MUCH LEARNING DOTH MAKE THEE MAD! Acts 26:24-25 reads: 24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. 25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. Also, Acts 24:25 reads: 25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. No one has ever reacted normally when things that are beyond their understanding are told them. When Paul began to reason with Fetus and later Felix on his heavenly vision and righteousness, temperance and judgement to come, Fetus screamed at him saying too much of study has made him mad. Felixs reaction was to put him out for a time because he trembled at what Paul said. People naturally dont like to hear the truth but Jesus said And you shall know the truth, the truth shall make you free. The truth will always set free When I was an unbeliever, I always said this to my friends and relatives when telling them the truth, I always said The truth is bitter but it has to be said. When peoples disposition tend towards a direction they believe is right, there is nothing you will do to convince them of what is the truth about it but God does not want us to be that way. We must always be willing to learn. 1 Peter 3:4 reads: 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. The greatest thing that matters to God in the life of any human is that meek and quiet spirit, a humble spirit, willing to learn and hear from God. A spirit that will sit before God putting aside every pride and prejudice to learn from Him. Pride means we have peaked on a particular matter and will not go futher to scrutinize it. Prejudice means we have prejudged ahead of a matter judging its out come. Matthew 11:29 reads: 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Jesus says we should learn of Him. Paul said somewhere, Follow me as I follow Christ Christ said Learn of me, Paul says Follow me as I follow Christ Paul, here, meant that the church he oversaw on behalf of Christ should learn from him as he learned from Christ. Ephesians 4:20-21 reads: 20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: Verse 20 says, But ye have not so learned Christ The International Standard Version puts it this way 20 However, that is not the way you came to know the Messiah. 21 Surely you have listened to him and have been taught by him, since truth is in Jesus. With this, we will come to understand that for the people to be able to follow the Apostle properly as he followed Christ necessity demands that they would have learned from Christ first. Because if they hadnt learned from Christ how will they know that the Apostle was truly following Christ? For any body to be established in the things of Christ he must, of necessity understudy Christ first, how? We will find the answer in verse 21. Verse 21 reads: 21 Surely you have listened to him and have been taught by him, since truth is in Jesus. Surely you have listened to Him and have been taught by Him, since the truth is found in Jesus. So, the way to learn Christ is to read and imbibe His sayings. If we just follow men without learning Christ we will just run off with every wind of doctrine. No man can learn from Christ and be easily deceived. Matthew 13:52 reads: 52 Then he told them, “That is why every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom from heaven is like the master of a household who brings both new and old things out of his treasure chest.” Every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom FROM HEAVEN. This scribes training is not with men but from heaven. He has sat directly at the feet of the Chief Scribe and learnt. Lets take, for an example, the Apostle Paul (we dont even know his surname, only what he was described with was Saul of Tarsus). After he got his heavenly vision, he went into isolation for years to learn from the Chief of all scribes. Galatians 1:15-18 reads: 15 But when God, who set me apart before I was born and who called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I might proclaim him among the gentiles, I did not confer with another human being at any time, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me. Instead, I went away to Arabia and then came back to Damascus. 18 Then three years later, I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. Paul did not confer with any human until he had learned from the Master. When we reduce our level of knowledge of Christ to only what other men teach us we short circuit our growth and development in Him and then when He is trying to convey His words to us they seem strange because the people we have only listened to has not made emphasis on them. No man has complete monopoly of the knowledge of God. God is diverse and we wont be able to comprehend all of Him in this life but He expects us to adhere to the basics as He has taught us through Christ. 1 Corinthians 13:9-13 reads: 9 For what we know is incomplete and what we prophesy is incomplete. 10 But when what is complete comes, then what is incomplete will be done away with. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up my childish ways. 12 Now we see only an indistinct image in a mirror, but then we will be face to face. Now what I know is incomplete, but then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 Right now three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. Also, John 6:45 reads: 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And all of them will be taught by God.’ Everyone who has listened to the Father and has learned anything comes to me. Our lives are not dependent on only what men teach us bust basically what we have learnt from God. God is the greatest Teacher. What has God taught us? Because many have not sat for God to teach them they follow every wind of doctrine that when God is trying to communicate to them His truth through the people He has revealed them to they reject it and label them with names. This attitude has always been there from the past even in Bible days. The Jews were people that killed their Prophets because they told them the truth. They even called the Master beelzebul because He told them the truth. Matthew 10:24-25 reads: 24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, and a slave is not above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher and a slave to be like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they do the same to those of his household!” John 15:18-20 reads: 18 “If the world hates you, you should realize that it hated me before you. