How to Study Scripture

When a Christian takes the Bible in it becomes a preventative to sin.

How shall a young man cleanse his way how you clean your life you will come to me from time to time establish. My life is clear to Miss Howard by taking heed. According to thy word in your life up spectrum.

If you're outside that spectrum, wondering what you Christians all about. You want to hear what John MacArthur says today on grace to you as he begins his classic series spiritual boot camp.

It's a look at the disciplines necessary for spiritual growth and a deeper relationship with Christ.

Well John you know that proverb that people say failure to prepare is preparing to fail in the study you are about to launch is all about preparation, preparation that a lot of people might not even think about yeah you're talking about preparation for the most important engagement you'll ever have in your life.

The most important battle you'll ever fight the most important walk you'll ever walk life you'll ever live, and that of course is spiritual life right talk about living for Christ, and it takes preparation and that is why we are going to do a series called spiritual boot camp. This is your preparation. This is where you get all your training out of the way so that you can move forward and live a life that brings glory to Christ, then there are some Boot Camp things that you need to be trained in things like how to study the Scripture so basic how to pray how to function in the body of Christ. That is how to use your gifts and talents in the life of the church and how to witness. Think about it. Those are really the four things that you are going to be facing in your Christian life handling the word of God. A life of prayer functioning in the church and witnessing to nonbelievers. I really love these basic lessons. In fact, they come from long, long ago and right ministry. I love them to you what we actually did a video version of spiritual Boot Camp in 1983, the year I began working at Gracy almost 40 years ago couldn't use that anymore. I look like a high school stand that long ago, but these are lessons originally given to a fairly small group and that that's still a great use for this series, and over the next week and 1/2, you're going to hear my lessons and the Q&A that followed those lessons, I think you to find both the components helpful as you reconnect with these fundamental some of you are new believer. Some of you may be not even believers in Christ yet but you're interested in the gospel. These are very very vital foundational truths so spiritual Boot Camp awaits.

Don't miss the day. That's right, stay with us in friend if you're a Christian. The world is not your own. In fact, it's hostile territory, and you need to be trained in the fundamentals. If you're going to stand strong. That's what this study is all about.

So with that merest John MacArthur calling you to attention for spiritual Boot Camp.

It is very obvious I think to every Christian that the Bible is the revelation of God that God has written his word for us is the only rule we have for life is the only standard we have for behavior is the only authority there may be other things that you learn in life that help you through life.

But they don't have the authority that this when the Bible speaks that is the voice of God, and it is authoritative and it becomes then for us. The standard of life. Now if that's the case then it is very important for us to learn what the Bible said to be able systematically to approach the Scripture and find out what it said not only what it says but what it means by what it said so in the life of every Christian. There must be that daily nourishing in the word of God. It is critical. First of all, it is necessary to study the Bible in order to grow in first Peter chapter 2 verse two says as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow by yet brought the New Testament Christians are spoken of as having been born again, you become a child of God repeatedly or call the child or a son of God, you have been born into the family of God. You have been adopted as a son of God, you sometimes are even called. They now that implies that there is the capacity of life and growth within the new Christian and that of course is obvious we are to be growing in here. He says Peter doesn't first Peter two that we are to grow by the pure milk of the word like babies grow in Colossians chapter 2 it says in verse six as you therefore receive Jesus Christ the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith in here again the idea that Christians are to grow rooted and built up in the way that that happens is through the faith that is through the content of Christianity. The more we understand Christianity the more established we are, the more buildup we are in acts chapter 20 in verse 32 where Paul is saying goodbye to the Ephesian elders.

He says I command you to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, so the word is necessary if we are to grow and growth is basic to usefulness babies aren't really that useful to me a nice ever anaconda godliness. Adam a lot just summon the neck and stuff but you can't really do much with them again say I'd maybe go out and clean up the bedroom or whatever know they're not really too helpful and are like Christians like that. They're just in the way you know you trip up north Colorado floor mess it was stuff in the they're really not all. I used anybody in the longer they stay that way. The more tragic you become. And so we assume that you want to grow we assume in Christian life that where there is life there is grow, and so we desire. The Christians would grow in the way to grow is from the Bible.

