Core 1 Year Live Anniversary: Are My Questions a Sign that I Lack Faith?

My questions about Christianity sign that I lack faith. That is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity why this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Gabriel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your question.

At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter account and you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com will. Today marks an important milestone here at core Christianity. It's our one year anniversary of going live on the air and taking your calls and a drill. I did a little quick calculating and since you answer about five questions every day, five days a week, 52 weeks a year. You have now answered approximately 1300 questions in the past year. Yeah, you would think I would've covered it all by now, but neither calls keep coming in and yeah it's been honestly that I we are just thanking God earlier today for his faithfulness to us and praising the Lord for his kindness and said thank you all for your support and I pray we continue to bless you with with answers from the word of God and one of the things I think were realizing is that we are really meeting a need so many people have questions about the Bible and the Christian faith and they don't know where to go to get those questions answered so they they do know they can turn here for a trusted voice so Israel thank you for providing a trusted voice for us every day. Thanks, Bill. Let's go to the phones. Mary is on the line from St. Louis, Missouri Mary what your question for atrial. I am testing at my church and I really want to do the work of God and they were suggesting to have me go to seminary school and I I thought about it with that idea. But the more I read about the Bible that says your women are not supposed to reach and then also had people say it's okay that was back then, but also the Bible says cannot add or subtract so I'm kind of like in a dilemma wanting to know this truly what God wants to sense to me like you're serving right now Mary is a trustee in your church and their wanting you to to pursue ordination is that is that right okay so when Paul talks about the qualifications for ordination, especially in ordination to the office of elder. He outlines us in first Timothy chapter 3 and in Titus chapter 1, and there are really three distinct things that he outlines there. There is first the calling. An individual who is to be ordained should have a sense of calling a sense that God is the one who is calling me to this in the way we discern that calling is a two way to suppress what the internally external call the internal call. Is this the sense that you have or that an individual would have personal that God was calling them to the ministry. The extra call would be the call of the church.

The church saying yes, we see that the other gifts that God is given this individual got the gifts God has given you, and they indicate to us as well that you should be doing this calling is one thing. Another thing is character that's very clear. In first Timothy three and Titus chapter 1. Another thing is competency. Paul says there and in first Timothy three that an elder has to be able to teach one of the qualifications and in you mentioned this.

It seems to me that Paul gives there in first Timothy chapter 3 is that an elder should be a man. The husband of one wife. He begins by saying in chapter 3 verse one. The saying is trustworthy. If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent, not not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money he must manage his own household well with all dignity, keeping his children submissive for someone does not know how to manage his own household. How will he care for God's church that I appreciate the fact that you're concerned with what the Bible teaches, and that you want to be faithful to Scripture and so and I'm I'm a pastor of a local church, a tradition that I'm a part of. We do not ordain women to the office of of elder or deacon on the basis of what Paul says in places like first Timothy three and elsewhere now that does not mean Mary that you can't serve the church with with gifts that God is given to and it sounds like you already do as a trustee, and if you don't feel comfortable with this. Leno suggested that it is clear that as I said, you have to imagine ever for individuals who are truly called to this.

It's something that that they sense as well and sounds to me like there are couple of things that would be in the way of you standing in fulfilling this office wonders I think the basic teaching there in first Timothy chapter 3, but it sounds to me like it's not even something that your seriously interested in.

While you may want to serve the church and it sounds like you do. I would encourage you to continue serving in the capacity or serving as a trustee eyes, a faithful member of the church in and see how the Lord continues to bless you there.

Now this is an issue where there are different as I mention my view and in the view of the tradition that I'm a part of their other amino churches out there work where they still owe no we think that those those commitments are more cultural that that they're not binding for today. I don't take that view, but that is a view that that's out there and I wouldn't say that Christians hold that you are not Christians but I think ultimately in and it sounds to me this is what you want everyone to be faithful to God's word and I will align ourselves with. It is much as we can. And so may the Lord bless you as you seek to do that. I bless Mary thanks so much for calling him for listing the core Christianity. We really do appreciate you one of the things that we do here on this program, one of our goals is to answer those tough questions that people have about the Bible and the Christian life.

