1) Make it a priority to read the Bible with people
(First Aid trainer – if someone isn’t breathing then whatever you do can’t cause any harm – it might just save them)
Read Colossians 1 v 1-14. What has caused the transformation in the city of Colossae and indeed what Paul highlights as going on throughout the whole world? Look at verse 6 again – “In the same way the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world – just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.” There was a day when everything changed for the Colossians. It was the day, verse 7, when Epaphras shared the gospel with them, the day when people who were dead in their sins (not breathing spiritually) had God’s life-giving word proclaimed to them. Had Epaphras not brought God’s word to the Colossians they would have carried on as normal without realising the gravity of what they had missed out on until the day they had to stand before the God who made them and give an account of their lives without the blood of Christ covering their sins.
So the basic message of this evening is this: There is nothing more special, more powerful and more likely to see our loved ones saved than by you and me reading the bible with them.
We read up to verse 13&14 in Colossians 1 deliberately; “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Those are the stakes – that is what’s on offer in God’s word. Who knows the impact you might have on this world in decades to come by your reading the bible with someone who goes on to impact many lives? Thinking this way brings such opportunity and meaning to individual Christians whatever situation they are in and whatever stage of life they are at – a 97 year-old could still have their most productive period of life ahead of them – who in years to come might be able to say “you heard the gospel from Mildred before she died and from that time on it has been changing your whole family.”
PRINCIPLE: Trust that God will work by his Spirit through his word – defensiveness/argument not needed!
2) Simple method 1: Use a course to help
“Identity” and the gospel of John: Share screen and go through the course and the questions that are there.
http://www.identitycourse.com/about.htm
Explain how to do it (once a week, chat for a while about any questions and issues, watch the talk with bibles open, open time for comments and questions, watch the big question and then chat and pray.) The big advantages of using Identity (other courses also available!) is how it helps people who have never really read the bible (and who struggle with reading anyway) to get loads out of it. Another advantage is that you aren’t the fount of knowledge – you can simply respond to the teaching from the course and this is so helpful especially when you are challenging folk to make a decision to follow Jesus.
Question: What comments would anyone want to make about courses like Identity?
3) Simple method 2: 3 basic questions
This is a very simple method that the Tuesday group ladies have used for years (we used a variation for the Men’s “Risk is Right” group last term). Big advantage is that all you need is a bible and your brain during the study. But unless you are very familiar with the passage, to work best it needs you to spend a bit of time preparing.
- What does it say about God?
- What does it say about people?
- What might God be saying to me/us in this?
Question: What comments would anyone want to make about using these 3 questions regularly?
4) Simple method 3: Use a Bible-study book together
“God’s big picture”
The word series etc
Set questions can be really helpful, especially if you are a bit concerned about social awkwardness etc. But on the other hand, going through questions can then feel too forced and structured.
Question: What comments would anyone want to make about using bible-study books and answering the set questions?
5) Barriers to reading the bible with people
(Thinking here of what OUR barriers are even if a person might be willing to do it)
- “I don’t know enough.”
Biggest barrier. But all we really need to know is that it is better for people to hear what the bible says than what we say. So read a gospel, Mark is the shortest and punchiest and then trust that the living word of God will have an impact. But also, having the big picture is great ; “The Gospel Story” series in church setting up the key big picture – it is a very good thing for others to see us humbled by God’s word. In Rob Tearle’s words “we are not to master God’s word, it is to master us.”
- “Stressed by the practicalities and potential awkwardness”
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Setting a clear (brief) time limit so that people know what to expect is very helpful. If you know that you are spending 45 minutes with someone then there is always a clear end-point (and then if conversation is really good and you stay longer great). Also, coffee, tea and biscuits always help.
Question: What other barriers do you have?
Next steps:
Could you pick a gospel and start to read it closely and repeatedly until it was one that you are really familiar and comfortable with?
Could you go and watch the gospel story series again this week?
Could you go onto the Identity website and familiarise yourself with the sessions/watch all the sessions instead of Netflix this week?
Could you begin to pray for one or two people in your life who you would love to read the bible with?
Could you ask someone if they would like to start reading the bible with you?
