January 24, 2021
We’re in a sermon series, “Run to Win!” It’s based on a verse from 1 Corinthains 9:24, “Don’t you know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize. Run in such a way that you may win!” So, if life’s a race, we want to get the prize. Our goal is to make God a greater priority in our life this year than last.
The first Sunday we asked, “What does it mean to run to win?” It means to run toward Him, to run toward God! The second Sunday we talked about the power of prayer. It is life changing when you spend time each day, in prayer and relationship with God. Last Sunday we asked, “Why read the Bible?” Of all the inspiring things you can read, why read the Bible? Because it is good news about God who believes in you. Today, we will learn how to read the Bible.
I do my devotions in the evening, and I enjoy opening the Bible to read it, because I hear God speak to me through the Bible. God doesn’t speak out loud. But I find a verse, something that applies to me, and God gives me a message through it. God might give me courage, or peace, teaches me kindness or brings me joy.
I love the Bible. I’ll admit I wrestle with it. There are parts of the Bible I have questions about.
There are things in the Bible that I don’t believe capture the character or will of God. It’s important to have an understanding of it, so you appreciate it, and so you want to open it.
If you look at the index of a Bible, 2/3 of the books are the Old Testament, and 1/3 are the New Testament. The first five books are called the Law, Pentateuch or Torah. Genesis is the first book. The first eleven chapters of Genesis are very old stories that teach us the human struggle to resist temptation, and that humans prone to violence and pride. Then from chapter 12 on Genesis tells the story of the Israelites, starting with Abraham. God makes a covenant or agreement with Abraham. God calls Abraham and his descendants to be his people. They struggle to keep that covenant. The book of Exodus is next. It tells the story of how God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt through Moses. God gives them the 10 commandments and Law.
The books from Joshua to Esther are the history. They tell how, when things are going well, the people of Israel tend to forget about God. They worship idols. They don’t show love and justice to others. God doesn’t protect them when they are unfaithful, and then Israel’s enemies attack. The people cry out for help, and God delivers them. The cycle repeats, over and over. God saves, then the people stop being faithful, and enemy punishes them, and God saves them again. Eventually, the northern half of the country is captured by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., and 130 years later, the southern kingdom is defeated by the Babylonians, and Jerusalem and the temple are destroyed. But after 50 years, God delivers them back to their Promised Land, and they rebuild the temple and their city wall.
So, if you look at the books of the Bible from Genesis to Esther, all those books tell the story of Israel. Next comes the poetry, the books from Job to Song of Solomon. Hebrew poetry doesn’t rhyme—it repeats. It says the same thing, a little differently. Psalm 2 says, “You are my son; (then it repeats) today I have become your father.” Verse 9 says, “You will break them with a rod of iron; (then it repeats) you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” These books capture the heart and soul of the Jewish people: the joyful moments and the very difficult moments.
After the poetry you find the major prophets and the minor prophets from Isaiah to Malachi. The Major Prophets have longer books! That’s why they are called Major. For about 300 years there were prophets. These prophets didn’t tell the future. They were not fortune tellers. Instead, they told the king and the nation what God wanted. They were the conscience of the nation. The nation of Israel often went through the motions of following God: they made sacrifices to God and worshipped him. But they didn’t take care of widows and orphans. The prophets would warn of punishment if the people didn’t repent. And so often, the nation did not repent. But when the nation was punished, the prophets had words of comfort and hope for the future.
The bottom row of our bookshelf is the New Testament. The first four books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the gospels that tell the story of Jesus Christ, his ministry, his death and resurrection. Jesus calls all people to follow him. When they do, every relationship, every decision in their life is different because they love God and neighbor as Christ teaches. His resurrection means God has triumphed over hopelessness, despair and death.