And so we must study the Bible. Second thing, it will will move ahead. The second reason that is necessary to study the Bible is to defeat sin, we will never be able to defeat sin unless we defeat it with the word of God in Ephesians chapter 6 what is the armor that is used to fight against Satan, what is the one weapon the Christian at the sword of the spirit, which is what the word of God, the thing that defeat Satan's temptation is the word of God.

There a lot of scriptures that relate to that. It says in Psalm one 1911 thy word have I hidden in mine heart, that I might not sin against the when a Christian takes the Bible in it becomes a preventative to sin. Listen, it says in verse nine of Psalm 119 well with all our house. Shelley young man cleanse his way how you clean your life up.

People come to me from time to time. I said I wish my life was clean. It's a mess. How I clean it up by taking heed. According to thy word see a way to clean your life up is to learn the book, it is necessary.

Thirdly, to study Scripture in order to prepare yourself for service in order to prepare yourself for service. You'll find that when you get into the service of the Lord.

The knowledge of the word of God becomes your support so that when you get into a tough situation. You have confidence in it, it becomes your your information so that when you get into it to a situation you know the principles to solve the situation. You know how to serve you know the direction you know how to operate to please God, it's critical that if you're going to serve the Lord, you know the Scripture. Otherwise, you will blindly into some activity. Thinking your serving God while violating his principal Joshua 18 gives us insight into this, the book of the law, God's word shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, meditate day and night, that thou mast observe to do according to all that is written therein, for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Success in your life is dependent upon the occupation with the word of God. This spring success right, it is necessary to study the Scripture in order to be blessed. I don't know about you but I like to be happy rather than sad.

I'd much rather be happy than miserable. And I know that life is made up of miserable times and happy time, but I also know this but the more I study the word of God, the happier I am no matter what the circumstances are the word of God makes me happy. That's really practical. So what does it say that verse one of Psalm one.

Happy is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law does he meditate day and night. That's a happy man. I happy man is somebody studies the Bible. That's a happy man. I is necessary also to study Scripture to help others. You really can't help anybody else, unless you know something God never put a premium on ignorance, your ignorance not only makes you unable to help yourself what makes you unable to help anybody else and Christianity is all about helping other people is not how best can you help a person in trouble by showing them God's solution to their trouble right how best can you saw the person's problem by knowing what the Bible says about their problem and how to handle it so you help others when you know the word of God. For example, second Timothy 22 says that we are to teach faithful man in order that they may teach others also. The only way we can teach other people to principles. The only way we can help other people is to learn the principles ourselves in first Peter 315 sanctify the Lord God in your hearts be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. You need to know some answers you can help anybody if you don't own answer that a fellow company of the night that I've been discipling and he said he got a situation he just this guy was asking them questions and he couldn't take it answers and when he thought of the answers he couldn't think of the verses to support them. So the guy thought he was just giving his opinion and so I said that did more to convict me of my lack of Bible study and anything ever happened to me so I went right back and got his Bible. He started studying the Bible like mad because he realized that he could help the guy. Those are some of the basics. How is it done. How do we study the Bible will first of all, there has to be some preparation. If you read the Bible study the Bible, there are some basic things you have to do to prepare.

