20260121 Notetaking at Church 1 Timothy Wednesday Bible Study Dave Dickmann

First of all, we're supposed to start first Samuel

today but I think this may take longer on the

note -taking side than We probably will not get

the first so we'll use this as a I'm sorry Okay,

so we are talking about note -keeping. So who

knows where the text for that message will come

from? 1st Timothy, so turn to 1st Timothy if

you would. By way of introduction, we will say

this, that there is one authority in the church.

Who is that? Jesus Christ. And he has... Seen

fit to make his will known by leaving us what?

The Bible and he has further seen fit then to

have that Bible be taught in his church by Faithful

men gifted by him to teach that word and Expound

it and apply it so when we're talking about notekeeping

The purpose of note -keeping is what? To aid

in our learning and retaining the Word. Every

activity of the Church, our note -keeping is

what? Word -centric. There's nothing that is

more important in the life of the Church than

the Bible. And so whatever note -keeping we do,

we ought to have that in mind. that it has to

be focused on the Word if it's to have any spiritual

value whatsoever. There's nothing that has spiritual

value that is outside of the Word of God. And

so I went to Timothy because Paul is telling

Timothy then to establish certain traditions

and certain activities to set things up in the

church so that it would be conducive to that

taught word. So we're not going to obviously

go through the entire book of 1st Timothy. We

are going to focus on two areas if we're going

to take good notes or if we're going to glean

from the word without taking notes. There's two

things that Timothy is instructed by Paul to

establish in the church. In other words, for

everyone in the church to do if that word is

going to be effective in God's in the lives of

God's people. And then Paul goes to great lengths

in Timothy to tell us what it is that he anticipates

will be taught and what the goal is of the things

taught in the church. In other words, this is

what you're going to teach. And if you teach

it well, this will be the outcome of that taught

word. So let's look. We're not going to read

the whole, even the first chapter, but we are

going to start in verse three. as I besought

thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went into

Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that

they teach no other doctrine." Okay, so there's

the first thing. Now, the first thing that Paul

instructs Timothy to do when he's setting out

these elders, these men, is that they teach no

other doctrine. Now, presumably that's what?

The doctrine that Timothy has been taught by

Paul, and Paul has received from... Jesus. But

we don't really know that but we will know that

here shortly. Neither give heed to fables and

endless genealogies which minister questions,

rather godly edifying which is in faith. So then

what's that contrast that's going on there? How

is this doctrine going to be taught? Well one

of the things that it's going to be is clear.

When you minister these genealogies, at the end

you have what? All kinds of questions. So Paul

anticipates that this sound doctrine that he's

going to teach in the churches is going to be

clear and it's going to lead what? It's going

to lead to a greater faith. It's going to be

delivered in faith and it's going to be received

in faith and it's going to encourage faith. Now

the end of the commandment is charity out of

a pure heart and a good conscience and a faith

unfamed Now there there is a good definition

of what is going to be taught in the church.

What's it? What's it going to do? The teaching

in the church is going to result in what? Love

is going to be in abundance in the church Devoted

to God a heart that is in love with God and cares

for his people that wants to hear the instruction

From God and then that word that a doctrine that

is taught is going to result in what in God's

people a clear conscience These people are going

to know God so well They're going to understand

God's will for their life and they're going to

put that into practice that they're going to

have clear consciences so The third thing then

is a faith on faith. So when this doctrine goes

forth, when this teaching goes forth from God's

men, it's going to result in what? In God's people.

It's going to establish their faith firm. They're

going to know what they believe. It's going to

enable them to exercise that faith as they apply

that doctrine and their faith is going to grow.

Now that's the inevitable result of the proper

teaching of God's Word in the church. If that's

not the result, then there's a problem on one

side or the other. In order for that to happen,

what is required? Who is required? The Holy Spirit.

So both in the teaching of the Word and in the

receiving of the Word, the Holy Spirit is required.

It's a spiritual exercise that goes forth. The

man of God receives the word from God through

the leading of the Holy Spirit. And by the Spirit's

power, he delivers that word to God's people,

having received it himself first. So the teaching

doesn't go forth first to the people. First it

goes forth to the person teaching. Then it goes

forth to the people. And the people are presumably

prepared by the Holy Spirit and enabled by the

Holy Spirit to receive that word. But that word

that they receive is not a word, it's not my

word. So if it's my word, where does it belong?

