How to Assimilate the Contents of the Bible (2)

In this part of the sermon: Martin begins by reading Luke 24:13-35, the Emmaus Road narrative, as a vivid illustration of how the Lord opens the Scriptures, causing hearts to burn. He then connects this to…

The story of the two discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus, whose hearts burned when Jesus opened the Scriptures to them, illustrates the transformative power of dependent Bible reading.

I will not be expounding this passage, though we will be looking at it and using it as one of the illustrations of one of the heads of the sermon, but since there may be some among us who are not familiar with the passage or for whom it has been some time since you read the passage, it would be good for us to turn to Luke 24, beginning with verse 13. Now you'll notice in verse 13 it speaks of that very day, and that very day was what we would call that first Easter Sunday, the day of our Lord's resurrection, and here we have a passage from the Gospel of Luke. It is an incident in which the foc...

0:18 - 1:34 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Well, nothing other than the fact that since the author of the Bible can give us true understanding of His Word, we must convey the spirit of dependence upon God Himself to teach us when we read His own Word.

A quote from Bridges, 'Open my eyes to the Bible I already have,' clarifies the psalmist's prayer for illumination, emphasizing that the need is for understanding, not new revelation.

Therefore he prays things out of Thy law as Bridges quaintly expressed what they were. Then is the prayer of the psalmist. It is not in her Bible. Open my eyes to the Bible I already have.

13:09 - 13:46 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Meditation is deep thinking on the truths of Scripture for purposes of understanding, application, and prayer.

The analogy of a teabag steeping in hot water illustrates how meditation allows the Word of God to thoroughly permeate and 'tincture' the soul, going beyond mere reading or memorizing.

In addition to these distinctives, let's define meditation as deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture for the purposes of understanding, application, and prayer. Meditation is deep thinking on the truths of Scripture for purposes of understanding, application, and prayer. Meditation goes beyond hearing, studying, or even memorizing as a means of taking in God's Word. A simple analogy would be a cup of tea. You are the cup of hot water and the intake of Scripture is represented by the teabag. Hearing God's Word is like one dip of the teabag into the cup. Some o...

29:42 - 30:53 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Meditation is deep thinking on the truths of Scripture for purposes of understanding, application, and prayer.

Changing the imagery from a teabag, meditation is described as lingering in the presence of the words of the living God, just as one would linger with a person they love, expressing affection for the Word.

Notice verse 47 and 48. I will delight myself in thy commandments which I have loved. I will lift up my hands unto thy commandments which I have loved and I will meditate on my statutes. The nuance of emphasis here is that meditation is the accompaniment and expression of love to the Word of God. If we may change the imagery from the tea bag to a living human being. Those whom you love are those with whom you delight to spend time in whose company you find refreshment and joy. I'll delight myself in thy commandments which I've loved. I'll lift up my hands to thy commandments which I've loved. ...

33:34 - 34:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Open the Bible with holy reverence as the book of God, indicted by the Holy Ghost, bringing not an evil heart of unbelief.

Richard Baxter's directive to 'Bring not an evil heart of unbelief' and to read with holy reverence, as if receiving a letter from God by an angel, underscores the importance of a believing disposition.

Bethink you well if God should but send a book or letter to you by an angel. How reverently would you receive it? How carefully would you peruse it and regard it above all the books in the world? And how much rather should you do so by that book which is indicted by the Holy Ghost and records the doctrine of Christ himself whose authority is greater than the angels? Now why is it so crucial to read the Bible believingly? Well I want you to look at two passages with me that answer that question. First of all Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4.

38:53 - 39:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Read the Scriptures obediently, with the disposition of an obedient, willing slave and a loving, loyal son, eager to do God's bidding.

The example of God reconstituting the dust of a man eaten by a shark and consumed by others illustrates the folly of questioning God's power based on human standards of possibility, in the context of the resurrection.

How can God bring forth the dust of his when that dust has long since been turned into other substances, etc.? How in the world can God gather together all the particles of the man who was thrown overboard, died at sea, and the shark ate him, and the shark ended up in someone's tuna fish can, and the tuna fish can has been eaten by the cat and by the kids around the table, and tuna fish sandwiches, and some of it is in the local sewerage. How has that happened, thou fool, Paul says? If God can open his mouth and speak into being galaxies that we haven't even discovered, it's no big deal for hi...

48:05 - 48:49 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine if you have problems with systematic Bible reading because you are unwilling to deal with besetting sins addressed in certain chapters.

Martin describes his own thought process of considering how one might avoid certain chapters (Matthew 5, Ephesians 5, Proverbs 5, 1 Corinthians 5, Psalm 5) if harboring unmortified sins, illustrating the challenge of obedient Bible reading.

He's reading the word of God obediently. This is why that old couplet is accurate. This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book. You see if you don't come to the word of God obediently, how are you going to come really asking God to teach you? Really coming with a spirit of openness. And what I began to do and I had to stop it because it would have meant a whole sermon. I just began to take chapter 5 of certain books throughout the Bible and knowing what's in them began to think alright if in my regular reading and I have my own course of reading through the scriptures ...

59:33 - 60:26 Read in full sermon

The point: Repent of your self-righteousness, pride, and love of this present world, and lay hold of Christ whom Scripture declares delights to receive sinners.

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16) is used to illustrate to unbelievers that a lack of evidence is not the root of their unbelief, but rather a love of sin, and that Scripture is sufficient.

closing word to you who are not Christians is this and I was struck with this again thinking of how our Lord points us back to the scriptures. You remember that incident in the life of our Lord when he spoke of the rich man in Lazarus in Luke 16? And there's a man who's died in his impenitence and he's gone to hell and suddenly in hell he gets concerned about his brothers and in Luke 16 27 he says to Abraham I pray thee father send him to my father's house for I have five brethren that he may testify unto them that they come not into this place of torment. But Abraham said they have Moses and ...

64:01 - 64:53 Read in full sermon