iShare 2012

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Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

iShare 2012 Seminar: How to Study the Bible

Anthony Baca

How to Study the Bible, Part 1

Well by way of introduction my name is Anthony Baca.

For those that weren't at the Divine Hour to hear the announcement I'll be doing a how to study the Bible seminar in case you don't know why you're here That's what we're studying is how to study the Bible I hope you have a notebook but if you do not have a notebook and something to write down the notes with I have assembled the notes here and a packet of Spirit of Prophecy quotes and Bible verses on how to study the Bible.

And this is something I can email to you if you provide me with the email at the end.

Usually I would try to make these in advance for those that would like to have these.

Well whenever I do anything I like to make handouts.

But since I found out last minute, and it is the Sabbath I will not be going to Kinko's so I cannot give them to you today, so I apologize in advance Do you guys have your Bibles with you?

Okay, do you guys have notebooks some of us?

Well, let's go ahead and begin with the word of prayer and we'll begin our study this morning.

Most gracious Heavenly Father, we humbly come before you to thank you for this precious Sabbath day.

We thank you for this time which we could come together to study your word, to learn more principles Lord about studying your word that we might know how to study to show ourselves to prove them to you and not into man.

Please bless this hour anoint my lips from heaven.

Father if you would speak through a donkey, if you would speak through a donkey, if you would speak through a falling prophet, and you would say that you could speak through the stones, Lord, for the sake of your people, I pray that you would speak through me.

Please help us to this and grace us with your presence and be the true teacher.

Welcome to How to Study the Bible seminar number 1, which is gonna be entitled Why Study the Bible?

Do you guys remember the text I shared this morning is kind of the principal text?

Let's go to the book of Jeremiah in your Bibles.

If I start going too fast, please raise your hand and I'll actually slow down for you.

We can do this more like a class because we're not as big of a group this morning.

Jeremiah chapter 15 and there's 1 of my graduates from my school right there and she knows that if you don't raise your hand I'll just keep going.

So it's good to slow me down right Angel?

Yes, ma'am, Jeremiah chapter 15, verse 16.

And the Bible reads, thy words were found, and I did, what's that?

Eat them, And thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.

I like this text because I think the prophets used specific words for a specific reason.

Now the Bible is thought inspired and you can ask more about that afterwards if you would like to know.

And it is God's medium of expressing his thoughts to Matt through inspiration of the Spirit through Matt.

So here it says my words were found and what did the Prophet do to these words?

I don't know if you appreciate food as much as I appreciate food.

I have a deep appreciation since I started canvassing for Thai food.

Now, when it comes to good food, can you just throw good food together in 30 seconds and have an amazing meal?

See when it comes to our Bible study, if our Bible study is like food, you can have really good food or you can have microwave food.

It takes really good preparation and understanding of what you're doing before you actually do it.

A microwave food, anyone can take it, put it in the microwave and push the button, right?

And I want you to understand that as 1 of the fundamental principles of Bible study, it isn't difficult.

We're gonna look at some passages and prove this in a minute.

You don't have to be a genius to understand the Bible.

My background was I barely made it through high school by cheating my way through high school before I was a Christian I've only been an Adventist Christian for 5 years now and In college I dropped out 3 times So was I a genius?

I was far from genius As far from genius as it gets, I loved car magazines for my cars that I used to drive and that was it.

But God was able to teach me how to study the Word of God.

And if He can teach me, I guarantee you guys look like you're way advanced than I was.

So the first seminar is why learn how to study the Bible.

What is the importance of studying the Bible?

We're going to start with a quote from the Spirit of Prophecy, if you don't mind.

Did you know that you studying the Bible for yourself is important for the last days?

Temptations often appear, what's that word?

Now don't raise your hand but just think to yourself, have you ever faced a temptation that just seemed irresistible.

It was the hardest temptation you've ever faced.

Because due to the neglect of what's that word?

Prayer and the study of the Bible, The tempted 1 cannot readily remember God's promises and meet Satan with the scripture, what's that key word?

It's a weapon to help you fight against what?

When we neglect the study of the Bible, temptation will become, appear to be what?

Can you see with me why I deduce from this quote that if I study the Bible and I communicate with God through prayer, that I'll be better equipped for the trials to come in these last days?

