Yesterday I focussed on some statistics that I had learned. Some of these stats were very discouraging to myself and we were left with the question then “what do we do?” Today I will begin to answer that question.
Thom Rainer in Effective Evangelistic Churches tells us that the most effective methodologies are.
1. Biblical Preaching
2. Intentional Prayer Ministries
3. Evangelistically Oriented Sunday School
The sad part is that many our churches are not doing these. Maybe they have one or two but rarely three. In fact is seems rare to see a church that has and evangelistically oriented sunday school. The truth is most of our sunday schools are failing and out of touch.
If we were to take the first one Biblical Preaching or teaching. Some would think that we have to compromise the teaching to reach the lost but this is simply not true. You can have an outwardly focussed small group or Sunday School without compromising high quality Bible study.
Well this will raise the question how do you do Bible study. The first thing you must do to have a quality Bible study is pray. The second thing you must do is enter into the Observation phase.
I. Observation
You must ask “what does the passage say.”
The more time you spend in observation the more accurate you interpretation will be.
Yogi Berra once said “You can see a lot just by looking”.
When you find your observations take some time to write them down. During your observation phase you must read either the entire passage, chapter, or maybe even book to have it in context. Now you might ask the question what do I observe. Tis is not through six basic quesitons.
1. Who?
2. What?
3. When?
4. Where?
5. Why?
6. How?
You also need to write down in any key terms that you find.
Then you must identify the structure.
Howard Hendricks defines five different kinds of literary structures in Living by the Book. They are
1. Biological structure
2. Geographical structure
3. Historical structure
4. Chronological structure
5. Ideological structure
finally during this observation phase you must identify the literary form.
1. Poetry 5. Prophecy
2. Narrative 6. Idioms
3. Law 7. Parable
4. Proverb 8. Epistles
After all of the observations have been made we must move onto the Interpretation Phase.
II. Interpretation
The key question we must ask here is “What does it mean”
How would have the original recipients understood this passage.
There is a difference between hermeneutics and homiletics. Hermeneutics is that art of Biblical interpretation. Where Homiletics is the art of the delivery.
There is also a difference between exegesis and isegesis. In exegesis you let the scripture speaks for itself where as in isegesis you go to the scripture with an already preconceived idea.
Augustine once said “If you believe what you like in the Gospel and reject what you do not like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.”
A text can never mean what it never meant.
There are barriers to understanding the text they are as follows.
1. Language 5. Prejudice
2. Time 6. View of Scripture
3. Culture 7. Sin
4. Geography
During Bible study preparation you must search for
1. The immediate context 4. The testamental context
2. The chapter Context 5. The Biblical context
3. The Book context
You must also search for the Historical cultural Background, word meaning, and Grammar.
Now that we have competed the interpretation phase we move on the the organization phase.
III. Organization
The key question we must ask here is how will you present the material you have learned?
You must organize your knowledge. Many times we are guilty of teaching curriculum and are fail to teach the Bible.
Finally you move to application.
IV. Application
The key question you must ask here is What does it mean to me?
Howard Hendricks said “The Bible was not given to make us more intelligent sinners but to change our lives.”
Gypsy Smith said “What makes a difference is not how many times you have been through the Bible, but how many time and thoroughly the Bible has been through you.”
Here are the application questions to ask.
1. How should my life change as a result of the truths in this particular passage?
2. What must I do?
3. What must I believe?
4. Is there and example to follow?
5. A sin to avoid?
6. A promise to claim?
7. A prayer to reapeat?
8. A command to obey?
9. A condition to meet?
10. A challenge to face?
Well that is where I am going to stop for today. With this information you can lead more effective Bible Studies and can make sure they are Biblically focussed an still dynamic.. I would challenge you to print this off and use it. Tomorrow we will get to Intention Praying and Open Small groups. Come back everyday to get more information.