The next book is the Acts of the Apostles, which tells the story of how the disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit, continue ministry after Jesus went up to heaven. They start the Christian church. Next, from Romans to Jude are the writings of the apostles, most of them written by Paul. The last book in the Bible is the Book of revelation. This book, like the prophets of the Old Testament, challenges the early Christians to remain faithful to God, and offers hope for those who endure to the end. Revelation insists that the kingdom of God will ultimately triumph over the Roman Empire and every other empire that follows.
To appreciate the Bible, it’s important to realize it wasn’t written by God. It was written by people of faith who weren’t perfect. Sometime people read the bible and complain about the violence in the Old Testament. I believe that violence is not something God approves of! It is important for Christians to read the Bible through the lens of Jesus. You know that saying: “What would Jesus do?” “What would Jesus say?” He didn’t approve of violence. He treated the poor, women, children, widows and the disabled with respect. When we look at the Bible from Jesus’ perspective, we can affirm the life-giving story of God and his people, while condemning what is not God’s character or will. With Jesus’ perspective, we can see the value in the Bible. God calls you to step into the Bible story and hear his words of life.
So how do you read the Bible and understand it? It helps to know a little about the book of the Bible you are reading. In many Bibles there is an introduction for each book of the Bible. It can tell you who wrote the book, when they wrote it, and what was happening at that time.
If you want to know more about a passage, there are study Bibles which have notes on every page explaining the passages. There are many different translations of the Bible. The full Bible is translated into 704 languages, then there are numerous translations in English. The Kings James Version was published in 1611. It is a beautiful translation. If you love Shakespeare, you will love it. For the rest of us, there are many modern translations. There is an abbreviation for each translation. NIV is the New International Version. GNB or GNT is the Good News Bible. There are Bible translations for third graders, and the KJV is for 12th graders. There are all different reading levels. You pick a translation that works for you.
I think Bible apps are pretty exciitng! Once you figure them out, they make it really convenient to read the Bible. The YouVersion Bible App can give you a verse a day to read, or you can join a reading plan on a theme, such as “Do not Fear.” The YouVersion Bible App for Kids has animated videos for preschoolers that make it engaging to learn Bible stories. With the YouVersion Bible App, or BibleGateway.com, for some of the Bible translations the app or website can read you the Bible passage. Often it is read by someone with an incredible voice. I like having someone read it to me! It can help you focus.
Whether you use an app, a devotional book from church, or just pick up your Bible and decide on a plan, a set plan helps you decide what you will read each day.
When you read the Bible, I encourage you to not just read and stop with that. Ask yourself: “How will I be different because of what I read today?”
You might find a verse or two that capture your attention. Ask yourself, what is the Scripture saying? Then what is God saying through the Scripture to me?
I use a journal, and SOAP. The letters S, O, A, P. “S” stands for the Scripture verse that got my attention. “O” stands for an observation: what does it mean? “A” is the application: how it applies to my life. “P” is the prayer.
To do SOAP, for example, take our gospel reading today: Luke 17:11-19. Ten people with leprosy ask Jesus to help them. He says they should go show themselves to the priests, and on the way, they are cured! Only one person goes back to thank Jesus and give praise to God. A Scripture that catches my attention, the S in Soap, is Luke 17:17. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten (lepers) cleansed? Where are the other nine?”
O Observation: So often we don’t express gratitude to God.
A Application: I will thank God today!
P Prayer: Thank you God for all you have done for me! You woke me up this morning, you gave me my family, friends, home, daily bread, bed to lay my head, the Bible, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
Soap is a way to not just read the Bible, but also consider how I will be different because of what I read in the Bible.
That’s my homework for you, try this week to read the bible each day, and let God change you as you consider, “How will I be different because of what I have read?”
I love the Bible and I encourage you to read it for yourself. It is the story of people of faith who, for several thousand years, sought to follow God. It tells of God who believes in you. Most importantly, God calls you to step into the Bible story and hear His words of life. God offers wisdom, comfort, peace and joy as he speaks to you through the Bible. When you read the Bible to listen to God, God helps you become the person he created you to be. Amen.
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