Transcripts for KLTT 670 AM/K236CQ 95.1 FM KLTT 670 AM/K236CQ 95.1 FM 20180805 130000

God. Whenever a nation groans under the burden of an incompetent political leader the people always take hope that someday there's going to be a change in a democracy the change comes at an election time but in a monarchy which is what most of the Old Testament is about it doesn't come until the death of the king It's only when the king dies that there's a new opportunity for change the only chance for relief is when the king dies that is why so many of them died when they weren't supposed to they got taken out by people who wanted to change. Surely the people who were living in Israel under the leadership of King Ahab were looking to the future with the hope that something better was in the wings you see have was a burden to his people he was an embarrassment to God to take the word of God it face value he was one of the most wicked men ever to walk on the earth he married a pagan princes by the name of jazz about well and the 2 of them sponsored the worship of a false god by the name of Bale because of their rebellion their nation suffered 3 and a half years of draw and misery and at the end of his time as king he led the nation into a disastrous military campaign against the Syrians and you can read about that in 1st Kings Chapter $22.00 finally a Habs wicked rule comes to an end in the most amazing an unusual way the Bible says that a faceless nameless Bowman shot an arrow into the air and the Arrow came down and lodged in the space between the harness of a Habs. Armor I didn't make that up I'd like to read it to you from the Scriptures so you know I didn't make it up. Now a certain man drew a bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians and he died at evening. When they have died I suppose everybody in Israel sighed a sigh of relief and thought now there's going to be a change in our government the next king has got to be better than the one we just had unfortunately that wasn't the case we read in 1st kings 22 a has I had the son of a had became king over Israel in some area and he rained 2 years over Israel and did evil in the side of the Lord and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother for he served bail and worshipped him and provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger according to all that his father had done this is one of those illustrations where the sins of the Father are extended to the children and the children's children this is called generational issue and there may be people here in this room who are you maybe you're the product of that maybe you grew up in a home that was addiction centered and now all of a sudden you struggle with that and you say well I can't help but you know that's the way my parents were maybe as I have said I can't help it that's way Mom and Dad were this is only thing I know this is what I learned you can't help it every once in awhile somebody in the generational cycle has to draw a line in the sand and say it's going no further than right here and as I had a chance to do that he did not do it. As I was a chip off the old block and the values and habits and patterns he saw in the life of his parents became his own habits he learned from his father and mother how to do evil in the sight of the Lord and how to serve and worship the false god Bale and his story reminds us of how easy it is for the dysfunction in our families to be handed down to our children and their children one of the great things about this is that in the Bible it also tells us that the grace of God extends not to 2 or 3 generations but the thousands of generations wherever there sin Grace always is better and growing up as a child I'm sure as I witnessed all that happened during the reign of his dad he experienced the great drop that others had seen he knew it was caused because of his parents' idolatry he heard stories perhaps he might even have been president Carmel when he called down fire from heaven and the prophets of bail were destroyed . And yet continued to walk in the evil ways of his parents. He was so captured by his culture and so into what he had learned to be comfortable with that he became deaf to the voice of God. And as he ascended to the throne. There were at least 3 things in his life that should have turned his attention back to the God of his real 1st there was the tragic death of his father and I mean they have died in an unusual death that came about exactly as Elijah had predicted and if you had heard the story of a Habs death you would have thought I while that's not normal for someone just to shoot an arrow in the sky a random arrow according to the scripture and find the only place on this man where he could do any damage the little space between the harness of his armor and it hits him and takes him out you might want to say you know something's going on here . Secondly his eyes should have learned from the defiance of Moab because if you read the story carefully 2nd Kings one tells us that as soon as they as I became the king Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of a have taken Kings Chapter one Verse one now why is that important it's important because Mohammed always been angry with Israel they were their enemies but during the reign of King Ahab he somehow kept them at bay when he died and they had sided became the king Moab rose up and they began to be active against the nation of Israel. And finally and this is the one that should really have settled it for him that maybe God was trying to get his attention he had a most unfortunate accident. And