How to Assimilate the Contents of the Bible (1)

In this part of the sermon: Martin challenges the congregation on the regularity of their Bible reading, comparing it to daily routines like eating and grooming. He argues that while no explicit command to…

Martin compares the regularity of Bible reading to common daily habits like having morning coffee, dressing, eating meals, bathing, and shaving, to highlight how often Bible reading is neglected despite its importance.

we must read our Bibles regularly, we must read our Bibles broadly, and the word that I have chosen, I'm sorry, the third heading is we must read our Bibles diligently. First of all then, we must read our Bibles regularly. Now some may say, Pastor Martin, why waste our time with the obvious? Well, for the simple reason that I believe it would be tragically embarrassing if I were to ask this congregation, with the honesty that you may have, with the honesty that you may have, with the honesty that you may have, you must have in the day of judgment to respond openly to the question. How many of ...

12:37 - 14:01 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You'd just get them picking up the newspaper first with their coffee, flipping on the radio first. You would take all of these things innocent in themselves in order that you might do anything to keep the child of God fr…

Martin describes how Satan uses innocent modern technologies like newspapers, radio, TV, and telephones as distractions to prevent believers from engaging in daily Bible reading, likening him to a roaring lion on the prowl.

Well I do so because not only am I convinced that it would be embarrassing if with judgment day honesty we knew how many of you are not as regular in your Bible reading as you are with your breakfast and your lunch and your supper and putting on your promenade, proper clothing, etc. But I am convinced with increasing conviction with the passing of the years that as Satan goes about as a hungry lion on the prowl and according to 1 Peter 5, 8 he does, he is taking modern technology as a means to undermine the discipline of daily Bible reading. Think of the tremendous battle for the eyes and the ...

23:36 - 25:04 Read in full sermon

The point: Spend the afternoon hours of this Lord's day entering into a season of radical personal scheduled surgery to make Bible reading a regular part of your life.

Martin recounts a comment about Jonathan Edwards' ability to study 13 hours a day, noting that Edwards never had to answer a telephone, illustrating how intrusive modern communication devices are and how they can hinder spiritual disciplines.

I was struck with how intrusive that instrument is when recently reading some comments about the study habits of Jonathan Edwards, someone was commenting, on his disciplined schedule to study 13 hours a day. And as they were commenting upon that study schedule, they said, and remember this as you try to evaluate how the man could have done this and be a father to his children and a husband to his wife and a pastor to his flock, as you try to wrestle through all of this, remember that never once in his whole life did he have to say, I have to answer a telephone. And I tried to think what one da...

26:16 - 27:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Using Matthew 4:4, Martin illustrates how Christ regarded Old Testament Scripture as a living word from God, applicable to His present situation. He further demonstrates the…

Martin shares a personal practice with his wife: leaving a note when one leaves the house and the other is not home. He uses this to illustrate how a written word, though inanimate, becomes a 'living word' from the absent person, making the point that Scripture is the living word of God to us.

And this was one of the texts he had committed to memory, but he regarded the living relevance of the word of God as God speaking in that very space, in that very situation. And as I tried to think of an illustration of this, the first that came to my mind is a little practice that my wife and I have developed over the years. I don't know how long we've been doing it. And we never sat down and talked it through, we just started doing it and now we do it.

41:42 - 42:13 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not neglect meditation, but understand that it builds upon the foundational practices of regular, broad, and diligent reading.

Martin describes a game he played with his children, hiding coins for them to find. He uses this to illustrate the diligence and active searching required to find value, then contrasts it with the greater diligence needed to find the 'gold nuggets' of wisdom in Scripture.

By receiving, laying, ironing, applying... Back when our kids were...

55:02 - 55:15 Read in full sermon