Sermon Central
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Don't Let Your Knowledge Hinder Other's.
Contributed by Roy Fowler on Jan 30, 2021 (message contributor)
Summary: The Apostle Paul is answering a question written to him by the Church about a young Christian. The older and more knowledgeable people were doing things that he didn't understand and could have possibly allow him to lose his faith.
British Labor politician said: Education is what remains when we have forgotten all that we have been taught.
He didn't mean that education wasn't any good. He was saying all the education has to become a part of who we are to be any good. Quoting books, texts from ancient writing and all historical findings means nothing if it doesn't become apart of who we are.
Jesus is seen in the Gospels talking to many different people. I want to look at two of them. The first one is a leaned man. Today we would refer to him as Dr. Nicodemus; practitioner of law. He was a member of the Sanhedrin that governed the Jewish people with certain restrictions from the Romans.
John 3: 5-10 has a discussion between him and Jesus. My take on their conversation: Jesus said Nicodemus you must be born again to be a Believer. Nic said well I don't understand that Jesus. How can a grown person enter into their mothers womb and be born again. Jesus says, Nic, Nic ,learned person you are you still don't understand. How in the world can this be?
If you don't know or understand God’s Word be careful Jesus will call you out.
The next person is an outcast woman that is a Samaritan. The Jews hated them because they were of mix blood. Not pure Jews. The Jews wouldn't even travel through their land. They would walk around them adding to the miles traveled to get to where they were going. But Jesus went there and brought food from them and met this woman at the well.
John 4: 7-15
My take on this: Jesus is setting at the town well. This outcast woman came and Jesus ask her for a drink of water from this very deep well. First off she, probably by the accent, realizes he isn’t a Samaritan.
Jesus moves from drinking water to spiritual water. I’m not sure that she fully understood about the spiritual water Jesus was talking about. However, she accepted Jesus and what he said and wanted the special water Jesus told her about.
Jesus was very kind to her and led her to the living water and she accept Jesus for who He was to her. She accepted the Living Water from our Living Savior.
He accepts us where we are but for some he calls them out and for others its like getting a big hug.
Now hear the reading of Gods Word:
We should always be patience, kind, and forgiving of people's miss-understanding of God. They may be tainted by false teachings. This is true if they came from a church or religion that doesn't adhere to God’s teachings. It may just be an understanding issue.
This story is a perfect example of why some people get confused. Also this is a perfect example why we should go out of our way to teach people about our God and Savior Jesus the Christ.
The story is about a young believer not truly understanding the entire scope of who God is and older Christian that are more mature and have more knowledge. This isn't talking about a long time believer that hasn't grown in their knowledge of God and who He really is. This isn’t talking about a person that makes up their own Christianity. This person in the story is a true Believer seeking the right path to God.
A poll by famed pollster George Barna reveals some alarming things about some folks that call themselves Christians today. This story we have heard from our Bible today has simple teachings of loving unlearned people into believers and helping them mature. However, these teachings can be applied for today.
Teaching about who God really is can be a problem with all the miss-understandings in our society today.
This is what we are up against in today's society:
. 48% believe a person who is good enough or does enough good works can earn
eternal salvation
• 44% do not believe that history is the unfolding narrative of God’s reality
• 44% claim the Bible is ambiguous in its teaching about abortion
• 43% maintain that when Jesus was on earth, He sinned
• 42% seek moral guidance primarily from sources other than the Bible
• 42% do not identify and confess their sins on a daily basis
• 40% accept lying as morally acceptable if it advances personal interests or protect one’s reputation
• 36% prefer socialism to capitalism
• 34% reject the idea of legitimate marriage as one man and one woman
• 34% argue that abortion is morally acceptable if it spares the mother from financial or emotional discomfort or hardship
A staff writer that was reporting these percentages from Barna's report wrote:
