Am I Overthinking My Faith?

Can we ever have too much head knowledge about the Christian faith. So much so that it interferes with our hard knowledge that's just one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity hi Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Christian life every day.

You can call us with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673.

You can also email us at questions@corechristianity.com just the word questions at core, Christianity.com will Israel as a pastor in California. Your church has basically been under a lockdown for the past month or so and yet you've been actively serving those in your community who are particularly hard-hit by some other the economic consequences of the coronavirus. Can you tell us what your congregation has been up to some of our deacons had a great idea of putting together care packages of food you come to some of the staple items and giving them to those who are in need and so we've been able to put together several boxes of just the food we got the pasta and is even some toilet paper and there was some sure people really appreciate you and is kind of funny when that becomes the gift that everybody wants, but that's what we've been doing is the church and obviously just continuing to seek to be faithful in teaching the word of God and even though we can gather together it's it's need to be able to preach and teach the Internet lifestream that kind of thing and so that were seeking to be a blessing to our neighbors and into continue to minister to the people in our church as well who are in need.

So we appreciate that so much. Let's jump into our first question and this one comes from Jordan who posted this on our Instagram page. He says I've been really struggling in my Christian walk friends have told me that it's because I focused too much on head knowledge and not enough on the heart. I thought I would ask you guys what you thought about head knowledge getting in the way of the heart and what I should be doing to improve my walk with God. Jordan, thank you for your question.

I remember years ago when I was thinking about going to seminary in order to study Hebrew and Greek and theology to prepare to preach and teach the Bible. A pastor who was a friend of mine and he really discouraged me, but you might've heard this, he said seminary a cemetery.

That's where you go if you want your faith to shrivel up and die in a course. I really struggled with his words because it was the last thing that I wanted. We can't hit the head against the heart in the Christian faith. God gets to our heart through our head.

Oftentimes grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Peter said to him be the glory both now into the day of eternity. Amen. Second Peter chapter 3 verse 18. But you know what he says there grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I think it's so important for us Jordan to continue to grow in the knowledge of the Lord and how do we do that we do that by studying the word of God.

You know Paul told Timothy and in second Timothy chapter 2. Do your best to present yourself to God as an approved worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. I think we want to take this very seriously as the word of God so I would encourage her brother keep digging in. Keep in a stimulating your mind as you study the Scriptures. I think that the problem that people often have here is they think you know a true relationship with God is something that spontaneous, you know I just I just really rooted in the feeling is not so much in studying in the hard work of going through a passage of Scripture and seeking to understand it. It's both Dan, I think it's as we study the Scriptures we fall in love with the more we get to know the God of the Scriptures, and that's what reduces the feelings and so I wouldn't say that.

That's why your struggling brother.this doesn't mean that there isn't such a thing as a sort of you know, hold dry orthodoxy if you will. I think of the religious leaders in Jesus is damning. They were the experts on the Bible and yet it's very clear that they didn't have a relationship with the Lord. So it is possible to study the word of God and not change the heart. I think we have to pray God as we study your word because your word to lead us to your son Jesus, so that we might be changed or transformed by your word so that it might bear fruit in our lives such a great response and of course I'm thinking of Jesus as ghetto greatest commandment love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. And that's one of the areas where if we have this great head knowledge but were not loving our neighbor were not loving those around us that can get us in trouble by reference. The Pharisees there and that's exactly what you see with them. It seems like they look at everybody with contempt. They viewed themselves as as righteous in God's eyes.

You know, we study the Scriptures all day long and yet Jesus says, but you're not willing to come to me you don't realize the sin that you have and so when that's the case, oftentimes you're right though we don't seek to love our neighbor as God calls us to demand your listing to core Christianity with Bill Meyer and Pastor Israel Sanchez. We would love to hear from you. If you have a question for us 833-843-2673.

You can also email us at questions at core, Christianity.com now a drill. Let's go to our first call of the day. 1631 at Tripoli on the Lord Jesus Christ and how shall be saved and house and I wonder how that translates to your family to hunt the leaders. I can't think.

