The Knight's Map

We wish Sir Charles said just as he will not have from a specific road all the way to talk/we encourage you to bring the whole family together for today's special edition of Renewing Your Mind stories captivate the imagination and history of the solar stories built on truth. Teach timeless lessons to young and today of Renewing Your Mind were going to hear doctors exploring what would be his last children's book. It was published only a year before he went home to be with the Lord in December 2017. I did have the opportunity to sit down with RC to talk about why he wrote this particular story, you hear that you right after he reads the Mike's map the Knights map. The McFarland's had family devotions every evening after dinner they read the Bible saying hymns and prayed together one evening, Donovan said dad, the kids at baseball, laugh and tease me and say world fashion they say were wasting our time reading the Bible. That is just an old book full of made up stories. Mr. Farland smiled and said son that probably was been around for a long long time. Many people have laughed at the Bible saying it's not the word of God that is filled with maths and made up stories without meaning for us today. When grandpa comes to saving you can ask him. I think he might have an answer. Donovan and the rest of the children wondered grandpa might say that evening. Grandpa had barely settled into his favorite chair before Donovan repeated his question. Do you think that we can really trust our Bible grandpa's eyes. He said I just happen to have a story about that like to hear the children said all yes grandpa please tell us the story so grandpa began many centuries ago, in a distant land there lived the night his name was Sir Charles and he was a knight without a king's neighbors told stories about the great king and there were rumors that he had created the land and the people other said there was no king at all, or that he was evil all Sir Charles knew was that he had never seen the king one day. Sir Charles received the letter that was signed by the great King Sir Charles the letter said I am the great King. I have known about you for many years, you will find a map included with this letter. It will lead you to the top of the tall mountain a few days journey from here.

If you can follow this map, your reward will be great. You will find a wonderful treasure.

The pearl of great price. This treasure will last forever. It won't rust or fadeaway blessings to you and your Sir Charles is confused at this letter really come that evening. Since then why would he write to Sir Charles.

Despite these questions, something stirred in.

Sir Charles so read the letter again perhaps was true after this confusion only deepened when he looked at the map. It was beautiful also strange. Sir Charles found that he had trouble reading the language was majestic, but he couldn't understand what it meant days past, and Sir Charles could not get the map office mind. Finally he set out on a journey toward the great mountain to find the pearl of great price. Along the way he came upon a man seated at the side of the road.

His name was Mr. skeptic Sir Charles dismounted and asked for help in understanding the map. Mr. skeptic quickly pronounce it worthless why you reading this old piece of paper you can't get any direction from this he said you need to forget about this old map and find your own way and you certainly won't find the pearl of great price.

You're just wasting your time taken back by Mr. skeptic's words Sir Charles pressed on, but soon felt growing doubts that made it even harder to make sense of the man, as a result, he stumbled into a marsh and soon found himself hopelessly lost after several days of wondering came upon a shop that specialized in selling idols.

Sir Charles told the automaker that he was trying to find the pearl of great price, but was having trouble reading the map could EL Mr. automaker looked at the map and said it was unnecessary.

There plenty things that are just as good as the pearl of great price and said also.

They are much easier to find the road you please, you're bound to find one of the trust was encourage the bid demanded by the first road so it was not long before the road became overgrown with thorns and brambles.

Soon it was completely choked. Sir Charles had to turn back when he finally broke free of the tangle.

He and his horse were leaving and breathless.

Returning to the base of the mountain he met a man named Mr. liberal Sir Charles again asked for help in finding a way to the top of the mountain. You certainly don't want to take the path with all the thorns and thistles and briars. He said there's a much easier way to come. There's a wonderful highway just around the corner very broad smoothly pay. The gate is wide and there will be plenty of room for you and your horse.

Sir Charles thanked the man of God's work through the wide gate and onto the broad highway. He was relieved there were no thorns or thistles to entangle him. He hoped he might reach the top of the mountain that very day, but I pray God many miles Unisource began to grow tired suddenly the road ended in a cliff with his trusty horse and taken even one more step. They would've plunged to their death. Stepping back from the ad. Sir Charles realized there was no way for that he would once again have to turn to the base of the mountain he want to give up his as he sat at the base of the mountain, wondering what to do. He was greeted by a man who seem to be carrying all his possessions in a large pack Sir Charles as a last resort asked the traveler if he knew how to find the pearl of great price man whose name was Mr. Pilgrim lowered his pack Sir Charles, I can help you set I've been sent by very wise man. He can help you read the map and find the pearl of great price. Bring Sir Charles was extended followed the man to a small cave in the side of the hill. Inside he found an old man with a kind face seated in the workbench and tinkering with the land. Welcome Sir Charles. I've been expecting you said I brought you here because I understand that you're searching for the pearl of great price.