We actually have a brand-new free resource that answers many of those tough questions in a very helpful booklet form absently Bill Wheatley definitely want to do that here at core Christianity. We made a special booklet for a one year anniversary answering the questions that that we know many of you have a want to help you be confident in your faith and your ability to respond to the difficult questions that people are asking so we have this resource tough questions answered.

The booklet is only about 50 pages long, but it's in a help you defend your faith that answers questions like doesn't science make religion unnecessary. Why is Christianity so exclusive. What about other religions like Buddhism and Islam I is in the Bible. Just a month a bunch of minutes isn't the Bible's view of sexuality and engender overly restrictive, and these are questions that people are asking questions that many of you have asked and so I want to get this resource in your hands that be a great gift for friends or family as well and can pick up the booklet for free over at core, Christianity.com. This is such a fantastic resource, especially if you have a friend or relative who might be agnostic or an atheist and constantly you know peppering you with questions as will help you answer some of those tough questions and maybe even a book you could read with your kids, especially teenagers as they post some of those difficult questions, you can find my going to core Christianity.com/offers again core Christianity.com/offers and look for tough questions answered. You can also call us for that resource or any one of our resources at 833. The court now we mention we do get a lot of emails here at core Christianity in April. Here's one from one of our listeners name.

He says I've always felt that I've had a strong walk with God since childhood, but recently I find myself struggling with the ideas of eternal judgment and even some of the ways doctrines in spiritual things are put so bluntly instead of receiving God's word without question. I find myself having to examine it, which makes me think that God may see this as a lack of faith. Can you help me with this. Hey Doug, thank you for for that question. So I guess it just really depends on what you mean by questioning or examining God's word.

I don't think we should approach God's word is critics, the word of God judges us, we stand beneath it, we come before the Lord and God speaks to us through his word.

Let the word of God do its work in the work called as as Christians to study the Scriptures into examine them in one sense of the passage of Scripture that I that I think about is in acts chapter 17 were Paul and Silas trip Maria it's really a wonderful passage in verse 10 as is the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica that they received the word with all eagerness, that's what you want to receive God's word with eagerness not as a critic not not thinking, I don't know that I want to embrace this doctrine. That doctrine there are doctrines brothers and sisters debt that you may not want to embrace that you may not understand. And yet we submit to the word of God, because it's God himself who speaks to us through the Scriptures that the Jews there.

Berea date they receive the word with all eagerness, is a veteran want to do but listen what it says next examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. The word that you use, thereby Luke examining. It's the Greek word on the casino and it means to the question if you will, is exactly what dressing is it okay to ask these kinds of questions to question two examine two to interrogate even if you symptoms in the context of interrogations in the New Testament. For example, Luke uses the same word in his Gospels are in his gospel to describe Pilate questioning or interrogating Jesus, finding him to be innocent and so so we should search the Scriptures interrogate them if if you will, not so that we can reject them or be critical of them, but so that we might understand them if that's what you're doing if you're opening up the word of God. You're thinking about these doctrines you've heard about in your being Berea in your your examining the Scripture your wanting to grow in it and understand it.

Then I would commend you.

But if what you're doing is what sadly a lot of people in society have done today and in your approaching the Scriptures as a critic you know you say well I don't know if I wanted him to embrace that I'm in a recheck that you're putting yourself over the word of God.

Instead of submitting to it will then will think there needs to be a shift there needs to be a change in that situation were called to repentance, to submit to what the word of God teaches to embrace it, then it may be that that you know they're there difficult doctrines that we have a hard time understanding to begin with me. Peter says he knew Paul in his writing CD says all sorts of difficult things that that the unlearned twist to their own destruction. But I would encourage you to continue to grow in the word of God to ask those hard questions I buy. Pray that you're in a good church where your your being cared for by my pastor is able to walk with you through some of these things but continued to search the Scriptures and to submit to them.

And as you do, you will experience the grace of God more and more in your life. And so thank you for that question and may the Lord help you to continue to search the Scriptures great counsel. Thank you for that Israel. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life.

