Bible Study as Worship

1. Read: Psalm 1:1-3

2. About the Text:

1) This first Psalm introduces us to studying God’s word by applying it to life.

2) A blessing is pronounced upon the one who does not progress in sin.

3) He doesn’t progress in sin because he has a delight in God’s word.

4) He meditates and thinks about God’s word day and night.

5) The beautiful results: he is like a tree planted by the waters that brings forth fruit.

6) This Psalm gives us a picture of worshipping God through the study of His word.

7) Definition of worship, to bend the knee and prostate oneself toward.

8) How is this the case with Bible study?

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. Just reading God’s word does not constitute worship.

1) Must be within the student the right attitude toward the Bible.

2) The student must be in a right relationship with God.

2. Must first comprehend what the Bible is.

1) Inspired. 2 Tim.3:16, 17

2) Authoritative. Matthew 28:18

3) All sufficient. 2 Peter 1:3

3. The worshipper must be in a right relationship with God.

1) Not separated from God (1 John 1:7).

2) A Christian. John 4:24 “in Spirit and in truth.”

4. Having these things in mind, when a worshipper reads the Bible, God is speaking directly to him.

1) By letting God speak, we let God control. Jeremiah 18:6 “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.”

2) By letting God speak, we lose self. John 12:25 “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal”

3) By letting God speak, we remove thoughts of evil. Psalm 119:11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

4) By letting God speak, we focus on Him and His Will.

1. Studying is seeking to comprehend.

1) By studying we are seeking to understand God.

a. Deuteronomy 31:12, 13 “Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.”

b. 1 Timothy 2:15 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

2) We are seeking to understand His Will.

a. Nehemiah 8:8 “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.”

b. Psalm 119:104 “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.”

c. Ephesians 3:3,4 “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)”

2. Studying also involves seeking to make application.

1) We study to understand and then apply

2) Applying means to go forth and do.

3) To do God’s will one has to know God’s will.

4) One has to know how to do God’s will.

5) We honor God through seeking to know how to do His will.

6) James 1:21-25 “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

1. God desires truth in the inward parts. Psalm 51:6 “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.”

2. This gives us the ability to deal with sin. Matthew 4:1-11, Example of Jesus when dealing with temptation. “It is written.”

3. This gives us the ability to know good and evil. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

4. This gives us the ability to choose good. Deuteronomy 30:14, 15, 19. Word is nigh. Life and Death. Choose life.

5. This gives us the ability to discern opportunity. James 4:17 “Therefore, to him who knoweth to do good . . . .”

1. God has revealed the standard in the person of Jesus Christ.

1) This revelation is through the life of Christ; John 1:1, 14

2) This revelation is to us through words. 1 Corinthians 2:12, 13 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

3) The only way we can learn how to live like Christ is to understand his words today.

2. We are to walk in the steps of Christ.

1) John 13:15 “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”

2) 1 Peter 2:21 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:”

3. We are to conform our life to God’s word.

1) Romans 12:1,2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

2) Psalm 19:7, 8 “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.”

1. When we . . .

1) Recite God’s words.

2) Respect God’s words.

3) Retain God’s words.

4) And Retool our lives to God’s word,

5) We are honoring and worshipping God!

6) This is what we should be doing when we study God’s word.

2. Invitation