Lesson # 2 How to know the Bible (Fundamentals of the Faith by John MacArthur)

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Amen. So this is lesson number two of John MacArthur's fundamentals of the faith.

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How to know the Bible. So if you would please turn to 2nd

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Timothy chapter 2. Of course theoretically all of you should have this verse memorized but we'll still turn there.

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But just to go over a few things that we didn't cover last time. There's two terms that you should know.

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Special revelation and natural revelation. So if you make notes you can write this down.

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Special revelation and natural revelation. So what is special revelation?

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Special revelation is the scripture. So the Bible is special revelation and what we can learn about God through nature.

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That's natural revelation. What you can know about God through observing his creation and what he has put in the conscience.

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One verse on that Psalm 19 verse 1 says the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork.

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So that is what special or natural revelation. Natural. Right. So the people of this world who have never heard of Jesus, never held the

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Bible, never read it, never heard the gospel. They can still know something about God simply by looking up at the stars at night or just by observing the creation.

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How? Because they know this all came from somewhere. They see intelligence behind it.

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Also the law of God Romans 2 15 says that God's law is written on our hearts.

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It doesn't matter where you go in the world people understand inherently that lying is wrong, stealing is wrong, adultery is wrong.

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Everybody knows that. They don't need to be told. Well they do need to be told but everyone knows that because God's law is in our heart and we know something about him by looking around.

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Yes Marcus. Reference again? Romans 2 15.

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Thank you. God's law is in our heart and Psalm 19 1 the heavens declare the glory of God.

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Another verse on that Romans 1 20 says for since the creation of the world his that is

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God's invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they man us that we are without excuse.

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So people know things about God even if they've never read the Bible or heard preaching about Jesus.

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However just because somebody can know something about God doesn't mean that they're saved.

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You know the person off in some remote place because he or she knows there's a God and they know right wrong they cannot be saved with that knowledge.

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I know there's some very well -known influential famous pastors and evangelists who will say that they can or that's not true.

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The scripture teaches that a person needs what in order to be saved? Christ and the gospel.

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If they could be saved without the gospel missionary work would be absolutely pointless.

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Matter of fact by sending missionaries then you run the risk of them rejecting the gospel and then you would be damning them if in fact they were saved through this knowledge of God that they have through nature.

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So don't buy into that. It sounds really good but it's not what the scripture teaches.

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Larry you can spend your entire life in church and reading the scripture, not necessarily reading the scripture, but you can know a lot about God but you don't really know

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God. Right. You know knowledge. Sure. You have to put belief with that and what does that all you know believe in?

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How does that all tie into knowing God? Right.

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Yes. The word personal is important because God is a person and he wants to have a personal relationship with us.

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A personal knowledge of Christ, a personal acceptance of the gospel, personal relationship with the

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Lord. So to be saved somebody would need natural revelation that's all they need. No.

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A person in order to be saved needs special revelation. They need the scripture. They need the preaching of God's Word.

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They need the gospel. Romans 10 17. How are we saved? By faith. Romans 10 17 says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the

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Word of God. So it is essential that people know Christ which is why people need to know the

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Bible and that's what this lesson is all about. Knowing the

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Bible because how can you know anything about Christ without God's revelation in scripture?

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You can't tell me something about Jesus that isn't in the Bible. I don't know how you do that.

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You could make something up but that's all it would be. All right let's go through this book.

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So this is lesson number two. How to know the Bible. And as we go along just shoot up your hand but let's do the memory verse first.

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So if somebody other than Marcus because I know you know it and I know it. We've both repeated the verse by memory in front of the group.

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So I'll give you an off. I know most of you probably don't want to do this but but who would like to either stand up or where you're seated quote 2nd

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Timothy 2 15. Who wants to give it a shot? Nobody.

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Okay well Marcus if you want to do it since nobody else does. Well I'll start and then join in.

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Okay. Study to show thyself approved unto

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God. A workman that needeth not to be ashamed.

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Rightly dividing the word of truth. Good. Good job.

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All right. And yeah. Let's memorize together.

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And I understand that yeah there are some of you who memorized it but you don't really want to stand up and do it.

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And I understand that. Okay. All right. So it starts out the how of learning and applying scripture to life is something every

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Christian should know. So this lesson covers five ways to make the

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Bible yours. Hearing reading studying memorizing and meditating.

