The link to the full sermon transcript is here.
I would like to just point out in brief the four points which John Piper answered, which are:
- Desperation (A sense of utter dependence on God's enablement)
- Supplication (Prayer to God for help)
- Cogitation (Thinking hard about Biblical texts)
- Education (Training young people and adults to pray earnestly, read well and think hard)
The first two points are about reliance on God to provide and grant us the wisdom to understand the Holy Scriptures, and indeed we who are lacking in His wisdom need His divine help to open our ears and eyes to His Word and understand how God wants us to live our lives through understanding of His Word - for the Bible and the Bible alone is our sole confirmed source of God's Word and commands to us. So, let us in our daily reading of the Bible not be fearful of hard texts, but pray with thanksgiving and all earnesty that God will grant us the wisdom to understand His Words.
The last two points, however, are about our human efforts to seek God and His Wisdom, which is a necessity in our Christian life. In 2 Timothy 2:7, Paul instructs Timothy to think about what Paul said to him in the letters, "Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this." So, in order for us to have insight into Scriptures, we must reflect on the verses, particularly those which we find hard to understand, and also look up commentaries, listen to sermons etc. to give ourselves a more complete and holistic view on the text.
And perhaps, most importantly of all, education. This is especially important as in the Abrahamic covenant, God said to Israel through Moses, "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites." (Exodus 19:5-6)
And if indeed we strive to be, as what was told in the great commission:
'Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."' Matthew 28:18-20
So, we must be educate in our understanding of the Scriptures so that we may teach one another, and not just understand how we can apply it to our own lives.
And that, is my prayer for not just myself, but for all my brothers and sisters in Christ, that we shall never falter in our endeavour to continue learning the Scriptures, and become in our daily lives teachers of it too - brothers and sisters to one another in love, parents (some day we will be) to children (very important!), and also in our evangelical efforts.
On this note, I will be leaving for the CF December Bible Retreat in a couple of hours time, so do pray that it will be a great time of learning and fellowship for everyone.
