D. Preparation of your material Having found a suitable, relevant passage, deal with it as follows: 1. Be open-minded about it Put aside your preconceived ideas on the subject. Let your mind be open and unbiased to receive and learn something new. Someone has said that if we really want to grow spiritually, then we must read all those parts of the Bible which we have never underlined. Frequently, we have firmly established concepts, and we tend to see only those things which confirm what we already believe. We however, must approach the Word of God with openness and his whole counsel with honesty. Do not nullify or make of no effect the Word of God because your religious tradition has shut off your mind to anything other than what you presently believe. (See Mark 7:13). It is the religion of the Pharisees. You certainly do not have the sum total of knowledge God wants to share with you. Be ready to learn whatever new truth God may want to impart to you. “But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all her children.” (Luke 7:30-35). 2. Investigate it thoroughly Analyse the passage. Interrogate it. Take it apart and examine it thoroughly. Do this with your mind open to the Holy Spirit. Ask him questions about it. Anticipate God to speak with you. Expect to understand it like God is with you and he will share something or you will discern truth which you have never noticed before. The Word of God is like a mine shaft. The deeper you go, the precious the deposits you find. Many people are content to dig around the surface. Their conclusions are always superficial. They are able to share only what others already know. A secret of effective teaching is to investigate those areas of truth which have not previously occurred to people. In this way, you can share fresh and refreshing truth with them. “Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.” (Mat 13:51-52). 3. Do some original thinking about it. Do not let your mind stay in the ruts you have created. Trust the Holy Spirit to illuminate your mind. I am sure he will share something with you that you will have never known before. When I started out, I would refuse to walk away from a situation not having heard from God. Check out with the rest of the Bible. No truth ever contradicts the whole body of truth revealed in the Scriptures. Check it out in history if possible. Consult a fellow preacher – preferably one who knows more about the Bible than you do, and not one that you know will always agree with you. Do not be afraid to have some original thought. After all, you are an original. Let the wind of the Spirit of God blow those cobwebs from your mind! “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.” (John 6:53-58).
Posted on: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 20:58:10 +0000
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