6/7/08
Inquiring
Minds
“Inquiring minds want to
know”
What people are inquiring
about:
china earthquake/lakes about to flood the area
Barrack and Michelle’s fist bump
Thursday’s “Top Ten Searches” on Yahoo:
1. Kate Walsh
5. Swingtown
10.
Kobe Bryant
Natural part of our
humanness: spirit of inquiry
God has placed eternity in
our hearts
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put
eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God
does from beginning to end.” Ecclesiates
3:11
God is not too far from us
“I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.”
Proverbs 8:17
“And
you will seek Me and find Me,
when you search for Me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13
God is not afraid of our
questions, our skepticism, our doubts, our wonderings
He invites us to search His mind, in order to find
answers
To search God’s mind, we study the
Scriptures. Jesus said, “You search the
Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39
Examples of common questions:
Suffering
God is letting the world and the universe learn the
true nature of sin and doing things your own way.
Discrepancies
If you read the Bible, at face value, without a
preconceived bias for finding errors – you will find it to be a coherent,
consistent, and relatively easy-to-understand book. Yes, there are difficult
passages. Yes, there are verses that
appear to contradict each other. We must remember that the Bible was written by
approximately 40 different authors over a period of around 1500 years. Each
writer wrote from a different perspective, to a different audience, for a
different purpose. We should expect some differences! However, a difference is
not a contradiction or an error. It is only an error if there is absolutely no
conceivable manner in which the verses or passages can be reconciled. Even if
we do not have the answer right now, that does not mean the answer does not
exist. Many have found a supposed error in the Bible in relation to history or
geography only to find out that the Bible is correct once further
archaeological evidence is discovered.
At any rate—GO AHEAD AND SHARE YOUR CONCERN WITH A PARENT,
OR AN ELDER, OR A PASTOR, OR A GOOD FRIEND WHO IS A CHRISTIAN. WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE FROM SEARCHING THE
BIBLE FOR LOGICAL ANSWERS.
The devil wants to get us sidetracked by skepticism.
Definitions:
1. an attitude of doubt or a disposition to
incredulity either in general or toward a particular object
2. the method of
suspended judgment, systematic doubt, or criticism characteristic of skeptic
There is a good skepticism: Greek skeptikos, thoughtful, from skeptesthai
to look, consider………THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION
This is what God wants us to have. Thoughtful consideration, not systematic
doubt or criticism.
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the
LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson, They
shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18
Does God actually care
about my day, my thoughts?
“You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted
with all my ways.” Psalm 139:3
The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying:“ Yes, I have loved
you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Jeremiah
31:3
Why does it seem like God
wants to take away all my fun?
Nothing could be further from the truth! Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it
more abundantly.” John 10:10
How do I even know that
God is real, anyway?
How do I know He isn’t?
“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the
man who trusts in Him!” Psalm 34:8
How did inquiring minds
handle life back in the day?
What did they do with their questions?
Where did they go?
Enter, the Schools of the Prophets
School of nature, during
childhood
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes
are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” Romans 1:20
“The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows
His handiwork.
Day unto
day utters speech,
And night unto night
reveals knowledge.
There
is no speech nor language
Where their voice
is not heard.” Psalm 19:1-3
Schools of the prophets
established by Samuel. Initially two
schools: Ramah (where Samuel lived) and Kirjath-Jearim (where the ark was
located).
“By the command of God every
child was taught some trade, even though he was to be educated for holy
office.”
Chief subjects: law of God
(including instructions given to Moses), sacred history, sacred music, poetry.
Grand object of all study: to
learn the will of God and man’s duty toward Him.