Again, we would look at first Peter two verse one verse two says were to study the word to grow. Verse one says laying aside all evil, all evil and all guile. That's deceit all hypocrisy or phoniness all envy and all evil speaking, that's talking about somebody behind her back, put all that aside, then desire the milk now what does that tell us before you can ever study the Bible with any effect. You gotta get rid of what sin you deal with. So before you approach the Scripture. What's a good way to start with confession time of prayer when you lay those things before the Lord, you confess your sin to the Lord, you purify your mind before God and you become a willing and capable pupil of the word of God as long as your mind and heart. Life is cluttered up with Cindy never going to be able to grow so preparation involves purification that is a good place to start. In James 121. Put away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your life. There is a general principle. There sin being set aside, you become able to receive the word of God. So this is important so that's the preparation before you study each day spent a little time in prayer and confession and just acknowledge to the Lord whatever the sin might be said it right and then you go in the word of God. How do you actually study first of all, it's important that you read and you know you have to believe that just reading the Bible is an exciting thing because God promises the blast somebody reads the Bible.

I've had people say this to me at all in different schools is a well. Some parts of the Bible you know I don't understand 101 guys in the eye.

I always avoid the book of Revelation I ever read that because that's just too weird.

I don't understand so II quoted in Revelation 13. Happy is he that reads and they that hear the words of this prophecy, you want me happy. Revelation is a happy thing to read Revelation, you be happy we know about a lateral yet read all way to the end and you get happy you get happy that you weren't in the other part Revelation can be very happy experience.

Johnson's when I tasted all of this. It was sweetness in my mouth.

Even though it was bitterness in my stomach. So we are blessed we are happy if we read so it is important to read. When Paul is giving instruction to Timothy about how to preach, he says. First of all read the Bible, read we need to do that. Set aside time every day to read the Bible. Now tell you how to do it. I suggested this in the little book on God's will is not lost at this is a plan that really help me ice to struggle with reading of the Bible. I read and I forget what I read the paper for every 10 and I read through a book. I get that we know anything about the book and I read another book and I didn't know anything about that when either just piling up tremendous ignorance and spending a lot of time doing it and I was working real hard to be stupid and I couldn't retain anything. I began to think well probably the best way to read the Bible is to be repetitious so I decided start was first John and and that's what I would do not say how it works. You start was first John is a good place for you. Start first. John is not an easy book simple book in many ways, but has some great complexities and you'll find it more you read it more meat you will begin to be able to receive what you take. First John to sit down and read straight through one sitting. Not only take about 2025 minutes because it's a five chapters and it's not that tough you to sit down read through the second. I do same thing third day forth a 56 day seven-day the same thing is saving 30 days every day for 30 days.

You read through first John one time at the end of those 30 days, you will know what's in first John somebody say to you, where does it say if we confess our sins as they first John one right-hand column halfway down know it'll be in your mind, you know, if I were to say to you right now.

Call me Romans 12 one. What's the first thing you see in your mind you see a page you see a column you see a chapter heading right because your mind creates a picture you cannot learn without a mental picture. And so, what's hard about Bible memory is that all the pages look a lot. That's why I draw on my Bible a lot is in every page has its own little quirks and I see that change my mind. I remember people asked me how I remember scripted. That's one way I have little squiggly's in different places in the Bible little sweat marks or tears or rips or seven. I remember those.

Whatever works right. So at the end of 30 days you know what's in first John somebody says where is it say love not the world. New things are first John 215 right-hand page, right-hand column halfway down right you begin to know what's in first John, now you have defined everything you haven't studied everything up. At least you know what the book is about.

Now about the 10th day you go to feel like you got it all licked I don't need to keep doing this. I know this, but you keep doing it and keep doing a 30 day you realize you really don't know much at all because the more you read, the deeper it becomes armor what I did this I went through 90 days because I began to get excited about first yeah now you finish first John, then you go to the gospel of John. Now you say wait a minute.

Just 21 chapters.

I don't have time, let's good you just divided into three sections of seven chapter you read seven chapters every day for 30 days and the second seven chapters from chapter 8 through 14 and chapter 15 to 20 1C so the first 30 days, your reading one through seven. Over and over and over and over and over and over. The second 30 days reading eight through 14. The third 15 to 21 at the end of 90 days you knocked out the gospel of John.

At the end of two and half years you've knocked off the whole New Testament two and half years. Only on your block to do it.