let me just read it to you because this is what it says in verse 2 of 2nd Kings one and his saya fell through the lattice of his upper room in some area and was injured he fell out of the window. Apparently in the house as they had little lattice in front of the window he leaned against it to are to me and the Bible doesn't tell us how far you fell whether it was a 2nd story or 3rd story what it does tell us was he earned himself big time. So his father get shot with an arrow that was randomly launched an enemy that hasn't done anything in a long time all of a sudden becomes active and the dear old boy falls out of the window. I mean. The narrative says that the fall lead to serious injury. That he has was in doubt as to whether he would recover from his injury and that it resulted in an intriguing series of events which I'm going to put under the heading of the abomination of the king. Here he is now the son of a have the newly crowned king verse 2 so a. Sent messengers and said to them go inquire of Bales' the bub and the God of whether or not I shall recover from this injury. A.S.I.O.'s sent messengers to the Philistines town of Akron to enquire of Bales he Bob if he would recover now Bales above means the Lord Of The Flies and it's possible that this god was some kind of local deity specializing in health and disease cures because flies bore disease and it seemed logical to call on The Lord Of The Flies to overcome disease and other physical ailments the Bible says in Leviticus give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits do not seek after them do not be defiled by them I am the Lord your God and again and the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits to prostitute himself with them I will set my face against that person and cut him off from is people. Now is a has I was sending his messengers to ech Ron to find out if he's going to get better from his injury and over here in this screen God is sending his messenger to Elijah. And the prophet is minding his own business I think Elijah was trying to retire if you want to know the truth how many of you know that's really hard a lot of people tell me it's hard I don't know because I haven't tried yet but I hear it's hard. And so when the angel of the Lord tapped him on the shoulder I don't think Elijah was looking for another assignment but he gave him one more Simon you read about this and I remember over here the messengers of a as I are going to ech Ron and over here is Elijah he's kind of cool and his jets and here's what we read but the angel of the Lord came to realize who the Tishbite and he said Arise go to meet the messengers of the King of some area and say to them is it because there is no God in Israel that you're going to inquire of Bales' about the God of Eck Ron Now therefore dust says the Lord you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up but you should surely die and you lied you departed. So here comes the messengers from a his idea here comes Elijah they have this little meeting and in that sense that I just has no need to go any further I'm going to tell you what's going to happen your boss is history. He's going to die. And sometimes before his eyes messengers reach tech Ron they meet Alija who told them that their king would die and apparently a lie just message caused the messenger so much fear they didn't go on with their journey they went back to the Royal Palace to convey to what had happened to them versus 5 through 8 and when the messengers returned to as I he said to them Why have you come back and they said to him a man came up to meet us and said to us Go tell the king who sent you and say to him this says the Lord is because there are no god in his or that you're sending to inquire Bales above the God of Eck around their voice You're not come down from the bed to which you have gone up but you show surely die. And I. Think and I bet I know who that was. And he said to them what kind of man was he who came up to meet you and told you these words. And they answered him he was a hairy man. Wearing a leather belt around his waist and they said I knew it it's a lodge of the Tishbite. A Zion the son of a have may not have had 1st hand exposure to logic but I bet his bedtime stories were about the trouble of Israel his father's number one enemy I'm sure before as I want to sleep one night they have said hey let me tell you about this guy I've been fighting with all these years let me tell you about Elijah. In his heart of hearts his eye a new. The rebuke of his life was from none other than Elijah the prophet now you would think I would make him a little sensitive to maybe there's something I can do to get back in the good graces with this prophet but we go from the abomination of a to the arrogance of him watch what he does then the king sent to him a captain of 50 with his 50 men so he went up to him and there he was sitting on the top of a hill and he spoke to him and said Man of God the King has said come down so anyway Alijah is sitting up on this hill meditating. Having a sandwich. You know just cool I mean that's kind of the picture I guess he's sort of in retirement he's up there on the top of the some people think you might even have been sitting on the top of Mount Carmel reviewing his victory up there that would be a cool thing to do when you're retiring. And they come to him and they see him up there and they're arrogant and they say man of God come down if you want you and you lied you answered and said to the captain of 50 if I am a man of God then let's fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 