Yes, it's a beautiful passage Laura. I mean this is the conversion of the Philippian jailer and he's hearing the gospel preaching as you said, rightly, they say they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved you and your household in the Bible you have what's called the household principal and Lori it's so beautiful. It tells us something about the God that we worship firsters with not being said in this passage of Scripture. These words don't mean that. If you believe in Jesus your whole family is for sure going to believe in Jesus to this is clear throughout the Bible and from our own experience, you think of how many kings in the Old Testament walk with the Lord, whose children ended up turning away from the Lord, and of course that the many faithful Christian parents who they raise their children in the Lord. And yet, for whatever reason, you know the end up turning away from the faith. Ordinarily speaking, though, here's what I think were supposed to glean from this passage, God works through the family.

His intention is always to bless the family unit with his salvation theirs's promise it's repeated throughout the Scriptures that you might be familiar with the Lord said in places like Genesis 17 verse seven I'm in a be a God to you and to your children after you, Peter on the day of Pentecost as he was preaching the gospel when the Holy Spirit fell on the multitude, he said. The promise is to you and to your children and to all who are far off Lord to you if you're listening right now you have children. God doesn't just want to be your God's promises aren't just for you. If you're in Christ there for you and for your kids and you should raise your children with those promises, front and center so that they might lay hold of the God who wants to bless them with his salvation. So in short, what I would say that you know what were supposed to gather from this sort of household principal in the Scriptures that you see played out right there in acts chapter 16 verse 31 is that God loves the family and the family unit is a key component to the advancement of the gospel throughout the world and or let me ask you a follow-up question about that. There's the proverb about, you know, teaching your child the ways of the Lord, and when they're older, they will not depart from it. Yet I think we have to bear in mind that is not a promise that is a guidance forest from the Old Testament, Sage, and I think a lot of parents get tripped up thinking that this is somehow a guarantee yeah you know you talk to so many people in the Lord who said I just feel like I unite my children to church and and prayed for them and seem like we did all the right things and for whatever reason we don't understand why things are the way they are right now that they don't seem to have an interest in the things of the Lord and in that they can take a passage like that and they can get angry at the Lord is a God, you, you promised me this.

What's the deal, and I think that's right. That's why it's so important for us to understand books like the book of Proverbs and in the wisdom that's been given to us. They're not.

Another is I think this principle right like ordinarily speaking again.

God doesn't tend to work in and through the family. We don't want to downplay that we don't want to downplay the importance of leading our children to the Lord. Praying for them, discipling them amid. This is what God calls us to. And I think typically that bears fruit. We can't assume that just because we do that our children are to be 70 salvation is of the Lord. This is the work of God is not something that I can manufacture no matter how faithful I am. I'm reliant on dependent upon the Lord we all are and I think that's were reminded of over and over again in the Scriptures. This is core Christianity, and you can always call us 24 hours a day and leave your question at this number it's 1-833-843-2673 or you want to spell it on your phone.

It's 833 the core.

You can also connect with us through our website at core, Christianity.com okay drill we have a call from Pam family while I'm having a hard time determining where this and I guess starting at 35, be dressed in readiness and keep your lamps light and be like men who are waiting for their master, when he returns from the wedding feast so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks in verse 37 Blessed are those two those slaves him, the master shall find on the alert when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will gird himself to serve and have them recline at the table and will come up and wait on them. Whether he comes in the second watch, or even the third & Stanfill Blessed are the site and then it goes on.

Just wondering where does that fit and what does all that mean a damn thank you and thank you for reading that passage, we just finish it in verse 39 were you stopped reading assist but know this, that is the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not of left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. I think that's the key. There, in this text. What Jesus is doing is he's painting a picture here of readiness for us to word take away from this is the we have to be ready for the Lord's return. I member when I was in high school. There was one night I was woken up in the middle of the night because I heard a terrible scream just shocking and my door opened. I was I was sleeping and my mom walked in and she burst into tears and said someone was just in our house. Apparently someone had yeah it was. It was it was scary me someone had broken into our house was in our living room.

