Getting W.E.L.L.
Learning
Good Reasons To Read
Acts 2:42-47
Intro
The word disciple can actually be translated “learner.” But keep in mind that the kind of learner that makes a true disciple is not just a student who listens passively. A disciple is some one who is completely intent on watching and listening to his teacher and who is drinking in every word with an intense desire to apply what he’s learning. The early church studied the Scriptures wholeheartedly. Remember what is says in Acts 2:42, “And the continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in breaking bread, and in prayer” (NKJV).
We need to be disciples/learners! And here are some Good Reasons To Read:
1. The Bible Helps Us Learn Theology
I’ve heard people say, “I don’t have any theology, I just love Jesus.” But if you have no theology how can you share the gospel clearly? We all have a theology. We all make assumptions, either based on God’s word or not, about how God works in the world.
As C.S. Lewis once put it, “If you do not listen to theology, that will not mean that you have no ideas about God. It will mean that you will have a lot of wrong ones.”
Let’s face way to many people pick and chose the passages that they like and don’t like in the Bible. And there theology is a convoluted mess based on their own ideas. And that will never stand up to the challenges of a skeptic. We need the whole counsel of God’s Word, all of it cover to cover.
When we become not just lovers of the Word but students of the Word, we base our theology on the truth, and we obey God. Paul said to Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 NIV).
Remember when Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert? Satan used Scripture out of context, and Jesus answered using Scripture correctly. If you have no understanding of theology, then when Satan tries to confuse you by using the Word of God wrongly, you won’t be equipped for combat.
***Ill David man after God’s own heart, adultery is ok.
Study the Word, learn how it all works together and you will be ready to say to Satan, “Scripture also says…” and you hit him with the TRUTH!
2. The Bible Helps You Recognize False Teaching
You can try to be an expert on every weird, crazy concept that comes down the pike. But the best thing is to know the Bible so well that when you hear something, you can say, “No. That’s not right because the Bible says this. That’s exactly right because Scripture says this.”
***Ill. Counterfeit, handle the real!
In the book of Acts we read of those who lived in Berea and had the privilege of hearing the apostle Paul preach. Now, I have to be honest with you, if I heard Paul preach, I probably wouldn’t check him out according to Scripture. I mean, this is Paul after all. This is a man that wrote a good portion of the New Testament. I would just kick back and take in the teaching.
But the Bible tells us, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11 NIV). This should be a model for all believers.
Now, of course, when we read his writings in the Bible, we don’t have to question whether or not these writings are right. Those are inspired by God. But these people scrutinized the Scriptures to see if what was being taught to them checked out. And if these people checked out the words of Paul, how much more should we check out other preachers and teachers today?
John wrote, “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world” (1 John 4:1 NLT).
I encourage you to do this with me. Never accept what I say just because I say it. Who am I? I’m a fallible person. Make sure what I say agrees with what the Scriptures teach. If you have a good working knowledge of the Bible, you will be able to detect false teaching quickly.
3. The Bible Helps Us Grow Spiritually Strong
When you get up in the morning what is the first thing you think about? The Bible? If you do, I tip my hat to you. But when I get up in the morning , the first thing I think about isn’t the Bible or the church, or ministry. The first thing I think about is usually a cup of coffee and something to eat. It is human nature. I MUST EAT SOON.
Just like we need food for our human bodies, the Word of God is food for our souls. And just as food is necessary for our physical survival, the Word of God necessary to our Spiritual survival. “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12)
Experts tell us that we are what we eat. That’s also the cases spiritually. If the right spiritual ingredients, which can be found only in the Bible, are missing, then we are spiritually deficient and malnourished. As a result, we are spiritually weak and vulnerable. IN THIS STATE WE ARE AT THE MERCY OF OUR CARNAL NATURE!
***Ill. Tie up strong man.
If we feed on God’s Word, we will develop an appetite for it. And every day we will say with the Psalmist, “as the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1-2 NIV).
This is how Jesus felt about God’s Word, and this is the attitude we should imitate to be disciples, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4 NIV).
4. The Bible Helps Us Know & Understand God’s Will
So many of us spend hours praying, “God, show me your will.” But the greatest key to knowing God’s will in almost any situation is knowing what the Word says. I would like to say that God speaks to me audibly every day. “Good morning Clif. Here is my will for the day.” But He doesn’t. So how do I know God’s will? I read the Word, and I operate by faith on biblical principles. When I come to a difficult situation or choice, I ask myself, “What biblical principle can guide me here?” “What does the Bible say?”
A lot of us are looking for this mystical, supernatural thing to happen, a loud voice from heaven declaring, “This is My will…” But reading the Bible is what helps us to have the mind of Christ. It is how we can get our brain into a mode where everything goes through the grid of scriptural thinking. That is primarily how we are going to know the mind of Christ-and the will of God.
We filter everything through our minds, but God ways are higher, and his thoughts are higher. He doesn’t see things the way we do.
***ILL Take Acts 3 for instance, Peter and John going up to the Temple to pray. Human wisdom says give the guy a buck, but God said step out in faith and heal him. Romans 10:17 says that faith comes through hearing the Word of God. So spending time in God’s Word helps us know His will and gives us the faith to act on it!
Conclusion:
Martin Luther said, “The Bible is alive. It speaks to me. It has feet. It runs after me. It has hands. It lays hold of me.”
That is what we should all want. For God to speak with us and run after us and lay hold of us. He does that through the Word.
The Bible is not just words on a page. Its words are alive, and through it the Holy Spirit can speak to you in a personal way. We all need a deep love affair with God’s Word. The Bible is a key part of our personal conversation with God. We need to get into the Word of God and let the Word of God get into us!
Practical Application
• Read your Bible
• Attend Sunday School
• Attend Bible Study