Believe me two and half years and we study the Bible.

Rest your life.

Anyway, Michael good so you learn it and then the thing is going to happen is you be able to cross-reference you because all yeah that's over there in Philippians 20 I know that's over and pretty soon you will be you will cease to be a concordance cripple summary as well. I don't know where it is bro. Look up the word in the back your sick and you can ever find anything. Pretty soon by repetition, you will begin to know where things are and then you be able to go to those things and then when somebody wants to answer the question you have.

So just imagine if you started to half years ago now beyond reading, it is important that you study you read it. Been reading it for two and half years and really couldn't do anything. We just read it and come to church to listen and come to Bible studies and listen. That's fine. That's a great way to start.

But once you've gotten it all read your to find out you already are pretty well able to interpret it because the Bible is interpreted best by itself right so then once you've read it all. Then you begin to study how you study the Bible. For example, in a giving idea, what about if you just decided I want to study all the prayers of the Bible I be a great study take a long time to do it. You start out just fine. Every time there was a prayer there study about what they say who prayed was praying for what was the answer.

Terrific, then maybe want to say I think I'll study all the prayers of the apostle Paul.

What a tremendous study that would be you can make any topic you want.

I like to study the subject of forgiveness so you can go to the bookstore and you could buy little book that's called a topical index and you can look up the word forgiveness and it will tell you every passage in the Bible where forgiveness is discussed and you can take that with them all up. It will study on the and that would be exciting. I would suggest in all suggest some things in a minute that you take some notes on books that I suggest for you in a minute because they can really be a great help to you.

You could say for example I want to know about God's judgment so I want to go through. I want to go through the book of Isaiah and find everything I could find in there about judgment and then I'll know something of why God judges and how he judges and what the responses. Another great way to study the Bible is by graphically take somebody like Elijah and do a study on a light or take somebody like David and study the life of David that actually is fascinating, or Joseph, or find somebody really kind of offbeat like you hit the fell or some like that. Somebody just got a little bit of a strange character or take a character that is not talked about too much in the New Testament try to dig a little bit. Find out all of the New Testament says about them.

Maybe somebody like Andrew who isn't white is predominant as others now also in your study, read good books.

Whatever your study is going to be on find some good material on the or get some tapes on that and get some outside input you to find a good library wherever your area is good Christian library where you can check books out awake going to sit and do some reading and reference books. There are good tapes available that supplement and your purchase good books don't spend a lot of your money buying popular kind of Christian books, you know, I mean the kind of Christian book you read once because it's the testimony of somebody and that's it. You put away.

That's fine if you want to check out a library or maybe once in a while if somebody gives you one. Are you really want to buy one once in a while but build your library on the books that are going to become reference books that you use again and again and again.

For example, it's good to have a concordance, not the one in the back. Your Bible, but one that has much more information than their is that was very limited and then it's important also to have a topical index. There are many of there's all kinds of topical index books and all that means is you can go to that book and will tell you every Scripture on any subject you want so you can study. Find out all there is about really a helpful thing to have one other thing I would suggest is that you have a commentary commentary is a book that explains the meaning of the Bible you can look up any pasties in the Bible and it gives you basic explanation of what me very very helpful okay in studying the Bible, then you want to study subjects you want to study outside book so that your studying in the Bible and you're studying those who commented on the Scriptures.

Well, I one other thing in studying the Bible very very important while you're studying find somebody else that you can share your information with find somebody else that you can share your information with your parent. Maybe when your kids. Maybe your spouse if you don't have fun family situation.

Maybe another Christian and maybe another person you led to Christ. I don't know but find somebody that you can share your information with otherwise.

You're not nearly as motivated to learn greatest motive that I have a study the Scriptures, the responsibility, the ministry I have to be faithful to God teach the people is given. If you don't have anybody that your teaching then you really don't have any motive beyond yourself and some that is hard to drum that out but if you've got some little bird in the master keeps opening its mouth and hollering for food then you would have to be responsible to give it something you say that I'm a new Christian yeah but there's another Christian, the new or maybe there somebody was anyone yet and you need to teach them.