In the trash heap of history. We just throw it

out. We don't need it. God's people don't need

Dave Dickman's word any more than they need Tim

Dickman's word or Mike Dickman's word or Carol

Murray's word. What they need is a word from

their master, from their authority, from their

God. And that word... delivered through his servants

is effective in their lives. All right. So that

that hopefully that will cement in our minds

that what we're doing when we're taking notes

is we're trying to discern the word of God. Now

there is and and since it's a spiritual exercise

enabled by the Holy Spirit, it should not be

surprising to any of us that one person hears

one thing in a sermon clearly emphasized and

just exactly what they need. And another person

hears something else entirely different and emphasized

because of a need in their life. Sometimes I

preach or I teach and I feel like it was a waste

of my time. I just feel like I didn't have my

thoughts organized nearly as well as I wish I

would have. I didn't emphasize the things I thought

I was going to emphasize Saturday when I was

in preparation. And the word is received and

people say, oh, that was great. Other times I

think boy I nailed it. I think I had everything

organized and crickets is the response now the

only explanation for that is that the Holy Spirit

is at work and What he intends for everyone to

hear is Exactly what each person needs and so

when you're taking notes then that's what you're

taking notes on You're taking what's being taught

and how does this change my perspective? How

does this apply to my life? How do I need this

and how is this going to help me? But if you're

going to listen and be able to take notes well,

what has to happen ahead of time? You thought

you were coming here and I was just going to

give you a mechanical lesson on how to take notes.

Hopefully nobody really thought that. And what

does that look like? What? Okay, so in first

Timothy three, no, three, two. First Timothy

two, turn to the next chapter. Verse one, I exhort

therefore that first of all, supplications, prayer,

intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for

all men. Then in verse eight, I will therefore

that men pray everywhere. lifting up holy hands

without wrath and doubting. Now, that is an exercise

that is a discipline in the life of the church

for what purpose? So that the word can go forth

and be received. If you think you're going to

come in here and take effective notes and you're

going to be able to hear what God is saying to

you, But you haven't bothered to dedicate the

time in your life to ask the Lord for a word.

To ask the Lord to give that word to the person

who's speaking. If you haven't asked the Lord

to give you ears, spiritual ears, and a spiritual

heart to receive that word, then don't expect

to take effective notes. Don't expect to hear

from the Lord. It's really as simple as that.

Paul lays it out. If the word is going to go

forth, and if it's going to have its... Desire

effect in the lives of the people the people

are going to have to do what? pray Believing

Do you pray that the Lord would have a word for

you is that the burden of your heart throughout

the week Do you pray that the Lord would have

a word for everybody else that's here? If you

don't then don't be surprised when you come in

here you're frustrated with your note -taking

Don't be surprised if you come in here and you

leave and you think, I was just a bunch of words.

I didn't understand it. I didn't understand the

application. It doesn't meet any need of my heart

or in my life. Nothing really went on. Well,

the first question to ask ourselves is, did I

pray? Paul apparently thinks it's fairly important.

Now, what's the other thing that he gives instruction

to the people to do to prepare for to receive

the word? Turn over to chapter 5. Now there's

all kinds of instruction, we're skipping over,

inside the church. Most of it is given to the

elders of how to conduct things. These two though,

he instructs for everybody in the church to do.

Verse 17, let the elders that rule well be counted

worthy of double honor, especially, or namely,

they who labor in the word and doctrine. For

the scripture says, Thou shalt not muzzle the

ox that treadeth out the corn, and the laborer

is worthy of his reward. This is a side note,

but do you know where that second quote is from?

The laborer is worthy of his reward. Now what

would that lead you to believe? Paul says that's

scripture. So one of two things had to go on.

Either the book of Luke was already written,

the gospel of Luke was written down, or Paul

knew that Jesus had said this and that it was

written down by someone and that that was the

very word of God and it was going to be written

down and preserved by God and used in the church.

or it was already written down and already recognized

as Bible when Paul was writing this letter. Now

that's just, you can take either one of those

that you want, but Paul apparently thought that

the gospels written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and

John were scripture, equating it with, whereas

the first quote comes from the Old Testament.