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Compare those five methods of learning scripture to the fingers on your hand.

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So if you hold the Bible with only two fingers give it long enough you're going to drop it.

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Right. Your grasp on the Bible becomes stronger if you use what.

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Right. More fingers. So if a person hears read studies memorizes and then meditates five things for the five fingers if they do that his grasp on the scripture its truths becomes firm and they are part of his life.

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So what does that tell you. Reading the scripture really. I mean that's great. We should all read the scripture.

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But reading it is only going to get you so far as the thumb is needed in combination with any finger to complete your hold.

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So meditation combined with hearing reading studying and memorizing is essential for a full grasp of God's word.

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I just brought this just for an illustration not because I'm going to sing.

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But you know if you're going to get good at something if you're going to know something learn something you have to do what.

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Right. Practice. You've got to spend time. And if you who plays guitar.

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Nobody. Banjo. That's close. If you play guitar and you play for a half hour a week.

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Because that's what most Christians get. You know half an hour a week of teaching or instruction.

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How good are you going to get a guitar if you play a half hour a week. Well I mean you'll know something you'll get somewhere.

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But you start out you're playing and you know you can't even really fret.

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A note very well. And when you play a chord it's that half hour a week.

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This is how you sort of hear it there. That's how it's going to sound.

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But if you play a half hour a day or multiple hours a day then you can go

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OK. And it's it's easy.

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So it's whether it's a sport if somebody wants to become a really great golfer can you become a great golfer by.

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Well maybe maybe I'll get an hour on the course today. Well you'll you'll get somewhere but you won't get too far.

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So it's like that with anything. If you want to know the scripture and really get something out of it you have to spend the time you have to practice.

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And if you're not willing to do that if you don't do that then then you can pretty much expect what you're going to get.

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Larry. It will be when Marcus led us through that that scripture verse second

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Timothy 2 15 study to show that a self -approved in the workbook says be diligent in a different translation.

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Same same thing but it just kind of gives a little different meaning. You know

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I mean studying. Well I guess we need to do that diligently to get anywhere. Just like you're saying with learning anything you have to be diligent in it or we have to study it right to know right.

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Yeah. So let's go through these. You need to hear the

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Bible read the Bible study the Bible memorize the Bible and meditate on the

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Bible. So how would you hear the Bible. Preaching.

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Yeah. And I had said this last week and I told everybody don't misunderstand what

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I'm saying or be careful about repeating this. But I said you know there's no commandment in scripture to read

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God's word simply because most people throughout history did not have the ability to do that.

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A lot of Christians throughout the centuries were either illiterate. And before the printing press you you wouldn't have a

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Bible. Even up until modern times the past 100 years 200 years 300 years at the most.

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I don't know when the average person had books in their house but you wouldn't be able to read the

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Bible. So how did people learn for all those centuries. How did they learn. Right.

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Yeah. Through preaching and teaching and they got their instruction in the church.

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And then for people who have the Bible and read it on their own and spend a lot of time in the scripture.

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That's great. And we should do that. We need that. But if it's just you and the

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Bible you're going to have a lot of blind spots. And yes like you're saying we learn from each other.

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We learn in the local church. We we need that as well. All right.

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So let's just go through this. This is number one. Why know the Bible. So if you have your book follow along.

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Section number one. Why know the Bible list five reasons for knowing

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God's word. What do you need to know the Bible for. Well second

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Timothy 2 15. You need to know the scripture to be what approved by God.

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Not ashamed. Okay. Listen if somebody has been a Christian for whatever five years 25 years and they don't know the scripture at all.

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God is not approving of that. God isn't going to be very pleased with it. There's no excuse for that.

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And yet some of these polls within evangelical Christianity and I wonder who these people are that they're asking.

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Have you heard some of these polls where 40 percent of evangelicals don't believe that Jesus was divine or something like that.

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Then they're not evangelicals if they don't believe that. But yeah if you want to be approved by God you have to know his word.

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First Peter 2 2. What's another reason for knowing God's word.

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Shout it out or raise your hand. Yes. Okay. To grow thereby or to grow in salvation.

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And again the Bible is God's special revelation. There can be no salvation outside of the content of scripture.