Our phone lines will be open for the next 10 minutes or so and you can hop on the phone right now and give us a call 833-843-2673. We are open to questions about the Bible, the Christian life doctrine theology may be how your your Christian walk intersects with what's going on in today's culture. Give us a call 833 core let's go to Bobby in Wichita, Kansas, Bobby, what is your question for pastor atrial. How are you today I'm doing well Bobby how are you I'm doing great doing great. Yesterday was my birthday. I'm 53 years old. All right hey happy belated birthday hope you were able to to celebrate brother. Let's hear what your question, I will love the word and I love the Lord reading I ponder in between the inspired work no and no. There is a big gap in the life of Jesus that nobody knows about between 12 and 30 years and he was a carpenter's son and he grew to be a carpenter and I've always wondered what do you think Jesus said when he smashed his thumb with a hammer. Oh well yeah I would want to speculate he never sinned, so he probably just raise the father and I am not sure this is an interesting question, and it's interesting that the Bible doesn't really really give us a lot of indication what was taking place during that time that there have been other people who wrote after the apostles and the disciples of our Lord Jesus who try to sort of fill in the gap and you have these these stories about this or childhood Jesus which are which are all made up a mediated you you read about them in some of these extra biblical quote unquote real writings and in addition to make you laugh because Jesus does things as a kid like he makes his friends disappear or he is actually known is kind of a little bit of a troublemaker, such as it is out there that the Scriptures don't tell us, and in fact I think what one thing that we can glean is you know when Jesus goes back to his hometown to Nazareth, the people greeted him there.

It isn't this just you know Mary and Joseph's kid on his brothers here in it is in his family.

We know him that we seen him grow up. There didn't seem to be anything anything miraculous about him. And so they were cost to stumble, they they couldn't grasp how the hometown. Jesus was the Messiah. So I think right there you have an indication that what was happening during that time wasn't you know teenage Jesus doing miracles and so on and so forth that he was growing other week as he was growing in the grace and knowledge of his father. If you will, as the second person of the holy Trinity living a perfect life of obedience every step of the way for us, Bobby. That's what that's what the Bible teaches and then Scripture focuses when it comes to the life of Jesus who focuses on his earthly ministry. The miracles he he did beginning bearing in Cana of Galilee. John chapter 2, casting out devils binding Satan going to the cross and rising from the dead. That's where the biblical writers want to direct our attention. That's where we should be focusing and so we start speculating about you, what was Jesus doing when he was 17 or what was Jesus doing was 18. That's how God wants us to be be be focusing on. God wants to direct our eyes to the work of Christ in particular the work of redemption. What he accomplished on the cross and through his resurrection.

So I think that's why the Scriptures speak so clearly to that and that's really should direct our eyes got bless Bobby thanks for that for that question. Thanks Bobby appreciate you being a regular listener to core Christianity by the way, if you have a question for a drill about the Bible and Christian life. You can leave a voicemail 24 hours a day. We do our best to check our voicemails regularly and get back to you so feel free to do that at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Melissa who was calling in from Topeka, Kansas.

Melissa what your question for pastor atrial… Earlier with and out ordination that I needed more of a general question is why my friend and she said that her church name treatment only ever used the New Testament because the New Testament date feel kind of overrides or you know that negates the Old Testament so great to me and I was just curious what your thoughts are on that or what I could say to her. Yeah hey Melissa, appreciate that question and a lot of people really struggle with how to understand the relationship between the old and the New Testament because read the Old Testament and there are these laws these ceremonies these practices that we don't do as Christians.

So is it relevant to us, and in what sense is it relevant to us to let me just say first and foremost, absolutely yes it is. It's so relevant to us.

In fact, the apostle Paul said in first Corinthian chapter 10. On that note, those things that happen in the Old Testament happened and were written down for our instruction, so that we might learn from them.

Let's one passage of Scripture that you could go to it and maybe read to that chapter 1st printing chapter 10 with your friend. This is for us, but Paul also makes it very clear in verse 30 see me in second Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 that is what he says all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be completely equipped for every good work.