min and fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50. Whoa oh. You don't realize he was a prophet of fire and he had called down fire on Mount Carmel and now he calls down fire on a delegation of men who are doubting his credentials as a prophet of God. So the word gets back to a his saya of what happened. And. He said to live another captain of 50 with his 50 men how would you like to been in that detail. And he answered and said to him man of God This has the king said and he adds an extra word a little more intensity in this guy he says man of God the King has said come down quickly. And we would say it this way look we sent some other guys up here once and you didn't listen I've come back to tell you they came want you to come down right now. So I just answered and said to them if I am a man of God let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 men and a Fire God came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50. And the Bible says in verse 13 that the 3rd captain of 50 went and he came and he's been taken good notes on what's happened so far. And he fell on his knees before he lies your head he pleaded with him and he said to him man of God He's already believing now this lies is the man of God That's not an issue anymore man of God please let my life and the life of these 50 servants of yours be precious in your sight look fire has you come down from heaven and burned up the 1st 2 captains of fifties with their fifties but let my life now be precious in your sight and in 1st 15 we read and the angel of the Lord said to Elijah go down with him Do not be afraid of him so he arose and went down with him to the king now lodge is going to have the chance to tell the king what he's already told 102 people. He's going to tell it to him face to face and that brings us to be annihilation of a has. Here's the interesting thing in life you wonder fraid of anything when you're in the power of God and you know God's power is in your life you don't have to be afraid. So he lives he walked right into the presence of wicked a has delivered this message from Almighty God and he said to him verse 16 thus says the Lord because you have sent messengers to enquire of bales above the God of Akron is it because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up but you shall surely die . And finally it is face to face with a his and he asks him why do you want to consult with a dead god a meaningless idle when the Living God of Israel is available is it because he said sarcastically there isn't any God in the Israel that you have to go off to crown and consult with the God of the Flies. And if you remember when he lied you had confronted his eyes Father Ahab a have repented and God granted a have more time to live. Isn't it interesting that as I learned every lesson from his parents but that one there's no record today as I even repented. And it's too late for a. And he dies and unrepentant and lonely man for 17 says a as I had died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. His fall ended in his death but his demise was due to his arrogant disbelief and he is on willingness to change what his parents had taught him. Now that's a story and you say what does that have to do with us so want to tell you what I've learned from this and therefore takeaways number one this story tells us how God warns us to stop and reflect on all that happened in a as Eyes life his father dies in a strange accident suddenly a nation that had been friendly rebels against him and one day he's Minding his own business and he falls out of a window and almost kills himself. And when a series of events like that happens you might want to stop and say it Lord is there anything you want me to know. Sometimes the biggest problem that God has with all of us is trying to get our attention. God was trying to get his eyes attention but the king was not willing to listen in fact these events did nothing more than harden his heart and make him more rebellious. How God warns us 2nd thing is how God was us. Listen what kind of a God sends fire down to consume a 100 men I'm sure that's in your head if you're not to from a with the old test were saying man I'm not sure I want to listen to this this is a story about some prophet who kills 102 people with fire that falls from heaven what kind of a god does this so I want you to turn in your Bible to the New Testament and I want you to turn to the Gospel of Luke. And I want to answer that question here you will find a story that also takes place in some area the very same place where Elijah called on fire on a has I as soldiers the same place let me set the context for this New Testament story listen carefully it's at the end of our Lord's Galilean ministry he's turned his direction toward Jerusalem the city where he's going to be rejected and where he would ultimately suffer and die but instead of taking the route around some area as most of the Jews would have done in his day Jesus decided to walk south through some area no Here's what he does he sends messengers ahead to make lodging reservations. So he should be able to go into the Samarian area find a village and have a place to stay but when these Samaritans realize that Jesus was heading for Jerusalem's Temple they did not show Jesus any hospitality and they wouldn't let him come through their village and when Jesus' disciples heard this they were not very happy and so we read in Luke 954 these words and when his disciples James and John saw that Jesus was being treated this respectfully they said Lord do you want us to come and fire to come