So if you're ever trying to figure out how to

think about God's word and how things came to

be Bible, There's a key verse for you. Alright,

Paul tells the people to give. Now, is that an

important part of church life? Is that an important

part of Christian life? What does that have to

do with the ministry of the Word? Have you ever

thought, Paul just threw that in there for no

particular reason. Well, what is giving? How

is that related to the Word and why is it important

that the people that are teaching the Word are

supported by the people who are being taught

the Word? Let me just ask this. Is that a spiritual

activity? So is that as spiritual as the hymns

that we sing? Is that as spiritual as our prayer

life? Okay, so we're not we're not trying to

find a hierarchy of spiritual activity What we

are saying is that and what Paul says is that

our entire lives sacrificed to God. Everything

that we have and everything that we are is a

reasonable thing based upon what Christ has done

for us. And so giving is no less of a spiritual

exercise than anything else. It is first and

foremost then we would say it's worship. Was

it commanded by Jesus? We'll turn over to Matthew

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6. Verse 1, Take heed that ye do not

your alms before men, to be seen of them. Otherwise

ye have no reward of your father, which is in

heaven. There's a reward there. Therefore, when

thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet

before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues

and in the streets, that they may have glory

of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their

reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy

left hand know what thy right hand doeth. that

thine alms may be in secret, and thy father which

seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."

Now, if I was a televangelist, I might say, give

to me and God will give back to you ten times.

Send me a dollar, you'll for sure get a check

in the mail or you'll find the ten dollar bill

somewhere today. But what's the reward that God,

that Jesus has in mind there when he says, Give

your arms and expect something from the Lord.

What is that? Have you ever thought about that?

Does that have nothing? First of all, it's just

Jesus just kind of presumes and assumes that

this giving is going on He doesn't say if if

it fits with inside your budget or if you remember

on this week or that month or whatever else or

if you have some surplus Well, then He just says,

when you give, now who's He writing that to?

Let's not be like the Jehovah Witnesses. Who's

He writing that to? To every one of His people.

All of us. It's written to you and it's written

to me. It's a personal teaching from Jesus to

you and to me. This giving is going to go on.

What's the reward? Okay? So it's going to increase

faith. You're going to experience the provision

of God through your giving. Especially what?

When you give more than what you're comfortable

giving. Now I'm not telling you that you ought

to... Whatever the paycheck comes in, you just

turn it all over to the church. I'm not saying

that at all. That's between you and the Lord.

But I guarantee you that whatever it is... If

you say we're going to give X number of dollars

a week or we're going to give this percentage

of every penny that comes into our house, whatever

it is, it's not going to be easy all the time.

And you'll be able to find an excuse without

any problem whatsoever that will seem very legitimate.

Has anyone ever experienced that before? So what's

the reward then? An increase in faith, is that

it? That's the entirety of the reward that we're

going to get from Jesus. Your teachers are taking

care of it. The people that are watching out

for you. What else? Which means what? Which is

going to lead to or enable what? Okay better

and more So that's so the so the question then

comes back to us have we taken that seriously

Do you expect to come in here and receive a word

from God Almighty? But you haven't devoted enough

of your life to support the work that goes on

Paul apparently thought that was ludicrous. That

that's the way fools would think. Now those are

the two things. So if you haven't been praying,

start praying. And if you haven't decided to

give, start giving. And you'll be amazed how

much easier it will be to take notes. You'll

be amazed at how much easier it is to hear from

your God. Remember that you don't have because

you don't ask. If you haven't asked for a word,

don't expect to get it. If you haven't said,

this is what's important to me and I want it

to keep on going and therefore I'm going to give

support for that word, then don't be surprised

if you don't get one. So do those two things.

So prayer before, giving, consistent, joyful,

respect. No, we talk about honor for the elders.

This is so hard. But it's for you. I mean, it's

real. It's there, right? It's in the Scriptures.

It's double honor. What does that mean? Undoubtedly,

it has to do with money. We've already talked

about that, but what's the other one? That only

gets us halfway there. Paul apparently had two

things in mind when he was talking about giving.