At that time, it might my little sister you know she would crawl into my mom's bed where my mom slept. She woke up my mom and for my month at a medical sleep in the living room lamp when my mom got to the living room. There was a man dressed in all black, standing in the middle of the living room and that's what my mom screamed and that was what woke me up and when she screamed. The guy ran out of the house and of course you don't call the police and all that ever thinking you know all man if I would've known that guy was in the future I would if I would've been awake, waiting with the baseball bat and just never know that's that's that that's the thing you always have to be ready.

Jesus said he comes as a thief in the night. One of the signs of the end times that Peter talked about Pam was that scoffers were going to say where is the promise of his coming because the Lord Terry's they're going to engage in wickedness.

They're going to say that I don't have to live for the Lord. I used to be like this before I came to the Lord.

I remember thinking you know how much time do I have to live how I want before I I have to get my life in order. You know, and answer to Jesus actually is sort of funny I you told me that passage in the book of Revelation where it says that he comes with the clouds, and so I remember as a non-Christian, thinking well if if Jesus is real and these coming back someday to judge the earth.

He's coming with the clouds so if it wasn't a cloudy day.

I would tell myself, you've probably not going to come today, so it was it was it was pretty bad. Pam.

This whole passage is saying, look, we as followers of Jesus we need to be ready. We need to be ready and what what does that look like it looks like it's kind of interesting.

What Jesus says in that passage beginning at verse 35 state dressed for action. Keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast that they might open the door to him. Once he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes that you know there's been people throughout the history of the church. Is that okay the lamps burning, you know, that's it, that's a sign of being filled with the fire of God's word, or the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I don't know that were supposed to draw those kinds of lines of analogy, presuming I guess that you could, but I think that, but the simple point that Jesus is making here is are you ready are you ready are you ready for the Lord's return and being ready.

Looks like really being clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ by faith. That's a question we each have to ask ourselves, am I ready, MI clothed in that righteousness of Jesus by faith Pam, thank you so much for your call. You're listening to core Christianity hi Bill Meyer, with Pastor Israel Sanchez and by the way, if you've a question for us.

Here is the number to call. It's 1-833-843-2673. That's 1-833-843-2673 also's all that out it's 833 the court also send us a question on her Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts.

We would love to hear your question, we mentioned a couple times this week that our good friend Dr. Michael Horton won't be on the program on a regular basis, but he will be joining us periodically and we actually have a special message from Dr. Horton that would like to share with you as we reflect on the difficulties families, churches, businesses, our nation and basically all people around the world right now are facing having a sure confidence in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and his resurrection on our behalf is absolutely critical. We aim to answer the hard unsettling questions of our times with both skeptics and committed Christians in mind, we give answers that not only show why Christianity is true but also why it's good and beautiful. Your support alongside the work of our team is making a real difference in people's lives difference in helping others to live with hope, joy and confidence in that difference is eternal so please consider sending a gift right now to help us continue as a thank you gift for $20 or more will send you our brand-new core Christianity Bible study on Paul's letter to the Romans to make a gift and receive this study on Paul's letter to the Romans, head on over to core Christianity.com that's core Christianity.com on behalf of the entire team that core radio. Thanks for your support. I love resources like this you know they force us to get into the Scriptures and to dig deeper than we normally do. So I hope that you take advantage of this this resource on the book of Romans I notes in a bless you and your family as well writer let's go to our Facebook page and Christina has a question for us. What is a good commentary or resource to use to help understand Scripture.

I find that when I read my Bible. I get a bit confused but I'm not sure where to go to get true biblical clarifications. Christina, thank you for that question.

Love that you're reading the Scriptures. I think you're looking for a one stop commentary may that the best thing to do would be to get a study Bible that I've recommended the ESV study Bible on a number of occasions. I think that's a great resource.

It will give you some of the historical background, and especially when you when you come across a passage that there are a lot of questions and in different interpretations often times there will be some great notes in the ESV study Bible and helping you wade through the different interpretations and thinking through which one is the most faithful to the Scriptures. Other sort of commentaries is that you know it's interesting because there are some that you you read them and you think you have no idea what they're talking about and Darren Gladden all these other things. I think one that's pretty accessible commentary series.

It's pretty accessible is the NIV application commentary series and that's great for just the person in the pew. If you want to dig deeper into a particular book of the Bible. You might check to see if that book is covered by the NIV application commentary series, let me just also give you three key interpretive tips. When you're reading the Bible.