down from heaven and consume them like Elijah did. It read The Old Testament. Listen to Jesus response but Jesus turned and rebuke them and he said you do not know what manner of spirit you are of for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them and they went to another village when Jesus Christ went to the cross and paid the penalty for our sin the fire came down on all. That we have ever done wrong or will ever do wrong and Jesus introduced at that day the age of grace today God's method for dealing with rebellion is not to send down fire from heaven but the send the love of Jesus Christ into the heart of the rebels. Listen to these words from the Apostle Paul do you despise the riches of His goodness forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance. There is coming a day according to the Scripture when the all Testament way will return how many of you know the Bible teaches that when the 7 years of tribulation happens in the future it's going to be an awful lot like the Old Testament was in those 7 years fire will fall from heaven again. But here's the good news brothers and sisters we live in the parentheses between what's in the Old Testament and what's coming in the tribulation we live in the age of grace and in this age the fire that falls is the fire of God's love that penetrates our hearts and blazes within us until we can't stand it any longer and we have to respond to the love of God. Thank God we live in this age I hear people say all the time I wish I lived in the good old days frankly I'm glad to be living in these days who knows what the good old days were I'm not sure there is such a thing what I want to tell you is we live in the greatest time of opportunity the greatest time of grace God says with his grace he will with his love. And here's the 3rd thing. How God warns us. We learn that in this story we learn how God was us and then how God wins us. Some 800 years after Alija delivered his message to a has. There was another faithful messengers who came from God he was Jesus Christ God's own Son and he was worthy of the reverence and devotion of all people yet what happened to him they hung him on a cross and no fire came down from heaven to rescue him. In fact isn't it interesting Elijah is mentioned in that narrative in Matthew 27 it says some of those who stood there when they heard Jesus' words said this man is calling for Elijah and immediately one of them ran and took a sponge and filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed and offered it to Jesus to drink and the rest of them said Listen to this let him alone let us see if Elijah will come and save him. And I'm here to tell you he lied you did not come to save him. If you lied you had saved him we all would be lost. But he paid full penalty he humbled himself he endured the fiery indignation of God so that we might have life and where pride remains strong and people will not reverence and worship Jesus Christ there remains only a fearful expectation of judgment we know him. And we know that he loved us enough never to be rescued I think of the story of Abraham and Isaac when Abraham's about to plunge the dagger into the heart of his son the Bible says the hand of Abraham was stopped and he was told there was a ram caught in the thicket picture that story and let Abraham be God the Father and let his son Isaac be Jesus. Here's Jesus on the cross and here's the Father in Heaven with the dagger. And nobody held him back. The full penalty the full price the fire from heaven fell on Jesus completely he's suffered it all we can't even comprehend it I don't even know how to explain it he was the infinite Son of God suffering the infinite penalty for the infinite sin of the world. But he lied didn't save him. Elijah didn't call down fire. Wasn't the savior of Jesus Jesus who was the savior of Elijah. Finally. I read this application. Of this story. It's like nothing I've ever read before. With the tip of his finger God flung the skies of the galaxies and the oceans and the continents into existence each declaring in its own way the wisdom and beauty of the Creator. In his final act he made something special something that would bring more glory to himself and all that had gone before it he created a man and a woman and he put them in his image in the garden but he did something very unusual before ending his work on his masterpiece he handed this new man and this woman the paint brush and asked them to add the final stroke to his creation to paint in who they thought deserved to be at the center. Why would God do that because God knows what every person who's ever been in love knows that love is only genuine when the person you love freely chooses to love you back. How many of you know it's a lot more fun to report to one person than to many. And one of the problems being a pastor is that a lot of times people in the church think you work for them each and every individual one of them it's a very comforting thing for me to know that my boss is in heaven he's God I have a one employer Almighty God I want to be faithful to all of us. But that's what it's about that's the simplicity of the Christian life getting it all down to you realize I'm responsible to one person and that's Almighty God in heaven let me tell you what I've learned about that you please Him you please the people that count. But if you try to live your life to get your response back from the people that you're with if you're always trying to get the a claim of people around you you will live a frustrated stressful life that will send you to your grave early how blessed