Last week we talked about Jesus. Tonight, let me just review. How did Jesus use the bible?

1. He fought Satan’s temptation with it
2. He used it to forecast future events
3. He used it to explain Himself to men

Most of the time what should you look for in this book? God or Jesus, so that you will learn more about Him. If you center your thoughts on Him then it will be a profitable study.

1. What method are we using, should we use to study the bible?
2. What are the three components of this method? (put it in a question form?)

Before we proceed in doing observation, let’s do some looking at scriptures. Last time we look at Jesus, He fought off the devil, He explained Himself. What about the apostles, how did they view scripture? Can we just turn our bibles to Acts 6 and then we will do some observing.

Acts 6:1-5

Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. And the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. [3] "But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. [4] "But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." [5] And the statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.

What did you see? What’s the key word form verse 1-5?

Handling church problems or problems within the church, service to God, qualification for those who will be chosen. So in other words there are times when you do the key word, to summarize it may not be word that is repeated. The idea then is to dissect what is this passage all about. When there is a story going on, the easiest way is to outline what happen. Once you get that then you can make a summary of what it was all about and when you summarize, when you have a story, you have several characters so what you do is you put yourself in different shoes. If I’m now in the shoes of the apostle the focus will be.. if I’m now in the shoes of the congregation the focus will be.. so you could have several year, you could be talking about priorities.

When you come before God’s word, you’ve got to pray.

What’s the first thing we look for?

1. Key Words - repeated often

1. Cause & effect - if.. then

Romans 5: 1

John 15: 5

1John 1:9

1. Commands - Instructions, orders to be followed
1. Linking words - connectors

1. What to look for

• Who - personality involved (Acts 6)
• What - atmosphere, happenings, events
• When - time element
• Where - location, geography
• Why - reasons for
• How - proves

What you want to do is to count to the end result, there’s a process involved then you get to the end result. The end is to be able to make observations. What does this passage say or what do I see. There are many processes to go through you look for the key word, you look for commands, you look for cause and effect, you look for linking words, you ask this questions who, what, where, when, why, how. When you after you do all of that exercise, make observations. Those are statements. What does the bible say about this. What do I see. Use the process to come out with observations of the following assigns.

Let me close this session tonight by going to Acts 17: 10-11

Acts 17:10-11

And the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea; and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. [11] Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.

You know as we part tonight I want to just leave a taught with you. Many times in the 20^th century we have lost the awesomeness of God’s word, we do not approach this book with a lot of respect, we do not approach it as an awesome book, we approach it as an assignment. So we want to emphasize once again that it cannot be like that. If you notice here, what are some observations we can make in this passage?

Who are here? Paul, Silas, the brethren, those in Thessalonica.

Where did they go? To Berea

Look at v. 11, they went to the synagogue of the Jews, that’s the church.

Why where they praising these people? Because they receive the word with great eagerness. When you begin to focus on God, we should be eager if you love God.