The Real Question

The Real Question

Scripture: Luke 1:5-38; Hebrews 11:1-19; Genesis 15:4-6

At the close of my message last week I told you that when we choose to walk with God we make the decision to come into agreement with Him versus asking Him to come into agreement with us. With that decision we no longer need to know “how” and “when” God is going to do what He does. I also played the song “Victory” by Brenda Waters. The song says, “I don’t know how God’s gonna do it and I don’t know when He’s gonna fix it. I only know, God’s gonna to make a way for me, I know He’s gonna do it, victory! He never told me, how He’s gonna do it. He never tells me just how He’s gonna fix it…..I know He’s gonna make a way for me out of know way…” This song tells the story of our walking with God. So if we are walking with God and we are struggling in our belief that He is going to do exactly what He promised, then there is a reason for our struggle. The title of my message this morning is “The Real Question.”

A big part of every conversation is the question. The actual word itself has several definitions, but the two that I want to focus on in this message pertains to how they display (show) our faith to the world. The first definition of question is “a request for information.” This definition generally involves our seeking more information or to clarify something that was said. The second definition is “a doubt or uncertainty about somebody or something.” This definition speaks directly to belief – or lack thereof. In this definition is the understanding that something stated as truth is not believed. Finally, another consideration of asking questions pertains to what is being asked. You can ask one question but that question might not be the “real” question, or what some call, the question behind the question. The question behind the question is the real question being asked because that answer contains the information the person truly wants to know.

I attended a seminar years ago on this subject that was led by John Miller, the author of the book, “The Question behind the Question”. The seminar focused on how to ask real questions of yourself as a means of becoming more accountable. If you read his book you will gain the understanding that there is a well-established legal principle which states there is a difference between the “letter of the law” and “spirit of the law”. The letter of the law refers to “the specific words used in the law itself”, while the spirit of the law refers to “the underlying concepts and intentions behind the law.” So in applying this concept to the questions behind the questions relating to personal accountability, there are three guiding principles to asking questions according to Mr. Miller. First, a question should begin with “what or how”, not “why, when, or who”. Second, a question should contain an “I,” not “they, them, we or you.” And third, a question should focus on action. If we ask questions utilizing this format we increase our personal accountability involving three things: (1) Eliminating victim thinking, procrastinating, or blaming; (2) Recognizing I can only change me; and, (3) Taking action. Keep this in mind as we examine some situations where questions were and were not asked. We will attempt to answer the question “why” the question was or was not asked based on the individual and situation. Turn with me to the first chapter of the book of Luke.

Let’s begin at verse five of Luke chapter one. “(5) In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. (6) They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.” (7) But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. (8) Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, (9) according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.” Zacharias was a priest and he married Elizabeth from the priestly household of Aaron. Both Zacharias and Elizabeth walked with God as noted in how they blamelessly kept the commandments of requirement of the Lord. Zacharias and Elizabeth were advanced in years and did not have a child although they had “prayed” for a child previously when they were of child-bearing age. Verse seven says Elizabeth was barren and advanced in years meaning that she had no children and now she was too old to have them. Let’s continue.