it is to know. The God. Who is one. And the God who was at the center. Made the Holy Spirit had his blessing for the teaching of his word. We hope you enjoyed today's turning point weekend edition Oh this is David Jeremiah was turning point meet me here to study the Bible together and find help and encouragement to navigate the road of life with all of its twists and turns turning point week to morning says 730 on the mighty 670 k. L.t. . Worldwide it's 670 Kayleigh t.t. Dot com and all over Colorado in digital h.d. On a m 670 calle t t comers it in. The low Denver high in the future held for him but I'm the featured a look at every week we host the Phil Graham like no other what else do you go to hear the buzz about school officials pastor no holds barred the questions about anything and everything including all of the divisive issues that the better the true face for centuries so says every Sunday morning right. Here in the kitchen the preacher and Kal teaching ember full circle is a angle. Hi this is Jay web of international gospel hour since 1934 Churches of Christ have proclaimed God's word through international Gospel Hour please stay tuned for another lesson on this program by Jody Apple are you listening Outland am thank you Jane and thank you for tuning into Are you listening it's August 2018 and that means that international Gospel Hour will be answering your questions on month long before we get started with today's broadcast days reminders our programs are always freely available at international Gospel Hour dot com for questions comments or requests you can reach us by phone at 1855 I g h 6988 through the contact form at our website international Gospel Hour dot com or Facebook dot com forward slash international gospel by mail at international gospel our post-office box of wine 18 Fayetteville Tennessee 37334 through Twitter at twitter dot com forward slash Jody Apple you can also e-mail free at j h Radio dot com to receive an auto reply with links to all of our free resources if you have a question that you want us to answer this month you can submit it through the toll free number and the contact form information that we just gave or you can e-mail it to. Asked at on i t h Radio dot com You can also send written questions directly to me Jody Apple Post-office Box 355 The long ago Ga 30533 what questions might you ask that's easy ask whatever questions that you have we will do our best to answer them as biblically as possible let's get into today's study 1st let me tell you about what we have done to promote our questions and answers for August and the response that that promotion has generated at last count 17697 people have viewed our recent Facebook post promoting August programs 1120 people have either a white or love that post 1037 clicked through to raid and to see more of the post being the photo and so forth 267 shared the post on their own Facebook pages 38 made comments of some kind about the post and many questions were generated either through Facebook messaging toll free phone calls our contact form and so forth that original post read as follows ask your question I g. H. Q. And a starts in August questions are a valuable way to teach biblical truths the Bible contains some 3244 questions 1003 of them in the New Testament with 616 in the Gospel accounts alone each question and its answer tells us something that God wants us to know because we believe that asking and answering questions will always be a great way to learn all. International gospel hours radio broadcasts in August 2018 will be devoted to answering your questions help us make this the best series of studies possible by submitting your Bible questions you can submit your questions in one of the following ways email ask at i j h Radio dot com toll free number 1855 I g h 6988 i j h contact form international Gospel Hour dot com forward slash form one write to Jody Apple Post-office Box 355 the law nigga Georgia 30533 note if you call our toll free number to ask a question please let us know if we can use your voice in our broadcasts regardless of which way you choose to ask your question we will only identify him by your 1st name and that it signed in Christ Jodi Apple that's the summation of the posts that we made on Facebook and the response that it is generated let's get into a study of God's word today one brief programming note our prior series on comfortable Christianity extended to the 1st of August we only got into questions on August 2nd and August 3rd today then is the 3rd day that we are addressing questions during the month of August if necessary we will extend our study exploring your questions trying to give biblical answers into the month of September we take up now where we left off at the end of our broadcast for Friday August 3rd if you missed the 1st 2 days in which we have been addressing questions in the month of August that's August 2nd and. August 3rd you can go to international Gospel Hour dot com the main page for links to those 1st 2 programs why do we ask questions Josepha one of our readers nailed it with this comment you cannot become better educated in any subject matter unless you ask questions and receive answers and what better subject can you learn more than the teachings of God thanks for sharing his knowledge to us End of quote from Joseph one of our readers most of the comments that were made to our Facebook post were quite positive something you said this is great Mary good Michelle remarked Pam noted Wow this truly sounds wonderful but not everyone was so positive one gentleman Wesley Brutus with a warning watch out