I think this is really important first context.

Writing be probably heard that one context context context want to make sure that were understanding verses of Scripture in their context, not lifting them out of you know the chapter of the book that they're in and just sort of drawing applications from this one verse that's separated or severed from its context. Second, and I think this one is really important to let the clearer passages of Scripture interpret the less clear passages of Scripture. This is key because sometimes you come across diversity.

Just think, I have no idea what that thing seems to be calling this really important doctrine into question that's affirmed everywhere else in the Bible. How do we handle this well.

We want to let the clear text. Help us to understand the less clear ones in the last one I would just say sister is Jesus is the center that mean to sound so simple, but let me be honest it took me a long time to get that all scriptures should be leading us to Jesus you know who said that Jesus himself in Luke chapter 24 when he's with his disciples on the road to Emmaus heat. He stops them and he shows them how all of the scriptures point to him. Luke chapter 24 verse 44, let me just read you what it says there listen to this.

Christina and he said to them, these are my words that I spoke to you while I was with you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled should so interesting.

Jesus is is alluding there to the three major divisions of the Old Testament, the law, the prophets, and the writings notebooks like the book of Psalms using all of it points to me info in your study of the Bible. Christina, you ought to be led to Jesus.

Whether you're in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, Jesus told the religious leaders in John chapter 5, you search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and these are the very Scriptures that testify of me. And so we want to make sure were reading the Bible and its context will we want to make sure that were letting the clear passages interpret the less clear ones we want to make sure that were being led to Jesus as we study the Scriptures, federal, one of the books we recommended to our kids to help them understand context and that big word. Hermeneutics is the book how to read the Bible for all it's worth, which came out several years ago by Gordon fee and it's another resource that might be helpful to really understand what Scripture is saying and how how to interpret it in its context.

That's great, Bill. Thank you for sharing another one that comes to mind is walking with Jesus through his word, discovering Christ in all the Scriptures by a professor that I had in seminary, Dennis Johnson, that's another one you might want to check out. Maybe we can put those resources on the show notes for today's episode some great resources that hopefully I will help her Israel. By the way, if you have a question for us. You can always call 24 hours a day at 833-843-2673. You can also email us with your question at questions at core, Christianity.com that Jonathan emailed us and he said hi guys, I love the show I listen most days on my morning walk, something I've heard you say in passing a couple of times is that when we are struggling with our sin.

We need to fix our eyes on Christ. Can you explain this a little more yeah Jonathan. I think that this is so important for us, especially when were struggling not to look in to look outside of us to Jesus in the languages is biblical you think about places like Hebrews chapter 12 verses one into.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus Barrett is right there lay aside the sin and look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith isn't that so encouraging. I'm not the founder of my faith and I'm not the perfecter of it. It's Jesus, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God's soak one of the reasons we say this over and over again is because I know as a pastor when when were struggling people are struggling with sin, we have a tendency to do the navelgazing to to look within and and to get discouraged, depressed to not continue to seek the Lord because we feel hopeless and that's the reality is when we look within what we see we see all of our brokenness. We see our sin. We see our need and if we stay looking within were just going to grow more and more depressed.

We have to look up we have to is the author. The Hebrew says there in Hebrews 12 wanted to look to Jesus.

He's the one who's going to perfect our faith. He's the one whose sanctifying us. He's the one who through his cross has forgiven all of our sins now practical question here is how do we look to Jesus and were told that he seated at the right hand of God. I can stare into space and see Jesus somewhere off in the distance. What is what is the Scripture means when it says we need to look to Jesus will.

Here's how we see Jesus today. Jonathan through the preaching of the holy gospel. Paul told the Galatians that when he preached the gospel to them. It was as if Jesus himself was placarded the word that he used his bill boarded before them. In Galatians chapter 3 verse one. So it's sort of an odd way to say it, but we see Jesus through hearing the word. The question for each and every one of us is am I hearing the word and might in a good church like open up the Scriptures in my seeing Jesus through his word and that's what we need to go as were struggling when were struggling go to the word and we look Jesus and there we receive, thanks for listening to court Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at court, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673 that's a 33, the court when you contact us.

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