Based on “The Church – Why We Do What We Do, Part 2” by Pastor Mark Balmer;
2/6-7/10, Message #MB407; Daily Devotional #6 - “Don’t Be Afraid to Ask”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): This weekend’s lesson showed that the Bible splits people into two categories. The first are those who are saved (having the Holy Spirit living within) and the second are those who are unsaved (the natural man). The Holy Spirit dwells within all believers as confirmed by Jesus. ‘If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.’ (John 14:16-17) As a Christ follower, this verse brings me comfort in knowing two things. First, the Holy Spirit is given to all believers without exception, and there are no conditions except faith in Jesus Christ. Second, the Holy Spirit dwells within us permanently; we will have the presence of God eternally with us from the second we accept Jesus…AMEN!
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): The word “disciple” is translated from the Greek word ‘mathetes,’ meaning a learner or pupil. Vine’s Expository Dictionary defines disciple as “one who follows another’s teaching.” As disciples of Christ we are called to be lifelong learners and to grow in the knowledge of God. Our best source for learning about the character of God is the Word of God itself. By becoming intimate with it, we can understand the character of God so that we can emulate His character in our lives. The role of questions plays a big part in the teachings of Jesus, and very often He taught by asking questions. When asked whether he should heal on the Sabbath Jesus responds by stating, ‘…If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath’ (Matthew 12:11-12) Some more examples of this style of teaching are when He taught with regards to His identity in Matthew 15:13-15, in regards to divorce in Mark 10:3, and on the subject of paying taxes in Luke 20:20-25. There are also many examples of disciples confronting Jesus with difficult questions. A few examples can be found in Mark 4:10, Mark 9:28 and Mark 13:1-4.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): As learners we should follow the examples provided for us by God in His Word. In addition to reading and learning the Word daily, we should not hesitate to ask questions if we are presented with them. These questions can and should be presented in Bible classes, after sermons, in small groups, or any time via emails or conversation. I think it is a natural tendency to refrain from asking questions for fear that we may seem less informed than those around us. Following the examples of the disciples, they were almost always in groups when they asked a question of Jesus. In the same way the Holy Spirit will reveal to us all truth, and answer our questions in similar settings.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): John 18:37
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All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.