No polis was writing this to Amy. This is during the time were the New Testament is is being rinsed when they're thinking of of the Scripture first and foremost there thinking of of the Old Testament of those Scriptures that that the prophets that they would look to you now as they were anticipating the Messiah and in it Jesus so clearly all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for who for us as Christians. You cannot fully understand the work of Jesus Christ for you. Unless you understand the Old Testament back and we would when Jesus shows up in the Gospel of John. What is what is what is John say in John chapter 1 verse 29 behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world will if you don't understand the Old Testament, the sacrificial system that I can make very much sense to you and so I would I encourage bewitching look. Don't neglect the Old Testament. The Old Testament helps to illuminate so much of what we read in the New Testament. It gives us a deeper understanding of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ for us and as I said when what Paul said in first Corinthians 10 those things happen for our instruction, we read about when we read about that the Exodus we read about the, the wilderness wanderings were meant to learn from those things and so I would. I would just encourage or fronted to dig into the script is in and honestly if if an individual is in a church that rejects the Old Testament doesn't teach the Old Testament.

I would say you're probably going to want to find a different church because it's God's word for us and for to faithfully preach the whole counsel of God's word.

We need to also be in the Old Testament God bless a man thank you for that Andrew. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. Once again we have that free resource available to you today. Tough questions answered. This is an excellent books about 50 pages long and it really helps you to answer some of those difficult questions people have about the Christian faith and to defend your faith when you're talking to somebody who may be as a skeptic or an agnostic or atheist. You can get that for free by going to our website. Core, Christianity.com/sport/offers just look for tough questions answered.

Let's go back to the phone. Samantha is on the line from Kansas City, Missouri Samantha what your question for a drill all hey good afternoon Samantha, what your question follower are not would not. We have no habit to honor the Lord like a great deal in thanking God.

We pray in Jesus name you have any scriptural advice for how to navigate the morning is not of the faith might be biking about though being loyal to cry. Now I'm just reading this morning and my devotion by changing the name of Jesus that help me with the father. Samantha Blatt wide one of the zones I want to pray for you. This is an opportunity to be able to share the love of Jesus with your grandson I would say do all the things that you normally do as a follower of Jesus. Don't feel like you have to. You know, walk on eggshells and he's coming into your home and let me just encourage you with with this I I started walking with the Lord when I was in high school. As a result of Christian hospitality was invited to a friend's home and I spent a lot of time there. His family were were believers they would pray before meals.

They would read the Scriptures in the morning they would have conversations about the Lord and the other will they weren't, you know, trying to ram it down my throat that everything I was just watching. I was a fly on the wall basically in the Lord use that the Lord use their lives to really to really speak to me in and I heard the gospel and that was what what the Lord just Christian hospitality to bring me in. And so I would say pray pray to Jesus. When you worship the Lord be in the word talk about Jesus, don't be. Don't be ashamed to do those things. Things find it to ask questions as well to to see kind of where he's coming from but but don't feel like you need to cower. We are now is as Christians called to to be lights and it sounds like the Lord is giving you an opportunity to do just that for for your grandson so I would encourage you to do all the things that you you do already and maybe even more, and opening the Scriptures maybe yet at the dinner table or having talk specifically about who Jesus is and the, the gospel of Christ is done in your life is. Let me let me pray for you Samantha, as you have this opportunity and pray for your grandson as well. Who's going to be staying with you father thank you for Samantha thank you for the hospitality love the gift of hospitality that you given to her and to her husband and for this opportunity to be hospitable to their grandson. I pray that you would use the circumstances to open his heart, Lord, to your gospel. I pray that you would give them wisdom as they have conversations that you would give them boldness, Lord, not to be ashamed of the gospel but but to speak freely of who you are and and Jesus what you've done and I pray that you would use that look on use your word to work in this young man's heart and so would you be with them. What you give them wisdom which it would just cause him staying with them to be wonderful. Just blessed time full of joy and full of your word in the work of your spirit. We pray in Jesus name, amen Samantha. We will continue to pray for you as your grandson comes to visit somewhat a great opportunity as Israel said night are all just thinking how you know nowadays the whole world is coming to our door with so many different immigrant groups and refugees coming to the United States. What a great opportunity for all of us to share the love of Christ. Yeah I made it something were called to her talk about that. The qualifications for an an elder earlier in first Timothy three, and one of these that Paul mentions, there is hospitality that we minimize if the hospitality was such a big thing in in the ancient near Eastern world and it's something that we as Christians are called the practice and input so wonderful as the Lord uses that frequently to get his word out people coming to us to hear about Jesus. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer.

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