Sermon Hebrews 4:12 “Bible Study”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Hebrews 4:12 “Bible Study”
January 20, 2019

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We are continuing today with our look at spiritual practices in our series from Believe, Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus.   We have looked at worship, where we attribute supreme worth to God.  Then we looked at prayer where we talk with God like a friend.   Today we turn to Bible Study where we gather in groups to read and discuss God’s word.   We will get to this, but first, let’s pray. 

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

The study of the word of God began with Moses.   Moses commanded the people to study scripture.

Deuteronomy 31:9 So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 Then Moses commanded them: “At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Festival of Tabernacles, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. 13 Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

So it was the responsibility of the priests and elders to make sure that everyone, men, women, children, and foreigners all hear the word of God on a regular basis.  They were to hear all of it, the first five books of the Old Testament, every seven years.  Moses was clear that God would be present with his people whenever the word of God was read and heard.  And the reason that the word of God must be read and heard was so the people would continue to revere and obey God generation after generation. 

This is the responsibility of the church today.    The session of the church is responsible for seeing that the word of God is read, heard and understood not only by those in the church but by everyone in Middletown.   Everything we do as a church is to support the reading, hearing, and understanding of the word of God in this community.   Everyone here must learn to revere and obey God.   And when we hear the word of God proclaimed, God is here with us. 

Moses’ successor was Joshua.   Joshua expanded on the commands of Moses to study the Bible.   Here is what Joshua told the people.

Joshua 1:7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Moses said that the entire word of God must be read and heard every seven years.   But Joshua wants the people to meditate on it every day.   The reason for this is so that we will remember to obey God.   God will with us as we read the Bible every day.   And if God is with us continually we will be strong, courageous, prosperous and successful.  So we too should read and meditate on scripture every day and receive all the blessings of God continually upon us.

A King of Judah took the responsibility of the proclaiming the word of God to his nation very seriously.   King Jehoshaphat trained teachers and made copies of scripture.   He then sent these teachers and scrolls to the farthest corners of his kingdom.

1 Chronicles 17:7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials … to teach in the towns of Judah. 8 With them were certain Levites … and the priests ... 9 They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.

But for many years God’s people stopped reading scripture.   They stopped obeying God and were conquered and exiled by the Kingdom of Babylon.   But God had mercy on them and brought his people back to their homes.   And they celebrated by reading the word of God.

Nehemiah 8:1  all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.
2 So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. 3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law...

5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

The psalmist declares, Psalm 119:97  “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.  98  Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.

Jesus firmly believed in the power of Bible study.   He described it this way, Matthew 13:23 “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

There is no doubt at all that Bible study will benefit you.   God is present when we gather around his word and God blesses us abundantly.
What are some of the benefits of regular Bible study?   The first is that your faith will be strengthened.  Romans 10:17 … “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ”.

Faith comes from hearing the word of God.    So by attending Bible studies, you not only learn about God you also come to greater faith in God.    You grow spiritually.  And for this growth to occur the message that is heard must we about our savior Jesus Christ.  So we attend Bible studies to increase our faith in Christ.   What else do we receive?   We receive the Holy Spirit.

John 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

  So as we study the Bible the Holy Spirit is with us helping us to understand what we are reading and bringing us to faith in Jesus Christ.  Are there any other benefits of Bible study?   Yes, In Bible Study you experience deep transformation.

1 Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.[b] 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

By studying the Word of God the Holy Spirit brings us to faith in Jesus Christ and we experience a transformation to a new life where we love one another.  But there are even greater benefits of Bible Study.   We are given hope.

Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

Through Bible study, the Holy Spirit brings us to faith in Jesus Christ, transforms us to new life, and gives us hope of eternal life.  What more could we expect?   Well, there is more.

John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”...   34 … “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

So through Bible study, the Holy Spirit brings us to faith in Jesus Christ, transforms us to new life, gives us hope of eternal life, and frees us from slavery to sin so we may lead lives pleasing to God.

Since the time of Moses people have experienced for themselves the benefits of Bible study.   It is the church’s responsibility to provide Bible studies for the community to attend.    By attending Bible studies should faith will grow, you will experience transformation, you will develop hope in eternal life, and your slavery to sin will end freeing you to lead lives pleasing to God.

This church has many trained Bethel teachers.   This is a great blessing from God.   I urge those teachers to use the gifts they have received and offer Bible studies to this church, in your home, or someplace in the community where you can provide these benefits of Bible study to the community of Middletown Delaware.   Let’s pray.

Holy Spirit we thank you for your presence whenever the Bible is read and heard.   We thank you for the gift of understanding as we study the Bible.   We thank you for the gift of obedience as we try to obey God’s word.   Thank you for using the Bible to grow our faith, transform our lives, give us hope of eternal life, and free us from slavery to sin.   We pledge to meet you regularly in Bible study.   Amen.