So find somebody that you can share the information your learning with maybe it's even somebody who knows more than you do believe me there are people who know less than I do about the totality of Scripture who can minister to me because they have fresh insights or they see new things that I have never seen or they see new applications in their life. Find somebody that you can share with one other thing in study and that is find a pattern that you can follow find a human pattern that you can follow very important. Maybe somebody like your teacher in a Bible study. It may be a very godly person that you know very well. Another Christian brother or sister.

It could be any number of people but find a pattern that you can follow and you want to somehow try to establish enough of a relationship with that individual to be able to speak with them and to concern yourself with the things in their life that would apply to you.

I one other area in terms of how it is to be done. Preparation reading study. Fourthly, teaching. Teaching what we mean by this is submit yourself to teaching good Bible teaching and I add that this is never a substitute for your own study. Don't ever think that because you came to church and heard the sermon on Sunday morning Sunday night we went to the Bible study on Friday that you need to study on your own. If that's the case, you know what you've just forfeited all those things we gave you in point number one in their fullest possible capacity. You are being benefited by teaching what you are most benefited when you are being taught and when you are studying on your own and you say well I've been a Christian long enough to study on my own if you been a Christian 10 minutes.

As long get at it. Start so you want to be sure you submit yourself to a teacher being a Bible class being a church service were somebody teaching the word of God. I see so many new Christians whose only orientation to Christianity is they sort of follow around the Christian stars you know tonight where having that design is orchestra wonderful saved Christian summer others, and so they gravitate over there and they hear Christian music over here there showing the latest Christian movie and over here. They got the greatest Christian ex-convict and over here is the inner and they can they just go there sort of like vagabonds. They just travel around the what's ever happening. Submit yourself to systematic teaching of the word of God, someplace that's very very important. You know, one of the things we see so much. In Christianity is when somebody get saved if they have anything that is marketable. The Christian community will suck them up and make a commodity out of I talked to a guy in his deathbed he told me his life was destroyed as a Christian because he was a celebrity. God save the Christian community marketed him as a same, celebrity, and he spent the rest of his Christian life going around telling how wonderful it was to be a saved celebrity and never learn a single thing about the Christian life. Consequently, his whole life was defeated and he had terrible, terrible guilt because of all the sin is life was try to get up and tell everybody what wonderful thing is to be saved.

Celebrity and the truth of the matter was he was eating his heart out because he was growing that's a problem in Christianity. I don't care if you are celebrity you still to submit yourself to some teaching and some solid feeding by men who are gifted of God and given to the church to teach disease grace to you with John MacArthur he's chancellor of the Masters University in seminary and today's lesson showed you how to study Scripture, and you'll hear more about that crucial discipline tomorrow when John continues his series spiritual boot camp. Now, in addition to looking at how to study the Bible.

This series will cover prayer your role in the church and evangelism.

These are key aspects of growing as a Christian and being useful in your church. So let me encourage you to download the MP3s to review at your own pace as well as pick up the new spiritual boot camp study guide when you contact us today. You can order the study guide@ourwebsitetty.org or call us at 855 race to boot camp study guide cost six dollars and shipping is free is a great resource for personal devotions or group studies, and again you can download the entire spiritual boot camp series TTY.now turning the corner. Today's lesson on how to study the Bible is just one example of how this ministry helps equip believers around the world showing people how to think through God's word on their own and how to develop discernment and friend know that when you support Grace to you to take part in that ministry helping strengthen believers in your area and across the globe to partner with us. Call 855 race or make a donation online at TTY.or you can just write to us at Grace to you. Box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412 now for John MacArthur. I'm Phil Johnson encouraging you to be here tomorrow when John will answer some of the most practical questions he's been asked about how to study the Bible, so don't miss this helpful Q&A. It's another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on race to