Read the Bible Daily (8/9/14): Preaching Notes

"Oh, how I love your instructions (law)! I think about them all day long" (Ps 119:97, NLT). "Instead, his delight is in the Lord's instruction (law), and he meditates on it day and night" (Ps 1:2, HSCB). "This book of instruction (law) must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite (meditate on) it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do" (Josh 1:8, HSCB).

Theme: We are what we think about. What do you think about? [C is for Contemplation, or DD for Daily Devotion or Daily Delight, or M is for Meditation/or Mind, or R is for Reflection, or S for Silence and Solitude, or T is for Think.]

1 in 5 Christians (19%) read their Bibles [2012 Lifeway survey]. 1 in 4 Christians (26%) read their Bibles regularly (4x/wk or more), [2013 American Bible Society poll]. The majority (57%) read their Bibles 4x/yr or less. Why so infrequently? Doug Birdsall, president of ABS, says, "I see the problem as analogous to obesity in America. We have an awful lot of people who realize they're overweight, but they don't follow a diet. People realize the Bible has values that would help us in our spiritual health, but they just don't read it."

Assess Your Bible Reading and Your Thinking

1. How often do you read the Bible? Do you read the Bible daily? A few times a week? Not that often?
2. How much time do you spend reading (meditating on) the Bible? Reading books, blogs or magazines?
3. When you read the Bible how much of it do you usually read? A few verses at the time? A few chapters? 5-10 chapters?
4. What do you know about your Bible?

Only 1 in 5 Christians Read the Bible Daily

How often do Christians read the Bible?

A 2013 ABS (American Bible Society) poll says Americans love the Bible but don't read it much:

• 88% of respondents said they own a Bible, 
• 80% think the Bible is sacred, 
• 61% wish they read the Bible more, and 
• the average household has 4.4 Bibles.

Doug Birdsall, president of American Bible Society, said he sees a reason for why the Bible isn't connecting with people: "I see the problem as analogous to obesity in America. We have an awful lot of people who realize they're overweight, but they don't follow a diet. People realize the Bible has values that would help us in our spiritual health, but they just don't read it." If they do read it:

• the majority (57%) only read their Bibles 4x/year or less.
• only 26% of Americans said they read their Bible on a regular basis (4 or more times/week).
• Younger people also seem to be moving away from the Bible. A majority (57%) of those ages 18-28 read their Bibles < 3x/, if at all.

A Celebration of God's Word (Psalm 119)

Psalm 119 is a celebration of God's gift of the Scriptures and uses ten synonyms for God's word:

1. law (25 times).
2. testimonies (22).
3. ways (5).
4. precepts (21).
5. statutes (21).
6. commandments (21).
7. judgment(s) (19).
8. word(s) (25).
9. sayings (19).
10. path (5).

Study The Bible

1. Read the Bible: Read all of it (Dt 8:3; Ac 20:24). Read it regularly/daily (Ps 1:2; 119:97).
2. Read commentaries.
3. Read books (2 Tim 4:13).
4. Read blogs.
5. #1: Read relationally (Dt 6:5).
6. Read and sense that there is one who is reading you (1 Cor 8:3; Gal 4:9).
7. Read, discuss and share with others in community (Heb 10:25), not in isolation.
8. Read with meditation, reflection and contemplation because you love God with all your mind, thoughts, feelings and emotion (Dt 6:5).

Martin Luther said, "In truth you cannot read too much in Scripture; and what you read you cannot read too carefully, and what you read carefully you cannot understand too well, and what you understand well you cannot teach too well, and what you teach well you cannot live too well."

An Example of How To Read Scripture Before The Congregation

Watch and listen to the reading of 1 Kings 19:1-19 (in the ESV) from the 9 min to the 15 min point here. I blogged about this sermon with the title Elijah Blew It. It is about the lowest point of Elijah's life and ministry as a prophet of God. What might you learn about how to read Scripture meaningfully in church? It took 6 minutes to read these 19 verses: