About eight years ago I was privileged to be invited to go and lead a team delivering a course for church leaders in central Uganda, in a town called Mityana. The attendees to the course were local clergy and lay leaders \u2013 people who were being trained to lead small groups in their churches. They were mature and experienced Christians, but many of them did not have their own Bibles, they couldn\u2019t afford them. To help equip them to lead their small groups, the bishop had arranged for every delegate to be given a Bible, and on the morning they arrived and were given out, there was so much joy. This short video captures their reaction.<\/p>\n
This morning we are continuing our series exploring different aspects of following Jesus, and in particular thinking about exploring the Bible. Some of us have been exploring the Bible for years and for some of us it\u2019s completely new territory and most of us will be somewhere in the middle. Whatever the case for each of us my hope is that this morning we will catch some of that joy and delight in the gift of God\u2019s word to us. <\/p>\n
So, let\u2019s start by briefly exploring the two Bible readings we\u2019ve had this morning, and what they might have to say to us about why and how it\u2019s important for us to spend time exploring the Bible.<\/p>\n
Psalm 119 is all about the word and commands of God, every single verse has a synonym for the word of God, each one linked with the benefits of holding to them, or the things that go wrong when we don\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s pick out a few examples of things that the writer says they do with God\u2019s word:<\/p>\n
I live according to your word
\nI have hidden your word in my heart
\nI meditate
\nI delight
\nI will not neglect<\/p>\n
Jesus absolutely relied on his knowledge and deep understanding of God\u2019s word in his life and ministry. The account we\u2019ve read this morning from early in his ministry illustrates this really well. Jesus wasn\u2019t just quoting the Scriptures, he was using it as the basis of his life, as his defence against evil, as his measuring stick.
\nHe had done all the things that the Psalmist talked about, and it strengthened him in all the challenges he faced. Even on the cross he was quoting the Bible, holding on to God\u2019s word in the darkest and most painful of places. <\/p>\n
In the next bit we see Jesus go back to his home town and launch his public ministry, and he starts with the Scripture. Everything he does and says flows out of God\u2019s word.<\/p>\n
Of course, for Jesus the Scriptures were what we call the Old Testament. The New Testament is made up of Jesus\u2019 words and actions, and those of his followers . These were added to the Bible for our benefit, so that we could know what Jesus did and said, what he was like, and therefore what God is like. <\/p>\n
If we\u2019re going exploring we need some tools \u2013 map, compass, GPS. So what tools might we want when we\u2019re exploring the Bible?<\/p>\n
The first place to start is with a good, modern, translation. The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. We are really blessed that we have good, accurate translations of these into modern English.
\nThere are slight differences between them, as different translation teams have made slightly different decisions about the best way to communicate the original meaning, but those differences are not usually very significant. Anyway. I usually recommend either the New International Version (NIV) or the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), which are both widely available. <\/p>\n
You might want a version that has space for you to make notes for yourself. You might want one that has explanatory notes in it. <\/p>\n
Once upon a time printed Bibles like these were the latest in modern technology. No more. Now you can get the Bible on the internet or on an app on your phone or tablet. These can make it easy to take your Bible with you, the apps will often have the option of reading the Bible to you, so you can listen to it.<\/p>\n
So, you\u2019ve got your Bible. What else might you need? What is your map and compass?<\/p>\n
There are loads of resources out there, so many more than I can list this morning. But before we dive into them I want to emphasise something.
\nI believe that the most important thing in exploring the Bible is to have hearts and minds open to the word that guidance of the Holy Spirit. All the other things I\u2019m going to talk about this morning can be helpful and useful, but if all you had was a Bible and were open to God speaking to you through it, that would be enough. <\/p>\n
The first thing to do before pressing play or opening the page is to pray a simple prayer. Something like:<\/p>\n
Father, I want to meet you in your word today, will you guide me by your Holy Spirit and give me an open mind and open heart. <\/p>\n
There are a few simple questions that we might get into the habit of asking ourselves as we read:<\/p>\n
\u201cIs there anything here that is like a lightbulb going on for me, something that shines out, catches my attention?\u201d
\n\u201cIs there anything here that I have questions about?\u201d
\n\u201cWhat am I going to do differently having read this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Having done that, there are resources out there that can help us to make sense of that lightbulb, to wrestle with those questions, to support us as we make those changes.<\/p>\n
The Bible Course is a great way of seeing how the different parts of the Bible all fit together.<\/p>\n
The Bible Book by Nick Page is very helpful with this as well.<\/p>\n
There are books like Tom Wright\u2019s commentaries that are quite accessible and have a lot of practical applications. They each focus on a different book of the Bible, and are called \u201c\u2026.for everyone\u201d <\/p>\n
There are video resources like those on the Bible Project and on Rightnow Media.<\/p>\n
We also have each other.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it is good to go out for a walk on your own. It\u2019s a while since I\u2019ve been up a mountain, but usually when I go, it is on my own. I like going at my own pace, finding my way, enjoying some peace and quiet. <\/p>\n
At other times it\u2019s good to go with others, have someone to talk with, to discuss the best route with, to turn to if I feel like we might have got a bit lost. It\u2019s the same with exploring the Bible.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s one of the reasons that being part of a small group is so important. We can explore the Bible together, learn from each other\u2019s insights and experience, encourage each other as we go, hold each other accountable in putting into practice what we\u2019ve learned. <\/p>\n
That\u2019s all very well, you might be thinking, I\u2019ve got a Bible, I\u2019ve got all these resources, but where am I going to start? Or, you might feel like it\u2019s all gone a bit stale. You\u2019ve been exploring the Bible for a while, and you don\u2019t know where to go next.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re at the very beginning of your exploration of the Bible, I would start with one of the accounts of Jesus\u2019 life, probably Mark or Luke, at the beginning of the New Testament, and then move on to Acts, the account of the life of the first Christians. <\/p>\n
You might like then to look at the All Saints Bible Reading guide, which can be done on your own, or in small groups. This can be found on the All Saints website.<\/p>\n
In addition to that, we publish daily Bible readings on the weekly notice sheet, or you might find it helpful to read the Bible passages that are going to be read on the upcoming Sunday \u2013 see what you think of them before the preacher tells you what they think.<\/p>\n
Beyond All Saints, there are a universe of Bible reading plans out there, either in print form, or on the YouBible App. Another app that I know a number of people at All Saints find helpful is called Lectio365. This particularly focusses on helping people to meditate on Scripture.<\/p>\n
This really is the most amazing book. It is more than a book, it is a guide to life, a song to sing, a meeting place with God, a comfort to the troubled and a trouble to the comfortable. It\u2019s basic message can be understood and summarised so easily, and yet it can be explored for a lifetime and still be fresh and life giving.
\nAs we allow this word to shape us so we will be drawn closer to Christ and sent to be closer to others. <\/p>\n
I started with a video, and I\u2019d like to finish with one as well. Continents apart, but both showing a hunger for God\u2019s word that I want to experience for myself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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