(Not a bad mission statement for any
Plan of salvation in types
Faith in Lamb of God
Spirit of devotion
Duty of prayer
How to approach the Creator
How to exercise faith in God
How to understand and obey teachings of His Spirit
Study and application of Scripture
Music served a holy purpose:
to lift the thoughts to that which is pure, noble, and elevating
To awaken in the soul devotion and gratitude to God
Much different than today: glorifying of self
Satan uses music to entice young people to unite with world lovers
Satan uses music to lure the mind away from duty and the contemplation of eternal things
Contrast between schools of
the prophets and modern institutions of learning:
Modern Institutions
of Learning
Lack of proper restraint and judicious discipline
Ignorance of God’s Word
Superficial talk and mere sentimentalism passes for instruction in morals and religion
Schools of the
Prophets
The justice and mercy of God
The beauty of holiness
The sure reward of right-doing
The heinous character of sin and its terrible results
All missing from modern schools
Evil associates instruct the youth in ways of
crime, dissipation, and licentiousness
The true object of education
is to restore the image of God in the soul. In the beginning God created man in
His own likeness. He endowed him with noble qualities. His mind was well
balanced, and all the powers of his being were harmonious. But the Fall and its
effects have perverted these gifts. Sin has marred and well-nigh obliterated
the image of God in man. It was to restore this that the plan of salvation was
devised, and a life of probation was granted to man. To bring him back to the
perfection in which he was first created is the great object of life--the
object that underlies every other. It is the work of parents and teachers, in
the education of the youth, to co-operate with the divine purpose; and is so
doing they are "laborers together with God." 1 Corinthians 3:9.
Patriarchs and Prophets, 595
Our aim should not be to
promote ourselves or to be better than others.
Our aim should be to develop God’s gifts in us, to fulfill His purpose,
and to be like Him. It’s excellence for
the sake of God; not excellence to out-do someone else.
The challenge today: to
provide our young people with a well-rounded education that centers around God
and His Word.
This isn’t easy in a world
that is constantly pulling us away from the spiritual, and towards the carnal.
What Parents Can Do
1. When the children are
still young, have daily family devotions and go through The Bible Story series, little by little. This will give them a wonderful overview of
the plan of salvation, and they will be able to learn powerful lessons from the
Bible characters and their lives. When
you get through with volume 10, start over.
You should be able to go through the set several times over the early
years.
2. For teens, parents can
read daily from a teen devotional. These
are modern and practical, and they are good for the whole family actually.
3. Parents can also encourage
their children to adopt a daily Bible reading routine, as well as a prayer
lifestyle. A prayer lifestyle means
talking to God throughout the day, and letting the Holy Spirit guide you in
your choices to pray for certain people and situations.
4. Parents can utilize the
Book of Nature, and often take their children on walks, hikes, camping trips,
fishing outings, picnics, etc.
What Young People Can Do
1. Discipline yourself to hang
with God and His Word every day. It’s
not easy, because we have been conditioned to think that success is about
keeping busy and accomplishing things.
But true success flows out of a peaceful and calm beginning. Concentrate on your beginning, and the rest
will fall in line.
2. When a question comes to
mind, write it down, so you won’t forget it.
Then share it with your parents, so that together you can explore the
Bible and history and whatever else is needed to find answers. Believe it or not, you will actually grow
closer to the Lord by questioning and inquiring, as long as you are truly
wanting to know the truth. God will
always lead us into truth.
3. Pick your friends
CAREFULLY. They can make or break
you. They can help you be a better person,
a better disciple of Jesus, or they can pull you away from God and into the
grasp of Satan and sin.
4. Be a part of Eager
Beavers, Adventurers, and Pathfinders!
These clubs are fantastic, and they will not only give you lots of fun
and lasting memories growing up, but they will also help you to see how
practical and real God is. He is
interested in knot-tying, and building a fire, and identifying edible
plants. He is interested in helping you
to be the most hands-on, useful, well-rounded person you can be.
What the Church Can Do
1. It is the responsibility
of the church to provide plenty of opportunities for young people and young
believers to grow in their knowledge of God.
This is accomplished by a robust and well-thought-out
2. When a young person has a
question, church members should be interested along with the young person. It’s not so scary to say, “Well, I’m not too
sure, but I believe that if we put our heads together, we can probably find an
answer.” This kind of attitude on the
part of adults means a lot to young people.
We are students right along with them, aren’t we. We never stop growing in our understanding
and knowledge.
3. The church can also give
plenty of opportunities for young people to be actively a part of the services
of the church. Those of us who are older
can look back through the years, and remember giving a prayer, or reading a
Scripture, or singing a song, or signing a song, or telling a story. It helped to root us in the faith, and in the
life of the church. It made us feel like
we were needed, and that we were contributing something.
May we always have inquiring minds, which long to understand and look deeply into the things that pertain to life and godliness; the things of God.