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Psalm 119 verse 1. Another reason to know the

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Bible. Sorry. Yeah. 119 11. All right.

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To not sin against God. You've heard this repeated

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I'm sure either sin will keep me from the Bible or the

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Bible will keep me from sin. If you're if you're skipping church right and left if you're not praying if you're not reading your

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Bible it's going to be really really easy to get into sin or it's gonna be easier.

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But if you're doing the right thing and if you're spending time in God's word it's more difficult to sin because then when you go and do it go to do it.

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These things come to mind. God starts speaking to you through his word because his word is in your mind and I can't do that because the

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Bible says thou shalt not. So you understand that the scripture will keep us from sin.

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Right. Psalm 119 verse 38. What's another reason to know the

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Bible. It produces what maturity. OK.

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Maturity. It certainly does that. OK. It produces the fear of God or we might put it this way.

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The Bible will produce a reverence for God. This is something that is very evident.

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There's not a lot of fear. The fear of God and not much reverence for God. The more time goes on the less reverence we see for him.

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I know this is we've talked about Bible translations last week how that's kind of a touchy subject for people.

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Here's another touchy subject. The way you dress. This is something that people don't like.

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Why do you think I wear a suit in a tie on Sunday morning. Now when it was 90 degrees in August sometimes

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I didn't wear a tie. But I mean really why don't I just roll out of bed and come in here in my sweats and I'm not against anybody.

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You can dress however you want. I'm just saying for me why don't I come into church just dressed however.

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That's probably true. Yeah. Well.

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Set an example. Well the reason I do it personally and you can like it or not or agree with it or not

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I'm just telling you personally I do it not for any other one person. I'm sure there would be happy with people happy if I dress down.

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But I do it personally out of reverence and respect for God. And we do appreciate it.

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OK. Thank you. But you know if somebody invited me to their wedding or if I went to a funeral most people would dress up a little out of respect.

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And again if that's not your thing I'm not against anybody. You can dress however you want and I'm not going to judge you.

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I promise. But for me that's why I do it. Yeah. But if your neck clashes with your shirt.

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Hey come on. It's not the case today.

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I double check beforehand. All right.

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Let's move on. Psalm 119 verse 105. Another reason to know the

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Bible. That it would be a light to my path.

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Right. We know the scripture for guidance. If you want to know God's will for your life some people come up with they have a feeling they want to do something.

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OK. But the scripture will tell you what to do and what not to do in many situations.

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So the scripture is a guide. We all agree with that. Any questions on this section.

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And I do recognize there is no Bible verse that says thou shall dress up when going to church.

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So that's that is true. That's why we don't make a big deal about it. But any questions on this.

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OK. Says we study scripture because it is sufficient.

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So all scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching for reproof for correction for training in righteousness.

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Second Timothy 3 16. So we study scripture because it is sufficient.

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What does that mean? It's sufficient. It's adequate.

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I would put it this way. It's it's all you need. I have a library here and at home and it's got a lot of books and I admit some of the books

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I haven't read and I probably never will. But and those books are helpful. There's some books that were very helpful.

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But the Bible needs to be the main book that Christians study. A lot of people read the book about the book but they don't read the book.

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Right. So the scripture is sufficient. Everything we need is in the Bible and some of the other stuff is helpful and some

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Christian books are just not helpful at all. But that's another story.

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All right. Section number two. How to know the Bible. Well I feel like I should explain that.

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If you go into a Christian bookstore which I don't think they hardly even exist anymore. But the top sellers the the most famous Christian authors.

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I wouldn't recommend. That's for sure. But find a good commentary.

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That's that's going to be the most helpful. I think. OK. Number two. How to know the

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Bible. A. Hear it. B. Read it. C. Study it.

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D. Memorize it. And then E. Meditate on it. So how to know the Bible.

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Hear it. Says so faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God or the word of Christ.

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What's the reference on that. Romans 10 17 10 17. Yes. So here's the first question.

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Whom did Jesus say would be blessed. Blessed is the man that walketh not after the counsel of the young God.

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But it's not Psalm 1. That ties into it. It's Luke 11 28 is the reference.

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Come to me all ye that labor heavy laden and I will give you. Are you guessing at this point. I'm guessing.