What's the other one? It expects that from all

of us. Okay, I've already given it to you. Those

who are keen of hearing would have heard. Respect,

honor, a certain decorum is expected between

the elders and the people. between the people

and themselves when we come to church. A certain

amount of honor is due. A certain amount of respect.

A certain way of conducting yourself that says,

this is important to me. That's what's expected

when you come into the house of God to hear from

God Almighty. That can be applied in all kinds

of different ways. throughout church history

been applied differently. But one thing that

is consistent throughout church history is that

it is a serious and it is an important part of

a Christian's life when he comes together in

the church. So however that is manifested both

to each of us here and to the world at large,

I will leave that to you to make a determination.

But if you haven't even thought about that, If

this to you is just like going to Walmart on

a Tuesday afternoon to pick up a carton of eggs,

then you're thinking about it all wrong. What's

perfectly acceptable and good and right when

you go to Walmart may or may not be good and

right and acceptable and respectful when you

come into the house of God. So you need to at

least think through that process and think, how

is it that I am going to show my respect for

the elder? for the person that's been preparing

and I is now teaching and most importantly before

God Almighty to whom I have requested that there

be a word for little old me all right enough

of the prayer and enough of the giving now I

have an acrostic for you the first one in my

life you need to come then quiet Come to the

meeting quiet. And so for the cue we have Quiescent

Q U I E S C E N T Which is characterized by an

absence of upheaval or discord so what does that

mean for you and for me in respect to our State

of being and our state of mind when we come here

to the church What is the absence of upheaval

or discord Because why Okay, we have peace with

God we have We are content with where God has

put us. That's the main emphasis that I want

to put here If you are not content with where

God has put you in life, and there is discord

there, that doesn't mean that you can't get that

straightened out when you come to church, and

hopefully there will be people there that will

help you. But if you're going to hear from God,

the first thing you need to do is be totally

and fully surrendered over to God and be content

with where he has you. That doesn't mean, now,

if there's sin in your life, that's gotta be

dealt with, undoubtedly. resentment or there

is worry. Those things have to be dealt with.

You have to come into the meeting place of God

with his people to hear from God quiet. The U

stands for undisturbed by regret or worry about

responsibilities or needs. In other words, I'm

coming in here and I'm undisturbed by what's

gone before in my life. That's gone on. It's

done. I've confessed those sins before the Lord.

I'm not concerned about what's going to happen

next week. I'm not concerned about what's going

to happen this afternoon. What I am concerned

about is the present, right now. The things that

are going to happen, I will leave to the Lord.

I'm not going to be caught up with worry. The

things that have gone on, I have done my best

to correct whatever wrongs I've done and I have

learned my lessons and going forward I won't

have, but I'm not going to be overtaken with

regret. Undisturbed by regret or worry. I, Q

-U -I, intentionally focused on God and undisturbable.

My focus when I come in and this is something

that we, now these are all things that you have

to do. These things don't happen. Are you content

with where God has you? You've got to think about

that. You've got to come to a conclusion. Are

you purposely saying I'm not going to be thinking

about the future and my settled position is that

I don't worry, but in this place I'm not even

going to think about the responsibilities that

I have in the week ahead. I'm not going to concern

myself with regrets about what's happened before.