Because the temptations will not appear to be what?

Irresistible, because I have the scriptures as a weapon.

I pray that the scriptures will become a weapon for you as well.

Please turn your Bibles to the book of Amos, chapter 8.

Amos chapter 8 and we're going to look at verse 11.

Amos chapter 8 and we're going to look again at verse number 11.

And I would have you guys read, but they're recording me, so I believe that they would appreciate it if I did the reading.

Amos chapter 8, we're looking at verse 11.

Notice with me what the word of God says.

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a, what's that key word?

And specifically when we use the word famine, it's a lack of what?

How to Study the Bible, Part 2

Most gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for the opportunity to come back again.

I thank you for the new faces I see, Lord, and I thank you for those that have returned.

Help us, Lord, to continue to learn how we can be taught of you, to learn from you, and to understand the truths of the Bible.

I thank you for the pre-study that we talked about the last hour and now as we talk about the actual study of the Bible I pray that your spirit would remain here to continue to teach and to guide.

Lord fill this donkey's mouth with your words that your name might be glorified.

The first hour for those that weren't here, thank you for joining us, we're glad you're here, is that we talked about the pre-work before Bible study and what were some of the things for those that were here that we talked about the first hour, if you remember?

Okay, we talked about the importance of knowing why, why study the Bible first and the importance of knowing how to study the Bible.

What were some of the important reasons why it was important to know how to study the Bible?

The Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit, is your main weapon against temptation.

We see it in Matthew chapter 4 verse 4 for sure.

We see Jesus using the word of God to fight temptation.

Okay, to discern between truth and error.

To show yourself, to study to show yourself approved unto God, right?

Because there would be heresies and false doctrines that will come into the church and it will show those who are approved because they have studied the Word of God for themselves.

Anything else that you guys remember from the last hour?

The importance of why we should know how to study the Word of God?

Who found it hard to read whose writings?

Peter found it, said that it's, Who is hard to understand?

There are some things that Paul has written that are hard to be understood.

And so we need to take our time with the Word of God, right?

There's no need to rush things, but to take your time, to study it properly, to know whether or not we are understanding truth and being taught of God.

What were some of the last 2 things that we talked about in the last hour?

What were some of the aspects that we talked about for those that will understand truth?

Okay to lay aside preconceived opinions and be willing to learn what does God say, amen?

So we need to be willing to say, okay if God says something different than what I already think or believe, to be willing to take my preconceived opinion and to lay it aside for the Word of God.

Even a fool could understand and not err therein.

So do we have to be the most educated person to understand the Word of God?

And 1 of the last things we talked about is being willing to do what?

Being willing to do the will of God to lay aside our sins and to do the things that God says that these are those who will be taught of God.

So this hour what we're going to talk about is the actual studying of the Word of God itself.

Quick announcement, if anyone is missing a pair of reading glasses, I have a pair of reading glasses up here in the front that were left here, if you were here the first hour.

You can get those from me afterwards, or if you need them to read your Bible, just raise your hand and I'll bring it back to you.

And we're going to look at verse 9 and 10.

Whom shall he, speaking of God, teach knowledge?

And whom shall he make to understand doctrine?

Who here, Who here wants to be taught of God?

You want to understand God's doctrines, right?

Well, the prophet here is writing down the question, who will learn these things?

And the very next phrase gives us the answer.

Them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts.

I'll save that for when I preach in Arkansas or somewhere.

So typically, okay, what it means to be weaned from the milk and drawn from the breast is when a baby no longer is dependent upon the mother for guess what?

That the mother has to wean the baby off to slowly get the baby to stop depending upon her for food and to get their own what food because what will happen if the baby never learns to get their own food what happens if the mother dies what will happen to the baby why Because it doesn't know how to feed itself.

I heard a man give a beautiful illustration of this thought with an actual baby, a human baby.

Anyone here have a baby or a little baby niece or little baby nephew or a baby's coming in the family or you've just ever seen a baby before?

Okay so we've seen babies now let's compare you with the baby.

If a baby wanted to eat who do they need what do they need to take place if a baby wants to eat?

Okay so what if I choose not to feed the baby?