if you think someone has all the answers that's the gist of what he said in his comment is exact words so you have a source that has all the answers exclamation point be aware 5 exclamation points let's think about what slays comment in today's program God did not just include 3244 or so questions to take up space or to dazzle lost or to puzzle us with an answer both questions generally speaking those questions were asked with this specific purpose in context to provide a reasonable a reliable answer why because more often than not the question and its corresponding answer carried some weight and met some need usually a very specific need in the sending where we encounter at their own cations want to question was asked without a direct or a specific answer presented. You need immediate context those occasions usually introduced a question rhetorical 8 that is a question that by its very nature contains or assumes the answer within the question itself for example when God asked job where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth in Job 38 verse for her God knew and job that the built in answer was this job was not there when God laid the foundations of the earth the latter part of the 1st raids tell me if you have understanding there was nothing that job could tell God about the creation as if he job or their god actually asked several questions just like bad in this setting here are just a few of them who determined its measurements Surely you know or who stretched the line upon it to what were its foundations fastened or who laid its cornerstone when the mooning stars sang together and all of the sons of God shouted for joy over who shot in the sea with 2 wars when it burst forth and issued from the womb when I made the clouds its garment and think darkness its swaddling band when I fixed my limit for it and set bars and doors when I said this far you may come but no farther and here you are a proud ways must stop have you commanded the morning since you were days began and cause the dawn to know its place they might take of the ends of the earth and the wicked be shaken out of it that's Job 38 starting in verse 5 and going through verse 13 Gonz questions on this occasion were on answerable by Joe but they were not on answerable by job because there were no one. Cers they were not answerable by job in the sense that job who of course had new part in the creation of this physical world because job was totally out of place in questioning something's about what happened to him and why it happened that terminal pointed this and related passages job because you do not have God's vantage point God's perspective you will never see never understand what counted seen or understands this does not mean the job was blind to everything that God said that he saw or understood nothing it simply means that from where God stood he that's God saw and understood everything Joe because of where he still living in that particular time and that particular place and under that exact set of circumstances that we see addressed in the book that bears his name childe had nothing near God's vantage point God was standing on God was standing at the pinnacle the mountaintop of all knowledge he saw what Joe who only stood at the foot of the mountain could not possibly see so yes there are clearly times that the Word of God ask questions that were by design an answer born in this sense on this occasion God's Where were you questions put Joe in his place but that's not the typical backdrop for biblical questions questions are answered within the very location the book chapter and verse background when they 1st appear they answers often appear immediately after they are asked when Herod heard about the birth of Jesus he was concerned and wanted to know where he Jesus was to be born here God's Word want to hear of the King her. He was troubled and all Jerusalem with them and when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together he inquired of them where the christ was to be born so they said to him in Bethlehem of Judea for thus it is written by the prophet but you Bethlehem in the land of Judah are not the least among the rulers of Judah for out of the usual come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel That's Matthew Chapter 2 persist 3 through 6 The question was asked he had fired of them where the christ was to be born chapter 2 verse 4 The question was answered in Bethlehem of Judea in the very next verse chapter 2 verse 5 but not only was the question answer but the source for the answer was provided it was written by the prophet a reference to what we read in the book of Micah but you bethought him after ta though you are a little among the thousands of Judah yet out of you shall come forth to me the one to be ruler in Israel who is going support from of all from everlasting That's Micah chapter 5 Verse 2 the answer not only given in the immediate scene also provided proof provided evidence for its basis it was predicted by the prophets here Micah it was rooted in the underlying messianic message found throughout the 1st throughout the Old Testament and furthermore it referenced the one described as the one to be ruler and Israel irreverence to Christ Furthermore Christ was described as one who was going forth or from of old from everlasting Not only was Jesus to be born in Bethlehem. Not only was it foretold by Micah not only was he to be a ruler in Israel but Jesus as Messiah was connected to God's eternal plan from everlasting The text says because as we learn from other passages Jesus was as a turn on as God the Father and