I am coming in here and I am focusing all of

my attention on God and on His Word. Now, that

means that I'm not giving any... In other words,

what I'm saying is that I don't want to be in

any way distracted in my thinking. I don't want

to be in any way thinking about two different

things. I want to have my sole focus, my attention

is on the Lord. And no matter what happens around

me, I'm not going to allow that to disturb my

attention or to interrupt my focus on God. Things

happen, right? One of the things that happens,

I was talking to Dan tonight, is we heard the

static that came through the speaker. Now, is

that ideal? Who likes that? Let's see some raised

hands. Hey, none of us like it. Now the second

question is, is the amplification that goes out,

is that good for people? Well, it's good for

Joanne for sure. When Thelma comes back, she's

been asking for her for years, I'm going to assume

that it's good for her. And so then the rest

of us then, we should anticipate that occasionally

we're going to have some stag that comes through

there. And what are we going to do when that

happens? Well, we're going to jump up and down

and say, No, and not in our minds. We're going

to say, I expected that, but that's not going

to distract me from. That's not easy. Maybe somebody's

going to kick a cup over and we're going to hear

someone's security or what is it? Yeah, a security

Stanley cup. Do you anticipate that those types

of things may happen? Well, how am I going to

react when I hear that? Am I going to get a good

laugh out of it? Am I going to look around and

see who did that? No, I just know it's going

to happen. Unless it happens right next to me

and there's something for me to do, I'm not going

to concern myself with it. It's not going to

distract me. It's not going to interrupt the

train of thought that's going on. It's not going

to interrupt this interchange between teacher

and student. It's not going to interrupt the

line of communication between me and my God.

Somebody can kick a Stanley Cup across the room,

but my determination is that I'm not going to

allow that to affect if I hear God's Word from

me. Now, do we come into this place with that

kind of resolution? Every time the door opens,

do we all have to turn and see who's coming in?

Does it matter? Maybe it does. I'm not saying

that it doesn't. If you're expecting somebody

to come in, you're looking for them. What I'm

saying to you is every single thing that you

can set out of the way That gets in between you

and God say get it out of the way Anticipate

that things will be said that things will happen

outside of anyone's control or outside of anyone's

Potential control Undisputable I'm going to sit

in that way e q u i e Enjoying God's salvation

having sin confessed and I have pursued God in

the week before enjoying God's salvation, which

means I've confessed my sins and I have pursued

God in my personal life. If you want to profit

from the taught word, then you are going to be

a person that is enjoying God. You know Him.

You know yourself. And you bask in the glory

of this great salvation of God's that has been

given to you as a gift. And out of respect and

just out of... a good and a new heart that loves

God, we openly and eagerly confess our faults

and our sins before Him. We seek Him in our free

time. We seek Him in the time that we've set

aside to seek Him in prayer and in study and

in His Word. So if you're going to come into

the house of God to hear from Him, then you've

got to be enjoying his salvation. And then T

is obvious. What does T stand for? What? Trust.

I knew Carol would get it. Trusting in God the

Father's plan and provision. If you're not trusting

God to provide for you in every part of your

life, then don't be surprised that He doesn't

provide it for you. Has He promised to meet with

you? Has He promised to guide and direct His

church? Has He promised to make His will known?

Has He promised to make Himself known? Has He

promised that He will help you to understand

what's going on in the world? Has He promised

that He's going to help you understand what's

going on in your own heart? Yes, He's promised

you all those things. Do you trust His Word though?

Is His Word good enough? Or do you need His Word

plus the philosophers to help you get through

life? Do you need His Word plus the psychiatrist

to get through this life? Are you trusting in

God alone and His purpose and His plan? Are you

trusting in God the Son to speak? He spoke when

He was here in the world in the flesh and walking

on this earth. He still speaks today, doesn't

He? Are you trusting Him to speak? Or are you

trusting Me to speak? God forbid that you trust

in me. Your trust has got to be focused entirely

on the Son. God has said that this is the way

it's going to happen. So one of the exercises

that I do in my life is I try to thank people.

I'm not the best at it, admittedly. And probably

people here think, you didn't thank me enough.

And that may be true. But when I'm thanking someone,

who else am I thinking of when I'm thanking that

person? God Because it's God that put that person

in my life to do that thing for me or Whatever

good that's that has come to me through that

person. I'm thankful to God for that provision

Now if you put that if you'll just put that way

of thinking in your life at all times It will

help you tremendously. It will help you to see

God in places that you never imagined that he

was Someone does something nice to you in the

parking lot at let's go back in Walmart God put

that person there. That's a blessing from God

to you And then you're trusting in God the Holy

Ghost to enable the speaking and the hearing

and the applying of that word Trusting in all

three you're trusting in God. You're not trusting

in yourself Am I am I going to be able to be

smart enough to understand? Am I going to be

able to be? discerning enough or understanding

enough to apply that word? No. That's the answer.

