Some people might call reading, writing, and arithmetic the fundamentals, but when Jesus entered the classroom of history, he taught what matters most of all.
A pastor once had a man in his congregation who would, from time-to-time, approach him after the message and, with a twinkle in his eye, say, “Well, Pastor, as you got into your message today, the battery in my hearing aid died.”
This was code for, “I stopped listening when you hit on a topic (giving, holiness, humble service) that I did not want to hear.” Apparently, the man had a bad case of Intentional Selective Hearing (ISH). Sadly, he missed out on truth that would have made his life better and drawn him closer to the Savior.
Even in Jesus’ day the crowds, religious leaders, and sometimes the disciples themselves, suffered from this sickness. They would ignore or even reject what Jesus said.
Two thousand years later, the teaching of Jesus can still be so piercing, convicting, and painfully true that we intentionally, or unintentionally, shut it off. As his followers, we must resist the occasional bout of ISH and cling to every word of the Savor… even when those words challenge us to the core of our being.
Think of a time when you read something in the Bible, heard a sermon, or had God bring a truth to your heart that you initially felt like rejecting or disobeying. What helped you finally come to a place where you accepted or embraced that truth?
The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, page 155.
1. What are some of the dangers in trying to make the message of Jesus easier for people to understand? On the other hand, how can we avoid making it too complicated?
2. You might think that Jesus spoke in parables so everyone could understand, but the disciples, as well as the crowds, had a hard time understanding his meaning. Why did Jesus say he spoke in parables? (pg. 277) Why was this so?
3. How are genuine believers differentiated from unbelievers in the parable of the soils? What does each of the soil types represent? Can a “soil type” be changed?
4. The Sermon on the Mount opens with nine statements called “the Beatitudes,” from the Latin word for “blessings.” How does someone gain these blessed qualities? (Hint: See Romans 3: 21 – 23).
5. John the Baptist languished in prison until he was finally executed. Faithful believers are persecuted around the world in greater numbers today than ever before. How could Christians support the persecuted church around the world? Check out www.persecution.org. This website provides accurate details about the persecution of Christians throughout the world.
6. What lessons of faith and courage can be gleaned from the account of Peter walking on water (pg. 288)?
7. Identify two or three ways the crowds misunderstood Jesus’ description of their need for eternal life (pgs. 288 – 290). How is Jesus’ message (John 6:29, 35, and 47) different from most people’s idea of salvation?
ReplyDeletePoint to ponder…
Some people might call reading, writing, and arithmetic the fundamentals, but when Jesus entered the classroom of history, he taught what matters most of all.
A pastor once had a man in his congregation who would, from time-to-time, approach him after the message and, with a twinkle in his eye, say, “Well, Pastor, as you got into your message today, the battery in my hearing aid died.”
This was code for, “I stopped listening when you hit on a topic (giving, holiness, humble service) that I did not want to hear.” Apparently, the man had a bad case of Intentional Selective Hearing (ISH). Sadly, he missed out on truth that would have made his life better and drawn him closer to the Savior.
Even in Jesus’ day the crowds, religious leaders, and sometimes the disciples themselves, suffered from this sickness. They would ignore or even reject what Jesus said.
Two thousand years later, the teaching of Jesus can still be so piercing, convicting, and painfully true that we intentionally, or unintentionally, shut it off. As his followers, we must resist the occasional bout of ISH and cling to every word of the Savor… even when those words challenge us to the core of our being.
Think of a time when you read something in the Bible, heard a sermon, or had God bring a truth to your heart that you initially felt like rejecting or disobeying. What helped you finally come to a place where you accepted or embraced that truth?
The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, page 155.
ReplyDeleteQuestions to consider…
1. What are some of the dangers in trying to make the message of Jesus easier for people to understand? On the other hand, how can we avoid making it too complicated?
2. You might think that Jesus spoke in parables so everyone could understand, but the disciples, as well as the crowds, had a hard time understanding his meaning. Why did Jesus say he spoke in parables? (pg. 277) Why was this so?
3. How are genuine believers differentiated from unbelievers in the parable of the soils? What does each of the soil types represent? Can a “soil type” be changed?
4. The Sermon on the Mount opens with nine statements called “the Beatitudes,” from the Latin word for “blessings.” How does someone gain these blessed qualities? (Hint: See Romans 3: 21 – 23).
5. John the Baptist languished in prison until he was finally executed. Faithful believers are persecuted around the world in greater numbers today than ever before. How could Christians support the persecuted church around the world? Check out www.persecution.org. This website provides accurate details about the persecution of Christians throughout the world.
6. What lessons of faith and courage can be gleaned from the account of Peter walking on water (pg. 288)?
7. Identify two or three ways the crowds misunderstood Jesus’ description of their need for eternal life (pgs. 288 – 290). How is Jesus’ message (John 6:29, 35, and 47) different from most people’s idea of salvation?