Living by the Book/Living by the Book Workbook Set (59 page)

Nothing motivates like the thrill of sharing a discovery with a group, and having someone cry, “Hey, that’s fantastic. Did anybody else see that?” Pretty soon the person’s back with more. He’s out of his gourd with excitement and enthusiasm. He’s also stimulating others to find things in the Word.

Another value of small group discussion is that it allows for participation and involvement. That’s what excites me about small classes. I do teach seminary classes of a hundred or two hundred students. But frankly, I prefer to sit
down at a table with about six or eight students and really get into a passage. That way, everybody can get into the act; everybody can profit from the process.

That kind of learning is less threatening. In a large group, some of the people who have the best things to contribute will never say anything because the size of the group intimidates them. But get them in a small group where they feel comfortable, and they’ll take off.

And by the way, whoever decreed that Bible study groups have to be segmented by age and/or demographics? In the average church, the teens meet at one place, the young marrieds meet somewhere else, the middle-aged men get together for breakfast, the women meet over coffee, the seniors have their own sort of club, and so on. Why? Yes, I can see the rationale of putting people together who share similar life issues. But when it comes to the study of God’s Word,
every
student has something to contribute. If we only stay with our “own kind,” we’re liable to miss some perspectives that we sorely need.

You see, some of us older folks could stand to be around the enthusiasm of a person in her twenties who is really coming to grips with what the Bible has to say on some topic. In fact, her zeal may at times make us uncomfortable— and that might not be a bad thing. Likewise, a college student or young married couple could benefit from participating in a Bible study with someone who has spent twenty, thirty, or even forty or more years in Scripture. That person’s seasoned awareness of the depth of God’s Word may be just the corrective that is needed when the group is struggling with the interpretation of a passage.

So what is the ideal size for a study group? I think it works best at about six to eight. If you get six people, and you think that’s too large, break it in half for part of the discussion. Then come together and pool your discoveries.

What happens if you can’t find six participants? Then start with what you’ve got. Have you got one other person? Two people? Start with them. Are you married? Start a study with your spouse. Start one with your family. Some of the best times you’ll ever have with your family will come from a joint study of the Bible.

That’s been true for me. Without question, the best Bible study I ever have is the study I have with my wife, Jeanne. We select a passage. We study it separately. Then we come together to share the results. That gets rich. Sometimes she tells me what she’s found, and I begin to think, Good night, I wonder if I’ve ever read that passage. She has profound insights.

Small group Bible study can be incredibly profitable. But the key is always the leader. As with any team setting, good Bible studies are the result of good leadership. If you are the leader, let me give you one suggestion: Don’t be afraid of the hard question.

I was in a class studying Mark, and a lady suddenly asked, “How many gods are there?” You see, we had talked about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and she was confused.

Can you imagine what would happen in the average church if someone stood up and asked that question? I’ll tell you what we did—we made a hero out of her. “Fantastic, Marge. Run that question by us again.” You see, here was a lady who was really coming to grips with the issues.

What happens when you can’t answer a question like that? Simple: you tell the person, “I don’t know.” You’ll never lose face that way.

The greatest professor I ever had, a man brilliant beyond words, was asked a very difficult question, one that he couldn’t answer. So he said to the student, “Young man, that is one of the most perceptive questions I have ever been asked. My answer would be very superficial if I gave it to you now. So I will do some thinking and come back with an answer. Any other questions like that?”

I tell you, that man’s stature soared in our opinion, because we had all had professors (just as you have) who replied to the hard question, “Well, inasmuch as . . . whereas . . . wherefore . . . consequently. . . .”And we knew they didn’t know the answer.

You never lose face by telling people, “I don’t know. But I’ll try to find out.” Write it down and work on it later. And encourage the rest of the group to come up with more good questions.

There are five words you can write over the process presented in this book: “Use me or lose me.” The best way to keep what you’ve learned through this material is to give it away. If it has meant anything to you, then it’s too good to keep. You’re in debt. You’ve got to share it with someone else. And nothing is more exciting than getting others into the Word for themselves.

There are a couple of ways to share the fruit of your Bible study. First, you can share it by teaching. It may be a Sunday school class, a child-evangelism class, or a home Bible study.

Perhaps you should think in terms of a Bible study where you work. Maybe you’re a lawyer or a doctor or in the business world. Why don’t you get a group of lawyers or doctors or businesspeople together and tell them, “We’re going to set up a little Bible study every Wednesday at noon. Bring your lunch, and we’ll study the Bible. Just the text. We’re not talking about religion, or controversial things, or politics. We’re just going to talk about the Scriptures. What does the Bible say?”

Another way to share your results—really the ultimate way—is by living them. The greatest impact you will ever make on other people will come from a changed life. Impression without expression equals depression.

Walt Disney was one of the creative geniuses of the twentieth century. After he died, a cartoon appeared in the
Dallas Morning News.
It was quite simple: close-ups of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, crying. There was no caption. Words were unnecessary. The cartoon alone said everything.

What about you? Does your life tell others everything they need to know about your commitment to Christ and your values and beliefs? I think the great need among God’s people today is to get into Scripture for themselves. And because they are not doing so, they are losing the fizz in their spiritual life. They are flat and lukewarm. Nothing is more repulsive. People are weary of words, but they are starving for authenticity.

As the late Senate chaplain Richard Halverson said, “People are not particularly interested in our ideas; they are interested in our experiences. They are not searching for theories but for convictions. They want to penetrate our rhetoric in order to discover the reality of our lives.”

In Ezra 7:10 we have a model of the value of personal Bible study. The text reads, “For Ezra had set his heart [to do three things:] to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.” May his tribe increase.