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You're guessing. OK. Why am I wrong. Yes. You're wrong. Who knows. Who knows.

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Yeah. Those who hear the word of God and observe it are those who hear the word of God and keep it.

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So it's one thing to hear God's word. We all need to hear it. But if you don't do it. What good is that.

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Right. James said something about this that you need to. We need to be here. But not here is only but what doers of God's word.

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Right. So if the scripture says thou shalt not steal and you know that and you've got that verse memorized

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Exodus 20 verse 8 or whatever it is thou shalt not steal greater.

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But then if you go and steal. What good is it to know the verse. It's actually just makes you that much more guilty.

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Yes. We don't consider that stealing there. Therefore you to take as long as you're taking notes.

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All right. Number two in in proclaiming the word. What should pastors and teachers do.

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This is from Nehemiah 8 7 and 8. What should pastors do.

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Read the word and give the sense. Put that in your own words.

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You explain it to us so we understand it. You're just not going to be able to receive it all.

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Yeah. You need someone to teach it to you. You can learn a lot on your own.

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And I'm a big proponent of self -study. But you need a teacher. Of course the

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Holy Ghost ultimately is our teacher. He's the one who opens our eyes to God's truth. But this is the same with anything.

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We all went to grade school went to high school or if you're homeschooled you went to college.

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We all had teachers. Right. The church is no no different. All right.

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I'll try not to get distracted by the cute baby in the front in the third row. Now that I noticed them.

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All right. Section B read it. How to know the

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Bible. You need to hear it and you need to read it. So we need the preaching but you need to read it yourself.

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Blessed is he who reads in those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things which are written in it for the time is near.

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Revelation chapter 1 verse 3. So number one it says right.

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Revelation chapter 1 verse 3. Revelation 1 3 in your own words. Who would like to do that.

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Read to us what you wrote Linda. You'll be blessed if you read the word and apply it to your life.

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Okay. That's good. Anyone have anything else. Yeah. Use your eyes and use your ears to get this

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Bible to go into your first your mind and then all the way from your brain down into your heart.

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Okay. All right. And second this is from first Timothy 4 13 to what did

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Paul ask Timothy to give his attention to public reading of Scripture to exhortation and to teaching.

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So yeah we do read the Scripture and then exhortation. What's another word for exhortation.

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If I'm exhorting you to do something. What am I doing. I'm encouraging you to do it.

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I'm making an urgent appeal that you should do this or you need to do this.

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So if we read a passage of Scripture you teach. Okay. Here's what it means.

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It's original context. Here's what's happening back then. You make application but part of preaching.

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See if I teach you something I'm just giving you information preaching or exhortation is what you're supposed to do about it.

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So you should always leave church on Sunday morning hopefully with some instruction and what

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I'm supposed to do about it. If you listen closely I try to do that towards the end of my message every

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Sunday. Okay. Now that we've said all of this now what now what am I supposed to do.

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And then it's up to you Monday through Saturday. Are you going to do it or not.

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So we need to read the Scripture. We need to or we need to hear it. We need to read it and then see look at section number

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C. We need to study it. It says when the apostle Paul left Thessalonica he came to Berea and shared the gospel with unbelieving

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Jews. What he found was that they were more noble minded than those in Thessalonica for they received the word of God with great eagerness examining the

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Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Acts 17 verse 11.

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You've heard of someone that hey we want to be a good Berean or that guy. He's a good Berean.

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What does that mean. Yeah. And these people were hearing from the apostle

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Paul and they were. It's not that they didn't believe Paul but they were hearing some new things from the apostle

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Paul. And they said hey we need to go to the Scriptures to make sure this is true. So when you see or hear

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Joel Osteen on television what should you do. Yeah.

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All joking aside you need to take what he says and you need to open the

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Scripture is what is what he's saying aligning with the word of God. And you need to do that with me too.

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So if I ever start teaching some far out doctrine you need to test what

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I say against the Scripture. And if you do you're a good Berean right.

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Attitudes towards Bible study according to Acts 17 verse 11. What two traits did the

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Bereans demonstrate as they received the word of God. What two traits eager to hear.

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OK. With eagerness examining the Scripture daily to see if these things were so.