No. Is the Holy Spirit going to make you ready

to receive that word and to understand what he

has for you? Absolutely. But if you're trusting

in yourself or again if you're trusting in the

teacher, well that teacher really he's got acrostics

every week. Now the teachers want to be better.

We'll just say, we want to be better. Tim wants

to be better. Dad wants to be better. It's hard

to teach an old dog new tricks. We all know that.

But there's still a little bit of hope that Dad

will get better. He wants to be better. I want

to be better. But whatever we have, what? It

will be sufficient because the God... will provide

to you what you need through us. And that should

be entirely humbling, both to you and to me,

that God is able to use me to help you in your

walk with Him. All right. There's my shot at

an acrostic. I don't know that I'll ever do it

again, but. Turn back in 1 Timothy. I believe

it's chapter 1. Yes. Okay, so he goes through

all these things. Teachers of the law, they think

they know, but they don't really know anything.

Then we get to the end of verse 10. And if there

be any other thing that is contrary to sound

doctrine, now there's sound doctrine again. And

then in verse 11, according to the glorious gospel

of the blessed God, which was committed to my

trust. So there we've got two things. We've got

the objective truth of the gospel, the objective

truth about who God is, and then we've got the

objective truth about everything that God has.

given to his church, the blessed God. So when

you're taking notes, those are the things that

you're looking for. Who is God? Has this teaching

given me a new perspective on who God is? Has

it enabled me to appreciate more of who God is

because of the way that it was presented? I never

saw God in that way before. I knew He was holy,

but I've never thought about Him in this terms.

When you hear that, then you write that down.

Your objective when you listen to someone preach

is not to be able to figure out what their outline

was. It's not really to figure out how many points

they had. It's not to figure out if there was

an A, a B, and a C in a subgroup number one and

number two. is to figure out what is the Lord

saying to you and what is He telling you about

Himself. Then what? He's going to tell you about

who you are. How do I view myself now in light

of this truth about God that I've just learned?

How does that make me feel about myself? How

does that make me discern myself? How do I know

myself better? And when you hear that, you're

going to write it down. Write it down. Sometimes

you hear a new way of expressing a concept that

you never thought of before. Sometimes it's totally

new. We're going to give out that book. What's

the name of it? How to... Leading Your Family

by Beeke. There's a phrase in there that he uses

which is... the illusion of intimacy. So, I don't

know how much time you've thought about social

media. Why is it so predominant in our society?

It's everywhere. There must be a perceived need

by most people that they believe is being filled

by social media, right? That's the only explanation.

That's the only explanation. That's why millions

of people are on however many different platforms

all involved in each other's lives over the internet

on these what we call social media and and the

reason is because it gives you the illusion of

intimacy It gives you the illusion of friendship

gives you the illusion of relationship All those

things are illusions the devil would love for

you to think that you have a relationship with

somebody halfway across the world because you

follow them on their Instagram account. But it's

not true. It's just an illusion. You don't know

that person at all. You know very little about

them and you know only what they want you to

know. But it fills that need for community. It

fills that need for friendship. But only in an

illusion. Now, I'd never heard that before. But

that's a very succinct way of saying exactly

what social media is, the illusion of intimacy.

When you hear something like that in a teaching,

write it down. I'd like to remember that. That

could be helpful to me the next time that I'm

thinking about this, that, or the other thing.

I've never heard somebody express the worship

of God in that type of a phrase. I'm going to

write that down. I'd like to remember that. Maybe

I can use it in my family. Maybe I can use it

in my prayers. Maybe I can use it in my discussions

at work. Whatever it is, the Lord has spoken

that. It seems especially fitting to me and it

helps me to understand what's going on. I'm going

to write it down. That's what you're looking

for. are the two aspects of any good teaching,

any spiritual teaching in the church. We have

first what? Objective truth. We know it's objective

truth because it comes to us from the Word, right?

So here is the doctrine of God's goodness laid

out. It comes from the Bible. It's taught according

to Scripture. What else do we have to have? What

does that mean for me, Dave? I've heard everything

that you've said. Have you ever been under someone's

preaching? For years, maybe. And they're just

teaching you words. Is there anything more frustrating

to a Christian than to leave a place and feel

like all that I know is the Greek word for love?

