Study to Shew - Pastor Stacey Shiflett

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Study to Shew

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

Intro: In a day of misinformation, lies, deception and widespread ignorance of truth, God’s people have no excuse to be ignorant of the Word of God.

We have more access to truth and to the Word of God than any generation in history.

Some of you have more Bibles in your house than some entire language groups combined.

To have a Bible; to carry a Bible; to handle a Bible as much as you do, do you know it?

What is the extent of your Bible study? Taking notes while Pastor is preaching?

Is Sunday School the only real Bible Study you do in a week?

Here at Calvary Baptist Church, we believe in studying the Scriptures.

·       We have Sunday School classes for all ages every Sunday morning at 10 AM.

·       We have a Bible class every morning in our Christian school.

·       We have a Wednesday night Discipleship program for new members and new converts.

·       We have a Bible College about to start our second year.

·       I have written close to 20 different books to help Christians in their walk with God.

·       We have a bookstore that we keep stocked with great resources.

I believe a studying Christian is a strong Christian.

I believe a studying Christian is a stable Christian.

I believe a studying Christian is a stablished Christian.

I believe a studying Christian is a sincere Christian.

Jesus explained the importance of searching the Scriptures.

John 5

·       37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

·       38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

·       39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Studying the scriptures is another way for the word to abide in you.

Paul told Timothy – Study to show thyself!!!

Studying shows a lot of people a lot about you.

I. Study to Shew your Approval

·       2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God,

This approval from God is simple to understand.

He has exalted His Word, even above His name.

·       Psalms 138:2 …for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

You and I can find approval; what we say and what we meditate on can be acceptable to God if we have been diligently studying God’s Word.

·       Psalms 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

If we spent more time talking about the Word of God, and more time meditating on it, we would find out that God would approve of that more than us talking and thinking about nonsense.

II. Study to Shew your Appetite

·       1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

·       Psalms 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

For a child of God to have an appetite and a desire to know it pleases God.

For a child of God to lean into the Word of God is highly commendable.

·       Proverbs 4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

That leads me to my next point.

III. Study to Shew your Appreciation

Proverbs 1

·       1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

·       2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

·       3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

·       4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

·       5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

IV. Study to Shew your Application

God places great importance on a child of God applying God’s Word.

We can’t apply what we don’t know!

·       Psalms 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

·       Proverbs 2:2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

·       Proverbs 22:17 Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

·       Proverbs 23:12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

Our life should be lived in accordance to the Word of God.

That is not even possible if we don’t know God’s Word.

It stands to reason that if we study right, we can walk right.

·       Psalms 119:1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

·       Psalms 119:3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

·       Psalms 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

V. Study to Shew your Approachability

·       1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

We’ve got way too many “Don’t ask me” Christians sitting in our pews.

They don’t have a clue.

They’ve gone to church for years.

They say they’ve read their Bible every day for years.

But if you were to ask them a Bible-related question, their answer would be, “Don’t ask me!”

Does that make sense to you?

We’ve got a lot of people that want to consider themselves teachers, but they don’t know the Bible.

1 Timothy 1

·       5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

·       6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

·       7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

·       Luke 6:39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?

VI. Study to Shew your Appropriateness

Appropriateness: the quality or state of being especially suitable or fittingness

Our text is clear – you and I should study in order to rightly divide the word of truth.

·       Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

·       Proverbs 18:4 The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

How deep are the waters of your mouth when you are discussing Scriptures?

Is your mouth a wellspring of wisdom?

Are the words of your mouth as a flowing brook or a stagnant teacup?

A. Appropriate for Conversion

Acts 8

·       30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

·       31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

·       34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

·       35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

It is a good thing that Philip had studied the Scripture.

He was able to take that Old Testament passage of Scripture and preach the Gospel.

He was familiar with the Book!

B. Appropriate for New Christians

Acts 11

·       25 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:

·       26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

C. Appropriate for Children

Joshua 4

·       20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.

·       21 And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?

·       22 Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

·       23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:

D. Appropriate for Critics

·       Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.