Multiply 7: Why Study the Bible?
Living as a Disciple Maker
1. What is a Disciple
2. The Command to Make Disciples
3. The Heart of a Disciple Maker
Living as the Church
1. Life in the Church
2. The Local Church
3. The Global Church
How to Study the Bible
1. Why Study the Bible
2. Studying the Bible Prayerfully
and Obediently
3. Studying Logically
*How to Study the Bible
Why Study the Bible?
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Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
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1 Peter 2:2-3 like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have
tasted the kindness of the Lord.
*Studying the Right Book for the Wrong Reasons
What are some of the wrong reasons that we might study the Bible?
**Guilt - Out of obligation instead of out of desire
**Status - Desire for position or attention
**Teaching Material - Cherry picking the golden nuggets
Table Question 1: Take a few minutes to examine your motivations and write down a few thoughts below.
Table Question 2: Take a minute to think about your past experience with studying the Bible. Which of the wrong motivations
listed above are you guilty of? Can you think of any others?
*Why Did God Give Us the Bible?
What are some of the reasons why God gave us the Bible?
**To Teach Us about Himself
On page 96, Francis Chan says that, “it is through the Bible that we learn about God’s power, justice, mercy, wrath, love,
kindness, anger, faithfulness, jealousy, holiness, compassion, etc.” How many more attributes can you attribute to God?
If God describes Himself thoroughly in the Bible, where must we go to make sure that our opinion of God is correct?
Where are some places that we formulate wrong impressions of God? Church, Christians, on our own, our earthly father,
our life’s circumstances, other religions, friends, family members
**To Teach Us about Ourselves and the World We Live In
If there is any place to teach about why we behave the way we do or why others behave the way they do, it is the Bible.
**To Enable Us to Live Godly Lives
The Christian’s Life owner’s manual.
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2 Peter 1:3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true
knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
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2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in
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righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
He gave it to us so that we would be complete, mature people who are equipped and ready to do anything God asks us to do (p 98).
Why shouldn’t Christians just live the way that they think is best?
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Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I
now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.
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1 Corinthians 6:20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
What do these verses mean?
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Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that
proceeds out of the mouth of God.'"
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Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the
division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
**To Facilitate a Relationship with God
God created us to have fellowship with us. He did not create us for His amusement; He did not create us as an experiment.
He created us to have a genuine personal relationship with. Now think about this for a second.
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James 4:4-6 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore
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whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to
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no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it
says, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
**To Exalt Jesus
To explain the purpose and the glory of the person Jesus the Christ.
**To Prepare Us for Our God Given Mission
How can we fulfill God’s mission for us if we don’t read the instructions? If we have no clear idea of when, where, what,
why and how we are to do with our lives, how then are we going to know if we are following God’s plan for our lives?
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2 Peter 1:20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no
prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
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2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on
behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Table Question 3: Take a minute to think through why God gave us the Bible. How should these things affect the way you think
about studying the Bible?
*Approaching the Mind of God
Do you prepare yourself to meet the God of the Universe before you begin to read Scripture?
Table Question 4: How do you tend to respond to the Bible’s teaching? Would you say that you approach it humbly with a drive
to change? How do you need to adjust your approach to studying the Bible?
*Right Motivation Makes All the Difference
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1 Corinthians 8:1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant,
but love edifies.
When would knowledge of the Bible not be a good thing? When you use it for the wrong reasons. Also, how can you earnestly read
the Bible and not become more convicted of your own sin and shortcomings? The more you read about the holiness of God and the
sinfulness of man and in particular ourselves, wouldn’t you think it would make you more aware of the crater between us and God?
When is knowledge of the Bible a good thing? Desire to know God, to help others, to find out God’s plan for our lives
Table Question 5: Rather than thinking about all of the arrogant people you know, take a minute to consider or not your efforts in
studying the Bible have simply puffed you up. How has studying the Bible changed you? Are you more arrogant, argumentative,
or judgmental? Write down a few thoughts below.
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1 Peter 2:1-2 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babes, long
for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
Table Question 6: Take a minute to meditate on 1 Peter 2:1-2. What would your life look like if you desired the Word as Peter
described?
*Before you Move On
In this section Francis Chan reemphasizes that our motivation for reading the Bible is key to coming away with what God wants us to
come away with. If we approach reading the Bible as literature or pursuing our own desires from the verses in the Bible, then
reading the Bible will be unproductive or pointless.
Table Question 7: Close the session by praying. Ask God to purify your heart with regard to Scripture. Ask Him to produce in you
a longing for the pure milk of the Word.
November 10, 2013 – Led by Glenn Collier