God the Spirit did the Word of God provide any media answer to Herod's concern to Harrod's question about the birthplace of Jesus yes and it did so in a fairly thorough and straightforward and comprehensive way point God asks questions and God has answers in a moment we will continue our study today are you happy with your Bible knowledge would you like to learn more we have a 30 lesson Bible study course that might be just what you're looking for study through the great themes revealed in the Old Testament get a better feel for the flow of God's redemptive plan all that and more are yours when you call our toll free number 1855 I g h 6988 and request these courses the lessons are sent 3 at a time absolutely free of charge like everything we offer at international Gospel Hour when you complete those lessons we will continue to mail them 3 more at a time until you've completed all 30 grab your cell phone and request those lessons right away just call us at 1855 I g h 698 at least one more perspective needs to be considered about questions before we more fully address Wesley's concerns he and his apparent criticisms in the opening verses of Matthew 13 we read these words on the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seat and great multitude were gathered together to him so that. He got into a boat and sat and the whole multitude stood on the shore then he spoke many things to them in parables saying That's Matthew 13 the 1st 3 verses what follows immediately afterward was the 1st of a series of parables that Jesus told about the Kingdom of Heaven but 1st parable and extended one about seed sower and so it was was followed by another related and also extended parable about tares other shorter parables appear in the same chapter one about leaven another about treasure hidden in a field and 2 more about a pearl merchant and a dragnet these parables distinctive and unique teaching tools when we understand them more fully raised an interesting question and Matthew 13 verse 10 God's word says this and the disciples came and said to him that's Jesus why do you speak to them in parables when in this immediate scene we are not told why the disciples asked this question the why in the question they asked was directed toward Jesus why do you speak to them and parables they answer that Jesus gave more extensive than we need to fully address here was the man and remains so now I suppose quite interesting we spent the next 7 verses almost all words from the mouth of Jesus that contained the 1st part of his response to the disciples question why speak in parables starting in verse 11 we read this he that's Jesus answered and said to them because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but to them it has not been given. For whoever has to Him moon will be given and he will have a bonnets but whoever does not have even what he has will be taken away from him therefore I speak to them in parables because seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear new nor do they understand and in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled which says Hearing you will hear and shall not understand and seeing you will see and not perceive for the hearts of this people have gone dull their ears are hard of hearing and there are as they have closed lest they should see with their own eyes and hear with their ears less they should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal that but less said are you were eyes for they see and your ears for they hear for assuredly I say to you that many prophets and righteous man desired to see what you see and did not see it and to hear what you hear and did not hear yet that's Matthew 13 versus 11 to 17 without going to great lengths Let's simply know this Jesus answer to the question why he used parables focused on the utility and the function of parables and it did so in the least 2 way parables prison had to choose 2 principles one physical and one spiritual that paralleled each other in some way the parallels and thus the parables made a connection between the 2 trues and the 2 principals in such a way as to make the spiritual truth and the spiritual principle resonate or click but they hear the audience the figurative nature of the parable. It was not intended to obscure but was rather intended to make a point clearer in the minds of Jesus' audience in the minds of his hearers but there was another dimension here parables served as filtering devices they separated filtered those who were truly interested in knowing God's will and knowing God's word from those whose interest was only passing or even nonexistent those who were truly interested in knowing God's will and God's word were like the disciples who asked why Jesus used parables in this passage they would want to know more what did Jesus say why did he say that what meaning what truth was Jesus conveying in this or other parables and so it was and so it remains with questions questions can serve as filtering devices tools that determine our level of interest not just our level of interest generally but our level of spiritual interest let's use me as an example mind reading habits include current events I'm a bit of a news junkie usually reading longer more detailed studies an exposé but also including have wide range of books and articles about philosophy theology history and everything biblically connected one of the books that I recently started entitled epistemology becoming intellectually virtuous by w. J. Will raises lots of questions but before we even get to those questions you may already be thinking who cares what