BIBLE CLASS IS VERY IMPORTANT

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   When I began to prepare for this lesson, three thoughts came to my mind:

1.     Christianity is a taught religion.

a.     It begins with teaching (John 6:45).

 

It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God.  Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

 

b.    Throughout the Christian life, we are to continue to grow and develop through our being taught (II Pet. 3:18).

 

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To him be glory both now and for ever.  Amen.

 

2.     The Bible is the Word of God.

3.     The elders have a responsibility to feed the flock (I Pet. 5:1-2a).

 

The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the suffer-ings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:  feed the flock of God which is among you.

 

B.    You might be wondering what this lesson is about.  I have entitled it:  “Bible Class Is Important.”

1.     In Bible class there is teaching.

2.     That which is taught in Bible class is the Word of God.

3.     It is part of the elders’ responsibility to make certain the flock is fed God’s Word.

 

C.   Every church usually has Bible classes.

1.     Fortunately, the majority of the church usually attends Bible classes on Sunday morning and Wednesday night.

2.     Apparently, two-thirds to three-fourths of the church believe Bible classes are important.

 

D.   In this lesson, we want to affirm the belief of those members of the church:  “Bible Study Is Important.”

 

I.              BIBLE STUDY IS A TIME TO FEED THE SPIRITUAL MAN

 

A.   Soon the noon hour will be here.  Very few in our audience will miss feeding time.  They will go to grandma’s house, restaurants, or home and nourish the outer man.

 

 

 

B.    All of us also have an inner man, a spiritual man (II Cor. 4:16).

 

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

 

C.   This inner man needs nourishment.

1.     The nourishment for the inner man is the Word of God.

a.     I Peter 2:2

 

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby.

 

b.    In John 6, Jesus speaks of the “bread of life.”  John 6:63 helps us to understand what this bread is.

 

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:  the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

 

2.     When we come to Bible classes, the Word of God is being fed to those present.  The inner man is being nourished and strengthened.  NOTE:  We may not always know “how” a Biblical topic nourishes, but we know that this is the purpose of God’s Word.

 

II.            BIBLE STUDY IS A TIME FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING

 

A.   We do not always fully comprehend what we read in the Biblical text.

1.     Peter said that Paul wrote some things that are hard to be understood (II Pet. 3:16).

2.     In Acts 8, the Ethiopian eunuch was reading the prophet Isaiah.

a.     When Philip encountered him, he asked:  Understandest thou what thou readest?   (Acts 8:30).

b.    His answer was very honest (Acts 8:31).

 

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.

 

c.    Philip sat with this man and helped him to come to an understanding of Jesus and what he needed to do to be saved.

 

B.    In Bible classes, topics are discussed that we do not understand.  Hopefully, we come to a better, proper understanding of verses and topics found in God’s Word (Mark 13, the destruction of Jerusalem is described as a “coming” of the Son of man in verse 26).

 

And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

 

III.          BIBLE STUDY IS A TIME OF SELF-EXAMINATION

 

A.   God wants us to constantly examine ourselves (II Cor. 13:5).

 

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your ownselves.  Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates.

 

B.    The Bible is the mirror into which we are to look in order to inspect our lives (James 1:22-25).

 

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your ownselves.  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.

 

C.   Illustrations:

1.     Lying (Col. 3:9)

 

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds.

 

2.     Revenge (Rom. 12:19)

 

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath:  for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

 

3.     Being a hard worker for our employer (Col. 3:22-23)

 

Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:  and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

 

D.   If we honestly examine self, we are thrown into the valley of decision.

1.     God confronts our behavior.

2.     He asks:  What are you going to do?

3.     Those who do as God directs will be blessed (James 1:25).

 

IV.          BIBLE CLASS IS A TIME OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD

 

A.   We call the Bible the Word of God.

1.     The words in the Bible are the very words from God’s mouth (II Tim. 3:16-17).

2.     Thus, as we read from the Bible God is speaking.

 

B.    What if we announced that next Sunday God would be here personally to speak to us in the Bible class hour?  Would you make arrangements to be here?  Why?

 

C.   Each Lord’s Day and each Wednesday evening, God is here.  Through His precious Word, He is speaking to us.

1.     Our attitude should be:  “I want to be there!”

2.     When here, our attitude should be:  “Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth,” or, “What wilt thou have me to do?”

D.   This concept involves faith on the part of man.

1.     God is here, but we cannot see Him.  He is speaking, but through the medium of the written word.

2.     Once faith is convinced of this, our love and awe of God should bring us into His presence.

a.     On Saturday nights, we will anticipate being with God.

b.    All day Wednesday, we will long to hear our Father speak with us that night.

3.     Faith, love, and respect for God will cause me to say as did the psalmist:  I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord (Ps. 122:1).

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   Bible class hour involves a very special time.

1.     It is a time of spiritual feeding.

2.     It is a time for better understanding.

3.     It is time for self-examination.

4.     It is a time of fellowship with God.

 

B.    Every Christian ought to mark these two hours off on their personal calendars each week.

1.     I will be there.

2.     I will not let other things interfere with this time.

 

C.   Those who do will be blessed (Matt. 5:6).

 

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:  for they shall be filled.