I'll have a headache, sure, but what would happen to the baby?

It can die because it needs, it's dependent upon someone to do what?

What if I decided not to give you, what if you showed up at lunch today to get your little sandwich plate and I said you know what you're not getting a sandwich plate today.

How to Study the Bible, Part 3

All right guys let's go ahead and begin with a word of prayer and what we're going to seek to do is apply some of the how to study the bible principles that we've been talking about and see if we can understand a couple more methods of how to study.

We looked at the most helpful method the last hour.

It was the verse by verse method is the most helpful.

In fact, I think I can put it up here again.

In the daily study, the verse by verse method is often the most helpful and we studied and applied the verse by verse method.

The verse by verse method was taking 1 verse at a time, concentrating the mind on the verse until you understand the thought that God has put into that verse and then thinking upon the thought until it becomes your own.

Second you think about the verse and seek to understand the verse.

And when you finally understand the verse you actually stop and think about what you just learned from the verse until the thought becomes your own thought.

This is how we got to study the Bible and this is when truth sanctifies like John 17 teaches.

God's word is supposed to change us and transform us.

Many times it doesn't, not because it doesn't have the power to do so, but because we don't allow it to marinate in the mind and to change the soul.

So that's what we talked about the last hour.

Let's go ahead and begin with a word of prayer and we'll begin our last session today.

Gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you again for the opportunity to study your word.

Please Lord be with my mind and be with my mouth that they may be used for your honor and for your glory.

Allow the Spirit of God, yea he who searches the deep things of God to be here to teach us and to guide us into truth and also how to come to an understanding of truth for ourselves.

Lord there is so much to cover in so little time but I pray that you would impress my mind what to share that it might be beneficial to the salvation and the souls of my friends.

So we just again recap we just talked about the verse by verse method as being the most helpful method of Bible study, but there are other methods.

And the next 1 we're going to talk about is word study.

So if you're taking notes you want to write down word study.

And what I'll do is I'll explain each method and then we're gonna practice the method.

So this is gonna be more hopefully more hands-on.

Go with me to Revelation chapter 10 and verse 7.

How many of you have a hobby that you really enjoy?

How many of you have to invest money into that hobby to do that hobby?

You should tell me what those are because those are rare.

Usually you need some type of bike or camera or something, even a bottle of water.

But most of our hobbies or things that we do, it costs what?

Now I have friends who really enjoy rock climbing and so guess what they invest their money in?

Shoes and harnesses and they got this little pouch thing that holds chalky stuff.

I've climbed a couple times and I realized it's probably not for me.

How many of you want to understand the Bible?

This is something I tell everyone before we get into our applying these methods.

I use a computer program to do word studies and to look things up.

If you want to invest money in hobbies, invest money in things that will help you understand the Bible.

I don't tell people just settle for any old anything.

If you want to know what software I use, actually I recommend 2 free ones.

Alright, if you do own a PC, you can download eSword.

It's a free Bible study software with free modules.

You can get multiple Bible versions and a lot of things I'm going to mention.

Like a sword, but with an e in front of it.

If you have a Mac and you want a free 1, It's called MacSword.

And actually, I'm sorry, they changed it.

It's an updated name and I don't have a whiteboard.

If you want to invest money in 1, there are things like Accordance is a good 1 and PC Study Bible for PC is a good 1.

An online Bible wrapper, but that's actually free if you find it online, their home page.

In other words, be willing to use good software, amen?

If it will help you to understand the Bible, why wouldn't you use it?

Another thing that helps me, which is what I do a lot for my Bible studies when I'm traveling, is an awesome little Cruden's Concordance.

It has many of the words in the Bible and the verse where those words are found, this is actually good if you want to do what we're going to do right now, word studies.

Just so you guys know how I do what I'm about to do, it would be with 1 of those 2 things.

Actually, it won't do the people in Audioverse listening much good, but it might do you guys much good if I just closed my PowerPoint and showed you my software, wouldn't it?

Would that be beneficial for you guys if I showed you how I actually use the software to actually do what I'm about to tell you?

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Series

iShare 2012 Seminar: How to Study the Bible

How to Study the Bible, Part 2

Transcript

Parent Series

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iShare 2012 Seminar: How to Study the Bible

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