I have shared here a couple of times that I have been leading a Sunday school on Predestination and Free Will. Most people when they hear that sort of roll their eyes and suggest I could have done something a little easier. They are right.
In the last week I have also done an overview of 1 Timothy. Several times in the book Paul exhorts his key man to teach sound doctrine in the church. It has been my experience that we do not get a lot of that in our fellowships. Too difficult.
Today we had an announcement that took a large portion of our Sunday school time. So I went over the assignment from last week and asked people both what they had learned in the three weeks and what questions they wanted to have answered in the time we have left.
Here are some of the responses:
When we avoid the hard stuff. We are not challenging those in our community. One person said this morning that they would just be lazy and not dive into the hard stuff. They would let others deal with it. Problem is not many do.
By diving in we are forced to evaluate whether what we hold to be true is actually in the Bible. That makes a difference.
Today we had an announcement that took a large portion of our Sunday school time. So I went over the assignment from last week and asked people both what they had learned in the three weeks and what questions they wanted to have answered in the time we have left.
Here are some of the responses:
- How does predestination impact our prayer life?
- The idea that God has chosen people in our sphere of influence changes the way we relate to them.
- I am amazed at the level of God’s intervention in our lives.
- This has impacted my understanding of who God is.
- Since he chose me it makes me wonder about my purpose in His kingdom.
- It has forced me to view God as bigger, I tend to want to cut Him down to a size I can handle.
When we avoid the hard stuff. We are not challenging those in our community. One person said this morning that they would just be lazy and not dive into the hard stuff. They would let others deal with it. Problem is not many do.
By diving in we are forced to evaluate whether what we hold to be true is actually in the Bible. That makes a difference.
One of my former mentors used to say something like, "If you want to stand out from the crowd, 'Think!'" All too true.
ReplyDeleteAnother hard area that is either avoided or discussed with far more passion than sober discussion is end times. Studying (again) Mark 13 lately I've been impressed with the various exhortations/commands/warnings Jesus gives - at least seven in 37 verses, It is an area liable to deception (v.5) and yet its events need to be understood and watched for (v.35). Like all true Bible doctrine what I believe has a direct impact on my behavior. It makes a difference in the mission, that "the Gospel must be first preached to all nations (ethnic groups)." (v.10) At least Jesus apparently thought so.
I read the other day that as far back as 1974 Dr. Ralph Winter estimated there were over 16,000 such groups; I dare say with the explosion of missions research the number is higher now.
I can't begin to explain the impact my view of the "end" bears on accomplishing the mission. That says far more about me than it does the truth, that doctrine matters. I've heard people say something like "I'm just a Pan-millennialist; it'll all pan out at the end." I don't think Jesus would agree.