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Search Engine – 2 – 06/16/24
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Question 1: Proverbs 3:11-12 it speaks of the Lord’s disciplines and rebukes and that he disciplines those he loves. What does it mean? Will he will make life harder? Why??? Don’t we get enough of that from the devil trying to take us down? Just so much seams harsh. I’m supposed to strive to be like Jesus but he can be so mean sounding sometimes when reading the scripture.
God – Motivation of Love
Enemy – Motivation of Hate
Proverbs 3:11-12 (NIV) My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
Proverbs 13:24 (NIV) Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.
-Hot stove
Question 2: Why did David kill Goliath? I understand that he was a threat, but isn’t God against murder?
Kill/Murder – Hebrew ratsach – intentional killing without cause.
Was there cause?
All death is a transfer of an eternal spirit…
God gives life
Question 3: The Bible says God is the same forever, but why does He feel regret after the flood? If He’s supposed to be perfect, why would He make a decision He regrets?
Genesis 6:6 – God regrets making man.
1 Samual 15:11 – God regrets making Saul king of Israel.
God repents – changes his mind.
Numbers 23:19 (NIV) God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Sovereign vs Permissive will of God.
Sovereign (Christ will win and have His bride)
Jeremiah 18:6-7 (NIV) “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. 7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.
Question 3: To what extent would featuring God in a fictional work count as blasphemous?
Eye of the beholder.
1 Corinthians 8:4 (NIV) An idol is nothing at all in the world
No victory is being rude…
Blaspheme – to despise, reject with contempt
It is easier than you think to reject God…
Question 4: Some say that Hell is empty right (except for the fallen angels) now until after the Rapture. Some say that bad people are there now. Which is right?
Hell?
Sheol – holding place of the soul (Rich man & Lazarus story Luke 16) – Hell, hades, bosom of Abraham
Lake of Fire/second death – HELL
Who are the first to enter the lake of fire?
Revelation 19:20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Revelation 20:10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.
White throne judgment – each person was judged according to what they had done. (v13)
Who are the last to enter the lake of fire?
Revelation 20:14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
No one is in the lake of fire now.
Some are in sheol now.
Some are present with the Lord now. (2 Cor 5:8)
Question 5: Were there other people in the world after Adam and Eve left the garden? How did 2 sons have wives?
Sisters?
Other interpretations – Adam & Eve represent humanity and not 2 single people.
Other interpretations – God created other people that we are not told about.
Based just on scripture – everything was produced from Adam and Eve, and they filled the Earth.
Incest issue? Covered by Grace.
NOW – don’t do it.
Question 6: Most of the apocryphal text can be dismissed as too new or too strange or not in line with the rest of the Bible. Why did so many early Christians read them then?
The Apocrypha is a group of 14 books written between 400 and 200 BC in Greek.
Not sure the majority of early Christians did read them…
Not accepted as scripture by BEFORE CHRIST…
Not directly quoted by Jesus or the NT writers.
Canon – 325 AD Council of Nicea
-Chose what was being used by Christians
Muratorian fragment (180ad 22 of 27 NT books listed)
The canonization of the Apocrypha – Council of Trent (1546)
Question 7: Why do people leave Christianity? Hypocrisy? (Love others as yourself, but filled with hate. Judgy)
Can you leave Christianity and not leave Christ?
Perhaps leave a Church but believe in Christ…
Hypocrite (Greek) – Stage Actor
People disappoint – nothing new. NT writers warn…
The enemy can use your negativity… Be careful with your negativity.
People may leave the Church…
-Not relevant
-Not life giving
-Still searching…
-Reject Christ
Christian – Antioch (Acts 11) – Little Christs
Matthew 7:7 (NIV) Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
God values the search.
Do we?
Wonder
Question
Struggle
Awe
Disequalibrium…
What if God values our uncertainty?
Faith is not certainty
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
God values an uncertain search
Faith is an uncertain search
Make your move
1. Seek God, not certainty
2. Take an uncertain step by faith
-What is on the other side of worship & prayer? Find out.
3. Connect your desire to know with God’s desire to show.
-God reveals when we pray and worship. Do that NOW!