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And then it asks how should we search for wisdom or understanding based on Proverbs 2 verse 4.

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How should we search for wisdom and understanding like what. OK.

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Like you're searching for silver or hidden treasure. Linda after praying and after confessing sin before you read the

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Scripture pray confessing good. But if somebody told you hey I I had a half a pound of silver and I hid it somewhere in your house.

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And assuming this is a trustworthy person and you believe them that they hid a half pound of silver somewhere in your house.

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I'm pretty sure you spend this afternoon looking. Of course you would because you find the silver what valuable.

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So if you never opened the Bible if you're never reading studying maybe you know it's valuable but if you know the value is there we should search it with eagerness.

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Amen. OK. Next. Yes. 3 16 17.

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It's God breathed. It's profitable. So just like silver that we're searching for or our job.

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It's profitable. But for doctrine for teaching for reproof for correction for instruction on how to live.

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And you know so and because it's God's word and heard a devotional or first part of a devotional yesterday talking about the historicity of Scripture and you know it was taken from eyewitness accounts.

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And it was not just a few years after these eyewitnesses had died that the

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Scripture you know brought brought to light.

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And so the historicity of the

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Scripture is the most accurate account which was from eyewitness accounts.

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Right. And so there's so many documents and you know people say well it's such an old book.

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Well that's true. Yeah it is. But the accuracy because of all that you know people believe

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Oh Homer's Iliad. Well there was like a thousand years that had transpired after he wrote it.

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So they're just recalling it a thousand years after the fact saying that this is accurate.

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Yeah. But yet Scripture which they doubt was just less than 100 years.

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And there are so many there is only a few accounts of Homer's Iliad but there's thousands of accounts.

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Right. And ultimately it doesn't matter what a critic or an unbeliever says because we're

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Christians and we believe God and not skeptics. And you know we get our truth from Jesus and the prophets and the apostles.

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We don't get our truth from God hating Darwinists and atheists who think that the world came from nothing or the universe came from nothing and that men evolved from from slime.

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OK. They have they have their own miracles they have their own story and the world most people are buying into it.

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It doesn't matter what they say because they're they're on the road to hell. So we need to tell them what the

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Scripture says and not really be all that concerned with their alternative facts or whatever whatever they want to call them.

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All right. Next Bible study is more than just reading the Bible. It involves careful observation interpretation and application.

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Reading gives you the overall picture. The study helps you think learn and apply what you read to your life.

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So memorize it says how can a young man keep his way pure by keeping it according to your word.

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Your word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against you.

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And that's Psalm 119 9 and 11. So what do you have written here.

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It says so section D number one. How did God command

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Israel to remember his word. Deuteronomy 11 18.

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How did God do that. Leave him up in your heart. OK. By keeping it in their hearts and minds their hearts and soul.

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Deuteronomy 11 19 by what. OK. By teaching children all day.

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Read Matthew 4 4 7 and 10. During the three confrontations with Satan.

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What did Jesus do to overcome his temptations. How did

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Jesus combat the devil when the devil tempted him in the wilderness. What did Jesus do in response. Right.

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He quoted Scripture and Jesus could quote Scripture because he read the Scripture.

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He heard the Scripture. He memorized the Scripture. You can't do that if you don't know it right. He was the

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Scripture. He was the Scripture made flesh. He was the word. How might you apply this example to your own life.

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Well this is obvious. How do you do it. Memorize it right.

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You need to memorize the Scripture. So if it was important for Jesus. Hey that means it's important for you too.

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Why. Because you are a follower. Of Jesus and if somebody listening is not a follower of Jesus.

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I would just say who else in this world. Do you want to follow. You're going to follow somebody.

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You might not even be aware that you're following somebody. People follow whatever celebrity and famous influential powerful.

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Everybody's following somebody. If you think you're just following yourself serving yourself.

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I mean are you the one. Are you really the one that you want to follow. Are you that you have that high an estimation of yourself.

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How has it been working for you. That would be my question. So we're all going to follow somebody.

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Follow Christ. No man has ever made a greater impact on the world than Christ.

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No man was more knowledgeable. I mean whatever however you describe it. Christ had all knowledge glory power wisdom

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Larry. Okay. Number three write

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Psalm 40 verse 8 in your own words. We'd like to do that.