And I know what the cultural situation was back

in Ephesus at the time of Paul's writing this

letter. But I don't understand how am I supposed

to use this in my life. And nobody really cares

if you know Greek. And nobody really cares if

you're an expert on ancient Greek culture. The

church doesn't gather together for a Greek lesson.

or a cultural lesson, a history lesson. The church

gathers together for what? To hear the truth

of who God is and to understand then how is that

going to be applied in my life. When you hear

that on a Sunday morning, you write that down.

The Lord may speak to you while that's going

on. If God really is good, I... probably have

not been thinking about him the right way in

this part of my life. And you note that on your

notes. I've probably given too much of an emphasis

on this part of my life, but not nearly as much

emphasis over here as I ought to. I haven't even

considered this that I heard today. I'm going

to have to go home and consider how it is that

I'm going to work this into my daily life. That's

what I do when I take notes. Now you can do as

much more of that as you want. You want to try

to see, you want to try to understand what has

been taught and you've written all those things

down, you've written down the application of

those things, and you've written down the hymns

that were sung. Maybe you take a few notes on

a few parts of the prayer meeting that stood

out to you. Maybe you write down some of the

testimonies that were given. You go home and

you say, Can I discern the leading of the Spirit

in all of these things? Was it just random that

we sang these particular hymns? Somebody says,

well, I was thinking about this, I wanted to

sing that hymn. Well, is that a spiritual activity?

How is it that the opening ties together with

the Lord's Supper meditation and with the main

teaching of the day at the pulpit? Does it? How

does Wednesday night tie together with Sunday

morning? Can I pick and choose? Maybe I'll just

take Wednesday nights. Or does Wednesday night

make a whole lot more sense when I'm there on

Sunday morning? Does Sunday morning make a lot

more sense if I'm there on Wednesday night? Does

it go together? Does the Lord have a unified

message for all of His people? And if you only

hear for half of it, you're only getting half

the message. Now that's what I would say. Last

thing then. Last thing, and that is the part

of the preparation if you're going to take notes,

especially, well not even especially, if you're

going to take notes, if you're going to hear

from the Lord, is that you do at least a minimum

of reading the text before you get here. So it

only takes, now, I'm trying to be understanding

on Wednesday nights because we in the Old Testament,

we cover, you know, a few chapters. Maybe that's,

you know, I think you should be able to read

that without cramping your schedules. I don't

think that's asking too much. If you do, then

I'll give you a little bit of leeway that on

Wednesday nights. You don't want to read those

four or five chapters. I think you ought to do

it. I think the Lord will bless that and reward

that in your life. But on Sunday mornings, generally

speaking, if someone is preaching through a book,

you really only have to read six, seven, eight

verses. So if you wanted to read it in context,

you're reading one chapter. How long does it

take to read a chapter? Five minutes? Five minutes

we're talking about. If you haven't read, in

other words, the chapter in 1 Peter that Tim

is going to be preaching on on Sunday morning,

then you have cheated yourself out of the opportunity

to glean more from that from his teaching. Now

it may be difficult because Dad didn't tell us

where he was going in the Proverbs. That's okay.

It's not always possible. I didn't tell you I

was going to be teaching and using 1 Timothy.

So you couldn't read it. That's fine. I understand

that. But if I tell you that next week we're

going to be in First Samuel, I think it's reasonable

that I would expect, you know, you read a couple

chapters in First Samuel. Just what I think.

You want to be able to understand it better.

You want to be familiar with the passage. You

want to, you know, maybe there are a couple of

verses that you're like, I have no idea what's

being said there. That's the weirdest way to

say something that I've ever heard in my life.

That's okay. Then you're ready and you're prepared

and when you come in you can say what does this

mean? same thing in on the Sunday morning you

read it and you're thinking I Need some help

here, but at least I've got the groundwork done

at least I understand that I don't understand

it That's half the battle, right? Sometimes that's

a better place to be in than what you say. Well,

I know what that's saying So that's the focus

of your notes. A word from the Lord and a proper

application of it. The Lord speaks. He really

does speak to us. And if you don't believe that,

then give it a try. If you don't believe that

the Lord really speaks to you personally, then

take notes. Dedicate some time in your life for

prayer. dedicate a very little bit of time to

read the Word in preparation for the teaching.

