"Study To Show Yourself Approved” Series

OPEN YOUR BIBLES TO 2 Peter 1:5-11 & 2 TIM 2

1. When I mention the word STUDY, what comes to mind?

a. School? Library? Detention? Boring? Stale? Cheating?

Consider some recent findings:

A study by The Center for Academic Integrity found that almost 80% of college students admit to cheating at least once.

According to another survey 36% of undergraduates have admitted to plagiarizing written material.

A poll conducted by US News and World Reports found that 90% of students believe that cheaters are either never caught or have never been appropriately disciplined.

The State of Americans: This Generation and the Next (Free Press, July 1996) states that 58.3% of high school students let someone else copy their work in 1969, and 97.5% did so in 1989.

• There is a generation coming up behind us that is being trained in the art of cheating. Why? ((They don’t want to study!))

• It all stems from the ‘get it quick idea’, the “I don’t have to work at it”, the “I don’t need to study” mindset setting in.

YOU KNOW it’s a attitude that’s crept into the church too?

• “This Christianity thing… I don’t have to work at it., I don’t need to study. I can breeze through and take the easy way.”

• Studying? That’s for the pastor, the leaders… I don’t need that!

• WELL Let’s Look at 2 Peter 1.5-11

When the word “STUDY” is mentioned, think of things like:

• Spiritual Strength. Help in Time of Need. Preparation.

• Knowing Jesus more. Handling the Bible carefully.

Psalm 119.11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!

• Being able to give an answer for the hope that lies within you.

Spiritual Growth comes through study… taking time in His Word.

• There is really no other way around it. No shortcuts.

• Sundays, Thursdays are a great beginning…

• But it continues when you leave, later today, on Monday morning… study. Keeping our noses in the Word.

Psalm 119.50 This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.

NOW: Studying is just one ingredient to a healthy spiritual diet in God’s Word. There are 4 things

READING… Just taking your Bible and reading through it, page after page, story after story, truth after truth.

EXAMINATION… studying. Taking a passage and wrestling with it, praying through it. Pulling out a concordance, Halley’s Bible handbook, a commentary, a Greek dictionary… and working through the text. (By the way, we plan on having an inductive bible study seminar this year… so keep your eyes open.)

APPLICATION… once the Spirit has shown you a truth, putting it into action is so vitally important. Obey what you’ve learned.

DILIGENCE… Don’t give up. Keep it steady and constant

THERE ARE More… but these form a good foundation.

And… This morning we find the exhortation in 2:15

2 Tim. 2.15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Tim. 2.15 (KJV) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

OH WHAT strength a believer has when he/she takes on the command to study the Word, to present themselves to God!

I. (2.11-13) Faithfulness of Jesus

1. (11) If we DIE…

a. (11) If we died with Him, we will live with Him!

WHAT HOPE we live with! That Jesus is alive and we too will spend eternity with Him! That this earth is not our home.

• Again, Paul is in prison, awaiting death… but he’s not afraid. His hope is in the Lord!

2. (12) If we ENDURE…

a. We will reign with him. There is a hope for the believer to rule and reign with Jesus in the Millennium Kingdom!

b. In REV 5:8-10, the church is in heaven singing a new song.

Rev. 5.8-10 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

• Reigning requires enduring… steadying on.. not giving up.

3. (12) If we DENY Him.

a. Deny means to reject. If we reject him, he will reject us.

b. Jesus will never force you to spend eternity with Him.