Bible Study Preparation
Wednesday Evening Bible Study
January 12, 2000
Resources:
Who has a computer? Who needs Online Bible?
Who would be interested in purchasing some books for studying?
The teacher
It’s not what you teach as much as who you are.
Regular Devotions
You need to be in God’s Word yourself, for yourself. Don’t be always looking for good verses for other people, be sensitive to what God has for you.
(1 Cor 11:23 KJV) For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you…
Prayer
Pray for your flock. The two main spiritual weapons are the Word and Prayer, don’t neglect one for the other. Sometimes you’ll accomplish much more in prayer than you’ll ever accomplish by speaking.
(1 Cor 2:4-5 KJV) And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: {5} That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
It’s important to be prepared and clear in your teaching, but ultimately, you want to be getting your people in touch with the Lord.
Knowing your flock
Know their learning abilities – the four year old isn’t going to understand what you might teach to their parents.
Know their spiritual needs.
(Prov 27:23 KJV) Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.
Teachability
Are you changed by your teaching? Is God able to get a hold of you? Will you practice what you preach?
It doesn’t mean you have to be perfect to teach God’s perfect Word. But you need to be in the process of growing yourself. You can’t take your people any further than you’ve been.
(1 Tim 4:12 NLT) Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.
Gift of Teaching
We’ll cover this more in depth in a couple of weeks on Wednesday night. How do I know if I have a gift of teaching? People will be taught. I think there is room to grow in this gift (as in others), but if you’re not gifted to teach, find out what you are gifted in and flow in it!
Love
(1 Cor 13:1-3 KJV) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. {2} And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. {3} And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
It’s been said, "People won’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care".
What is teaching?
Webster: To cause to know a subject; to guide the studies of; to impart the knowledge of; to instruct by precept, example, or experience.
Effective teaching requires that the teacher understand the subject, and then be able to take a student from the place of not knowing the subject, to understanding it themselves.
You need to "get it" first before you can teach it.
A big mistake is when someone is trying to teach something they themselves don’t understand.
Exercise: Divide into pairs, have one person try to tell the other person how to draw an abstract form without the other person seeing the drawing that you are looking at. The person describing cannot look at the drawer’s picture until the time is up.
It’s hard to be able to put yourself in the other person’s perspective. But that’s what you need to do to effectively teach. You need to be thinking about how the other person will receive what you say and whether or not they’ll understand.
Tools of the trade (part 1)
The Bible: Different versions; cross references
The passage itself
Read the passage several times. Some pastors read it 50 times before they feel they’re ready to preach.
Read the passage in different versions. Each time you read the Bible, take notes on what you’ve read.
Cross References
Many of your Bible have cross references. Learn how they work in your Bible.
Cross references can be helpful, but keep in mind, they’ve been chosen based sometimes on the theological perspective of the editor. Sometimes they’ve simply the reference to the Old Testament passage that’s being quoted.
The greatest reference tool in your library is your Bible.
The more you read your Bible, the more of the Bible you’ll understand.
The greatest commentary on the Bible is the Bible.
There are plenty of times when I’ll have 80% of my Bible study prepared without opening up a single other reference source other than my Bible.
The Inductive Method
Observation
- The word, phrase, passage that you are focusing on.Interpretation - What the word, phrase, passage means
Application - How the word, phrase, or passage can apply to your life.
Example: A sample from Sunday morning’s message – Isaiah 42 …
:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect,
Who is "my servant"?
I think there is a sense in which there are three prophetic strands woven together through this passage.
Cyrus - Back in Isaiah 41, we saw the thread of Cyrus, who would be used by God as a servant (Is. 44:28; 45:1).
Israel – When we get to verses 18-25, the strand will change to the nation of Israel, also clearly called God’s "servant" (Is. 44:21)
Jesus - This is the thread that is we see woven into this section. Why not just take this as either Cyrus or Israel? Because Matthew tells us this is Jesus.
(Mat 12:14-21 KJV) Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. {15} But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; {16} And charged them that they should not make him known: {17} That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, {18} Behold my servant, whom I have chosen …
Lesson
Jesus was a servant.
(Phil 2:1-11 KJV) If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, {2} Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. {3} Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. {4} Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. {5} Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: {6} Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: {7} But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: {8} And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. {9} Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: {10} That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; {11} And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus is to be our example. And He was a servant.
I think it’s very easy to get trapped into thinking of ourselves. When we think of ourselves, we are constantly worried about whether we are happy or whether we think our "needs" are being met. When we are thinking of others, we become concerned about their needs.
:4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. (This part didn’t make the cut and wasn’t in the sermon …)
fail – kahah – to grow weak, grow dim, grow faint, falter. We may grow faint (Isa. 40:30-31), but He never will.
discouraged – ratsats – to be crushed, oppress. Same word used in verse 3, "bruised reed".
Jesus will return one day. He’s not giving up on the world. Some day, everything will be made right.
Assignments
Take this Sunday’s passage (Isa 43), use O-I-A method. Use just your Bible for now. You may use other versions, cross references, anything in any of your Bibles.
Come up with one thing where you needed to investigate an "Interpretation" to understand a section or word or phrase.
Come up with another (or the same) area where you find an application.