Bible Study Leads To Worship

Opening Scripture: Romans 11:33–36 (CSB)

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? And who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.”

Introduction:

We live in a time where Christianity is often approached in two dominant ways: as an intellectual pursuit, or as a self-help guide. One group treasures deep study, chasing deeper understanding of Scripture and theology.

Another longs for life change — better marriages, better kids, better careers. Both of these pursuits, in themselves, are good.

But neither is ultimate.

Whether you lean toward knowledge or practicality, there’s a danger that you will miss the ultimate goal of the Christian life: worship. Bible study should not terminate in knowledge or application. It should ignite wonder.

The Apostle Paul, after writing three dense chapters on Israel, election, and the mysteries of God’s plan — doctrine thick enough to make scholars sweat — suddenly breaks out not into further analysis or instruction but doxology: a spontaneous eruption of praise. He goes from theology to awe.

This is our roadmap today.

Point 1: Bible Study Is Meant to End in Worship, Not Just Knowledge

Some Christians pride themselves on their theological sharpness. They can debate Calvinism vs. Arminianism, explain eschatology, and even recite the Greek alphabet. But Paul’s example shows us that knowledge alone is insufficient.

Paul writes in Romans 11:33:

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God!”

Notice the word “Oh” — it’s not the language of a classroom, but of the heart. Paul doesn’t just state doctrine, he sings it.

He had just finished three chapters of dense theology, yet he didn’t conclude with, “Now go memorize this.” Instead, he exclaimed, “Oh, the depth!” — a word of amazement. True study of Scripture should cause our hearts to swell with wonder.

For some of us, growth in Christ means acquiring more information:

You listen to sermon podcasts.

You highlight theology books.

You can quote dead Puritans in casual conversation.

And all of that can be good… unless it stops there.

1 Corinthians 8:1 warns us:

“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”

Even Jesus told the Pharisees in John 5:39–40:

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”

The Pharisees were masters of biblical information, yet blind to the presence of God standing in front of them. Why? Because their hearts were never moved. Their heads were full, but their souls were empty.

If your Bible study doesn’t drive you to adore Jesus, then you’ve missed the point.

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Point 2: Worship Is More Than Singing — It’s Treasuring God Above All

Worship is not confined to music. Worship is not just the 20 minutes of music at church. Worship is how you respond to God with your whole life:

How eagerly you obey Him.

How much you treasure Him.

How quickly you trust Him.

Romans 12:1 says:

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.”

Romans 12:1 calls us to present our bodies as “living sacrifices.” That means our entire lives — what we say, how we treat others, how we spend money, what we think about — can and should be acts of worship.

True worship means treasuring God more than anything else. It’s not only about loving God during the good times, but trusting Him during the difficult times.

Worship is not just a song you sing — it’s a life you live in response to grace.

Think of Job: he lost everything, yet he said,

“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

When Paul said in Romans 11:36:

“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever.”

— he was declaring that everything — every breath, every blessing, every trial — is meant to bring God glory. True worship is the realization that God is the point of everything.

That’s worship. It’s when we prize God above health, wealth, and comfort.

As Jesus said in Matthew 22:37:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

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Point 3: Practical Living Flows From Wonder, Not Just Willpower