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Do You Understand What You Are Reading?Acts
830
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Do you understand what you are reading?

• Acts 826-40, Philip joins the eunuch and asks
  the question.
• Philip begins with the passage and preaches Jesus
  to him
• The eunuch obeys the gospel

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Do you understand what you are reading?

• Are we incapable of understanding the word of God
  by ourselves?
• Can Gods word be understood?

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Gods Word Can be Understood

• Eph. 33-5
• Eph. 517
• 2 Tim. 215
• 1 Pet. 21-2

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We CANNOT understand His word

• He is the author of confusion
• The Bible is Irrelevant
• WE cannot know how to be saved
• WE cannot know how to please God!
• True unity cannot be achieved

IF
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HOW to understand what you are reading
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to understand Gods word

• Realize we CAN understand it! Eph. 517

How
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to understand Gods word

• Approach your study with proper motives

How
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to understand Gods word

• Improper motives
• To validate what you already believe
• With emotions over truth
• Appealing to human authority

How
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to understand Gods word

• Improper motives
• With apathy and indifference
• As a hobby

How
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to understand Gods word

• Proper motives
• To learn to fully please God
• Colossians 110
• 1 Thess. 24
• 1 Thess. 41-2

How
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to understand Gods word

• Proper motives
• To make sure your salvation
• 2 Pet. 110
• 1 John 513
• Eph. 117-18

How
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to understand Gods word

• Proper motives
• To be better equipped to teach others
• 1 Pet. 315
• Do we want to share our hope with others? Will
  we make sure we have the truth Jas. 31

How
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to understand Gods word

• Desire to learn!
• A craving to be right
• Matt. 56
• Matt. 1345-46 the pearl
• 2 Tim. 215
• 2 Pet. 110

How
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to understand Gods word

• Study! Study! Study!
• To consider or weigh the meaning. To put forth
  effort to understand and acquire accurate
  knowledge.

How
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to understand Gods word

• Study! Study! Study!
• There is a difference between reading and
  studying
• 2 Tim. 215
• Phil. 48 meditate on these things

How
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to understand Gods word

• Study! Study! Study!
• Acts 1711, search the scriptures daily
• Psalm 12, In His law he meditates day and night.

How
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to understand Gods word

• Study! Study! Study!
• Utilize resources word studies, concordances,
  cross-references, personal notes, commentaries,
  comparing versions, etc.

How
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to understand Gods word

• Respect its boundaries
• 1 Cor. 46 Rev. 2218-19
• Keep it in context
• Division occurs when we go beyond! (2 John 9)

How
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to understand Gods word

• Intend to obey!
• Matt. 2819-20
• 1 John 52-3
• Prov. 2323 Buy the truth and sell it not
• 1 Tim. 416 take heed

How
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to understand Gods word

• Accompany your study with prayer
• James 15
• Matt. 77-8

How
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Are all things easy to understand

• Are all things easy to understand?
• No! 2 Pet. 316 not impossible
• Bible study is NEVER exhausted!
• Some things we may never understand Deut. 2929

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What about the Eunuch?

• Sometimes we can learn from others, but weight it
  with what the Bible actually says Eph. 414,
  Acts 1711

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What about the Eunuch?

• With the Eunuch the New Testament not yet
  complete
• Inspired men delivered the message
• The prophecy had only recently been fulfilled.
  Not all knew about it!
• We HAVE the completed word Jude 3

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• Yes we CAN understand Gods word.
• Prov. 21-5
• Are you obeying God even in this?