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as one of its own. But because you do not belong to the world and I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. You see, whoever would want to follow the truth that is in Jesus will be persecuted and hated. Why will they be hated? They will be hated because they will refuse to join the crowd as others are doing. Because these ones are taught of God they would not want to follow the trend of the ways and standard of the world and would be seen as heretics because they refuse to join the crowd. The Bible records that a time will come when many will not want to endure sound doctrine rather, they will heap up for themselves teachers that will preach according to their lust having itchy ears. These ones will be unstable always looking for who will speak what they really want to hear. This prophecy of the Spirit through Paul is been fulfilled in our days. Sound doctrine is not for enjoyment but for endurance because it will lead us in the way of righteousness. We must seek to know, learn and imbibe the wholesome teachings of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The judgement to come is part of the doctrine of Christ and is essential for teaching. 2 Timothy 3:16 reads: 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: There is no where in this scripture that it says all scripture is meant to tickle your fancy and tell you only what you want to hear. It says all scripture is for doctrine (teaching), reproof (rebuke), correction and instruction in righteousness so that the believer will be perfect in all good works. So is the foundations of the doctrine of Christ. Hebrews 6:1-3 reads: 1 Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teachings about the Messiah, let us continue to be carried along to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead actions, faith toward God, 2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do, if God permits. We can see here the elementary (primary or foundational) teachings of the Messiah spelt out here. 1. Repentance 2. Faith 3. Baptisms 4. Laying of hands 5. Resurrection of the dead 6. Eternal judgement Truly, many have inventoried on just one or two of these foundational teachings and dwelt there. We have not dwelt extensively or given much attention to the others because we feel they are not part of what will edify the Church but we must know that it is these same teachings Jesus and the Apostles taught. For instance Repentance is hardly talked about these days, we have not even ventured into the last two talkless of teaching them instead we lay much emphasis on faith because it is a means to getting the things that will satisfy our lusts. We are afraid to talk about the resurrection from the dead and eternal judgement but the book of Revelations is all about them. God expects every believer to come to the full knowledge of these six foundational teachings before going on to maturity, not just a brush of it but an in-depth knowledge of them because it is on these foundations that the Christian will truly mature in Christ. It is because we dont teach these things fully that the fear of God is lacking in the Church today. We cant fear God without full knowledge of His person and His character. For example God is love but He is just at the same time. God is love but He is a consuming fire. Many say, how can God be so wicked to throw people into hell but the Bible says He will and this came off the very mouth of the Lord Himself. God is no respecter of persons. We must strive to come to the full knowledge of God, His person and His character. This is what eternal life is all about. (John 17:3) Without the fear of God we would not know to depart from the ways that do not please Him. Proverbs 16:6 reads: 6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. How will men fear God if they dont come to the full knowledge of His person and character. That is why the foundation for teaching is complete which is the foundation Christ left for the Church to use in building it. When judgement and teachings about eternity is preached people come to know the full character of God and fear will be in them, not the one that makes us cringe from Him but the one that brings respect and reverence for Him. John 16:7-11 reads: 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. In this scripture, we see the three manifold ministry of the Holy Spirit. Who can minister, preach and teach more than Him? If He came to carry out these three things in the life of men, who are we not to follow Him? How will the Holy Spirit convict without the right teachings concerning sin, righteousness and judgement? The Spirit will convict through the message we preach. For instance we cant preach prosperity and make an alter call for souls. Even if people will come out they may be coming out with a wrong motive but when we preach on salvation, how to be saved and let people know their state, we give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to work on the hearts of men to convict them of what is been preached. This age is about rounding up and I think great emphasis should be laid on teachings of eternal resurrection and judgement so that the Holy Spirit can work at convicting mens heart concerning the coming judgement. I wonder how this generation would have reacted if we were in the time JESUS gave the revelations to John to write to the churches. They wouldnt have been able to do anything to him because he was already banished to the island of Patmos at the time of the revelations. If we read through it we will see that it is full of warnings and admonishments of repentance and living right in preparation of the Lords coming. The letters contain warnings of removal of churches, judgement of people that refuse to turn and do the right thing, destruction because of teachings that lead people astray from the truth and many more. Let us seek to learn of God and His Christ to be balanced in our faith. Courtesy (Race for the Mark) Project Philippians 3:14
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 11:56:58 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015