you rate and that their listeners exemplifies the significance of questions Who cares not just who cares what I may be reading but who cares what God's word says Who cares what question. It asks and who cares what answers that it might give these and other questions determining our level of interest in a subject and while you may not care what I read or why I read it the questions raised by my choice of this particular book caught my attention he pistol ology according to The New Oxford American Dictionary means the theory of knowledge is specially with regard to its methods the liberty and scope a piston ology is the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion and a definition that topic has always interested me but the being of j. Would raises questions in this book that make it move or than a purely academic were than a purely philosophical endeavor the 1st question on the back cover how do we knew what we know relates to the usual meaning of epistemology philosophically but the next question changes perspective mine anyway changes it completely that question why do I have wisdom prudence and studiousness have to do with justifying our beliefs not just a technical treatise on the subject of what we know and how we can know it woods book centers on the importance of knowledge as it relates to character and virtue the opening pages of his work make that very clear my point the questions that this author raised caught my attention and while they may not catch your attention that's Ok some other questions will do just that and those questions whatever they are and whatever they ask those questions that catch your attention will hopefully compel you to. The answers that you need answers that not only technically answer the question or the questions accurately but answers that will satisfy you spiritually and that's what Biblical questions are designed to do take us from Wonder to wow take us from not understanding or mis understanding to now I know what God wants me to know and what God wants me to do you see them I hope what concerns me about Wesley's remark it might come across as disparaging it might come across as if to say new one knows the answers to these biblical to the spiritual questions it might also come across as saying from his point of view anyway that Wesley does not trust anyone who thinks that they have answers to Biblical spiritual or deeper questions Wesley's comment could also mean that just telling someone that you have answers to questions guarantees failure somewhere if the person answering the questions will fail to answer them correctly or adequately he or she will do so arrogantly and presumptively where the answers will not prove helpful to the person who asked the question in the 1st place there are other elements we suspect that might come into play about his concerns and while we do not agree with the general sentiment that Wesley has expressed we must respect both Wesley and his concerns perhaps the greatest concern and we say perhaps because we cannot fully read Wesley's mind Our know his heart about these matters perhaps his greatest concern centers not just on how much we can know and how certain we can be about knowledge claims but rather about the source of our claims here. Again his statement so you have a source that has all the answers be aware in our next broadcast we will take up at this point and continue our study of God's Word together to request our Freeney 30 lessons series studies and the Bible you can call us toll free at 1855 I g h 698 a or you can send a message to us using the contact form at our website international gospel dot com . Thank you for listening to our broadcast today we hope 1st that it glorified God But 2nd we hope that it edified you listen to it again if you need to or to other lessons in the series by going to the media tab at our site at international Gospel Hour dot com. International Gospel Hour has been sharing the good news 1934. Broadcasting by giving a donation or by buying products they endorse you can reach the International gospel hour at 343804. You can even email. No matter how you contact them no you tune in the. Good news of Jesus for you in high definition radio and streaming at 670. This is calle t t commerce. This is a engram lots with daily light for daily living temptation comes in any number of forms whether it's a serving of chocolate cake when you're on a diet or the bed of your neighbor spouse whatever form it takes it intensifies through toleration the toleration leads to a preoccupation of thoughts and it's not long before we reach out and touch what temptation have you tolerated thought about touch with it's just a little harmless flirtation it's just one day one drink one Drug Watch out if you tolerate it think about it toying with it you're just a step away from actually doing it and once you do it you may be helpless to stop doing it listen to Paul commanded Timothy in 1st Timothy 611 to flee from all this and pursue righteousness stop tolerating sin run from it now this is an engram lots. What would it look like for peace to prevail in your life Jesus the Son of God reminds us and 1420 somethings Peace I leave with you My peace I give to you. Neither let them be afraid 3 things stand out in this passage. Peace. Does not take. It takes peace we need to understand that peace doesn't mean that negative circumstances are troubling situation. As the gateway for. The followers of God realize that fear is the absence of faith. Is the presence of let's make it our peace would prevail.

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