call to abandon all, take up the Cross and follow Him. Jesus in [Luke 9:23-27] said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."
Discipleship is not a program, but the very mission Jesus gave the Church to fulfill. Discipleship is not just an object to be achieved because that focuses on the numbers of people. Biblical discipleship focuses on becoming like Jesus. In His ministry, Jesus cared about where people were going, and spent time with people who were hurting, ill, sick, afflicted, and demonized. Jesus shows people in His life how not only to care for people, but how to love people the way they were created to experience love. Biblical discipleship is thoroughly grounded in the person and work of Jesus.
Bibliography
Bock, L, Darrel, Acts (Michigan, Baker Academic, 2008), 63-64.
Boice, James Montgomery, Acts (Michigan, Baker Books, 1997), 10.
Bevins, Winfield. “Gospel Centered Discipleship: The Foundation for the Gospel”, July 2009, accessed August 9th, 2009. http://theresurgence.com/gospel-centered-discipleship
Calvin, John, Acts 1-13, Calvin’s Commentaries Volume XVII (Baker Books, 2009), 47.
Ger, Steven, The Book of Acts: Witnesses to the World (Tennessee, AMG Publishers, 1994), 25.
Macarthur, John, The Macarthur New Testament Commentary: Acts 1-12 (Illinois, The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, 1994), 21.
[1] Steven Ger, The Book of Acts: Witnesses to the World (Tennessee, AMG Publishers, 1994), 25.
[2] John Macarthur, The Macarthur New Testament Commentary: Acts 1-12 (Illinois, The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, 1994), 21.
[3] Darrel L. Bock, Acts (Michigan, Baker Academic, 2008), 63-64.
[4] Darrel L. Bock, Acts (Michigan, Baker Academic, 2008), 63.
[5] John Calvin, Acts 1-13, Calvin’s Commentaries Volume XVII (Baker Books, 2009), 47.
[6] Winfield Bevins. “Gospel Centered Discipleship: The Foundation for the Gospel”, July 2009, accessed August 9th, 2009.http://theresurgence.com/gospel-centered-discipleship