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All right. The desire to do God's will happens when the word is in our heart.

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So you need to have the word in your heart and then. You'll have a desire to do

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God's where anyone anything different. All right. Says here it is easier to memorize with a purpose.

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Understanding the meaning or application of the passage will make. Memorizing easier.

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Okay. Let's go on to number E. Meditate on it. Most people meditation.

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This is probably the picture you have when you think of meditation. You think of somebody sitting

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Indian style. I know that's politically incorrect to say that. You know what it means. They're sitting

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Indian style on the floor. Legs crossed. And they're they got their hands out like this.

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And they're going. And to them that's meditating or you know just sit there and just clear your mind.

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Don't think about anything. Well, that's not really meditation.

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I mean, that's a different form of meditation. That's not what the scripture is talking about. So when we meditate on God's word, are we supposed to clear our mind?

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Well, of all the junk and all the worldliness. Sure, but we are to focus on what his words.

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So you engage your mind with the word. What is the word saying? Say it again in your mind and think about it.

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What is God trying to communicate in his word? So spend time and you do need some peace and quiet for meditation.

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But it's not clearing your mind. It's not like the other forms of the other form of meditation comes from a religion.

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You know, that's Eastern religion, right? It's Buddhism. It's Hinduism. But this is

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Christian meditation where we actually have something to think about. And I would argue this is much more beneficial.

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So Psalm 1, 1 through 3. How blessed is the man or how happy is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the

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Lord, and it is his meditation all the day. That doesn't mean he didn't do anything else all day, but he's constantly thinking about God's word.

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If you really love something, you're constantly thinking about it. Or if you love somebody, you're constantly thinking about them, right?

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Well, that person, I haven't thought about them in years. I mean, you know, okay, that happens. How much love you have for them, right?

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So if you love God's word of a desire for God's word, you're going to want to read it and hear it and all the rest.

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Okay. Any questions, comments? You really want comments?

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No, I don't. You're very observant.

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All right. Number two. How does meditation assist you? Joshua 1 verse 8.

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This book of the law shall not defile you. No. Well, it helps

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Christians to be careful to do according to all that is written in it.

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Do you think God's word can affect your speech or actions? You know, years ago,

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I never listened to this music, but years ago, I had some friends who got into listening to rap music.

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Like the gangster rap music. And it's just profanity laced all throughout, right?

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And after a few weeks or a few months of them listening, what did they start to do? Take a wild guess what they started to do.

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Yeah, they started, just the way they talked, totally conformed to that style of music.

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And that's the same, you know, you go down south and some of you who listen to the sermon, there's also a sermon you're supposed to listen to when studying this lesson.

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You heard John MacArthur say when he goes down south, he's down south for a few weeks. He comes back talking like this, right?

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But it's just natural. So whatever you fill your mind with, it's going to come out.

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It's going to come out somehow. So, you know, you can kind of tell the person who's immersed in God's word, maybe, versus the person who isn't.

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But it really will have an impact on the way that you talk and your actions.

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Yeah, I don't hang around with those guys anymore, just letting you know. They wouldn't want to hang out with me either,

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I don't think. Number four, besides being diligent and learning

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God's word, what else should we do in order to understand it? Psalm 119, 73, and 125.

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We do what? We pray for understanding.

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Pray for understanding. All right, we're just about out of time, but there is one more thing

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I want to cover. This is number three, the Bible study process.

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And a lot of this, it's not really beneficial for me to go over it. It's stuff you really needed to do at home on your own.

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When you read the scripture, ask those basic questions. Who, what, when, where, why, how, and the instructions are all in the book.

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But number three, the Bible study process. A, step one, preparation. What should we do before we approach the scriptures?

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Okay, so if you get up in the morning, maybe you, that's your time to read the

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Bible. The first thing you should do, 1 Peter 2, 1 and 2, I heard pray.

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And yes, you're doing this while you're praying. But what's something you should do before you read the scriptures and study it?

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Yeah, confess your sin. Sin, I have no sin. You need to read the

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Bible more, because that's not true. So we should pray, yes, confess our sin.

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And what should be the content of our prayer as we prepare to study God's word? This is from Colossians 1, 9, and 10.

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What is it? Yep, ask or pray for wisdom and understanding.