Get your giving in order and then listen. The

Lord speaks to us. Is there anything sweeter

than that? Has anybody ever heard from the Lord

and thought, that was for me? In any place of

your life. Have we all heard that voice? Now

we all heard it when we came to repentance and

faith, right? There's no question about that.

That was how the relationship between you and

the Lord and me and the Lord started, was the

still small voice that said, I won't cry, that

said, Jesus is your savior. Do we expect then

that the rest of our life will be filled with

silence? That that's the only time in my life

that I'm ever going to perceive the voice of

God If that's the way that you think you're wrong

and I'm begging you Come prepared to hear it

is the sweetest most blessed thing in the world

to think that little old me From Hillsboro, Missouri

Who, when I'm dead, maybe my kids will remember

me, but in two or three generations, I'll be

nothing. Ask my kids what they think about my

Grandpa Dickman. They'll say, what do you think

about him, Hannah? Nothing. I don't think anything

about him. I know him only by what you've told

me. And so when she tells her daughter about

him, that's going to be, it's over. Hopefully

she'll have this vague appreciation for the history

of her family that's gone before, but nobody,

I'm a nobody. Maybe we'll have somebody here

that will be a somebody, I don't know. Somebody

in God's kingdom that I'll applaud. A star on

TikTok. I don't want to hear about it. Most of

us will go on to the next life and be forgotten.

But God has a word for you. You see, you're not

a nobody to Him. To Him, you are the person for

whom He sent His Son to suffer and to die in

order that you would be reconciled to Him. so

that you could live in this world as the new

creation. So that you could exercise dominion

in a way that honors God in every part of your

life where He's given you responsibilities. He's

got a word for you. And He's got help for you

as you try to do that. He answers the plea of

your heart to be loved. He answers the plea of

your heart that says I need some fellowship.

I need some friendship. I need some solid...

Unquestionable parts in my life. I've got to

have something to build on. He answers that from

His Word and in His teaching. And that's for

you. It's because He loves you. It's because

He cares about you. And He intends for everyone

in the whole world or everyone that knows you

to know that His grace is sufficient for you.

So bring your notepad to Wednesdays and to Sundays

and take notes in that way. Not so that you can

be a scholar on First Samuel. You won't be that

anyway. You can take as copious a note as you

want. That won't happen. But you will hear the

voice of God and then when you go back and you

look at it again later on, those things hopefully

will come to mind and be helpful. That's what

we're looking for. That's why Paul says it doesn't

matter. I didn't come to you in flowery words.

I didn't put together a speech that would be

recognized by Shakespeare as the most beautiful

things ever spoken in Greek, I suppose. Is that

what he spoke? Paul wasn't concerned about that.

He wasn't trying to accomplish that. You can

hear the voice of the Lord and the Lord can deliver

a message to you through anybody that he sees

fit. He wants to deliver a message to you from

a guy from Louisiana who speaks in this weird

Cajun accent that is almost, you know, it's hard

to hear and understand. And yet, and still, the

Lord uses that person to deliver a word to you.

Or you listen to Martin Lloyd -Jones, who is

logical and well put together, well thought out,

and delivers exactly the word that is organized

the way that we all wish we could organize our

thoughts, and the Lord can speak through that

to you. And anywhere in between those two, and

he has throughout church history, used those

people. Who's the greatest preacher alive today?

Don't know don't care But the preacher that God

has given to you is sufficient to deliver God's

word to you to fuel your heart and to instruct

your living and If you want more than that, then

you'll have to go somewhere else You'll have

to go to the Catholic Church or you'll have to

go listen to some Pentecostal guy talk about

the prosperity gospel try to explain to you how

there's only one God and Jesus wasn't really

God. You can get all kinds of stuff anywhere

else, but what you want is a word from God Almighty

for you and you're going to hear that from somewhere

in maybe not flowery language, but from a person

who is dedicated to the Word of God and to deliver

that and be used in your life for your benefit

and for God's Lord. And that ought to be enough

for us. Questions? You want to answer all your

note taking questions? I will, I'm serious, if

somebody's got a question real quick.