The night explained that he had received the letter and a map from the king but nothing had turned out to see it out maker smiled and said if you want to find the pearl of great price you want to get safely to the top of the mountain, you must cross them. The great King gave to know who true that map the night didn't know I Sir Charles was the land maker set down his tools and said at the beginning of time. When the great King of the first people he set them in a beautiful park the great King gave them one restriction.

There was one place in the park where they couldn't go a small stone house there are many things for them to enjoy the part that particular house was off limits. He warned them that if they disobeyed they would die one night man. He was the king's enemy, and he said the great King is holding out on their amazing things in that house that he doesn't want you to see if you explore it.

Anything becomes wise is believed the king's enemy crept into the house.

King's enemy had to sing. The king found them in the house and they were banished from the bar outside the park they experience great suffering and eventually they would DC Sir Charles their entire future depended on whether or not they trusted the king and that trust was what the king's enemy, but the king love sometime later send his own son the prince to rescue them from the suffering they had endured and to bring them back to the park. The king love the Prince deeply and reminded him of their special relationship just before sending him to bring the people back to accomplish his mission. The prince had to travel through a dreadful wilderness without food or water near the king's enemy waited until the prince was very thirsty, and then using the strategy that it works so well in the park, he cast doubt on the king and his words he said to the Prince really the king's son. If you are send someone for water. The prince replied I must travel this road alone and without obeying my father is more important to me than quenching my thirst leaving that was the end of the discussion in the Prince went on to restore his people to the park collect great costumes, just as he did with the first people King's enemy tried to tempt the Prince by questioning the Kings were. He said if you are the son of the king this if he might not actually be the king's son land maker paused and said that man you have contains the great kings by Julie exactly his instruction, though the first people failed to listen to the words of the king. The Prince listen to his father no matter what anyone said that obedience cost and greatly and when you find the pearl of great price.

I'm sure you will soon discover much more about the for now you must take out your map trust follow it wherever it leads you. If you follow the map it will take you to the top of the mountain into the pearl of great price. Sir Charles thanked the old man involved that he would follow the map carefully.

Sir Charles opened the saddlebag and took out the map.

Now that he understood that the map contained the words of the great King.

He found that he could understand where once there it only been confusing language. He now found straightforward instructions. The map indicated only one road up the mountain is a narrow road and it had a small following the map. Sir Charles sought and found that very real way, was Sir Charles and the source with the difficult Sir Charles the didn't turn to the left or to the right, just as the old man had promised Steve wrote all the way saw something extraordinary. Instead, he saw a man dressed in beautiful white robes whose voice was like a thunderous wonderful Sir Charles was terrified and sank to his knees, saying who are you man said I am the prince, the son of the great King. Sir Charles bowed his head said I received a letter from your father, summoning me here. I'm looking for the pearl of great price. Can you help me. Prince said Sir Charles, my father and I provided you with the map and enable you to read the map led you to me. I am the pearl of great price understands Sir Charles, my father and I want you to know us. That's why we have called you.

Come with me and I will take you to my father's kingdom is just beyond this mountain.

There you will dwell with us and we will Charles rose unsteadily to his feet and the prince took him by the hand. Together they set up for the king on the mount night live joyfully in the great kings king in the presence of the king and his son and he was eternally grateful for the map that led him there. At that point, Donovan and the other children will one story that was said grandpa. Of course the nights map was a picture of the Bible the same Bible that your family reads every United there will be people will tell you not to trust and to use something else to guide your life but if you like Sir Charles want to find the greatest treasure in all the world.

You must learn as he did to trust the map God is giving you that map is the Bible. It's God's way to lead us to his son, and you can trust everything that it's that was Dr. RC Sproul reading his children's book the nights map.

This beautifully illustrated book is our resource offer today and I'll let you know how you can make a request for the little bit later on as I mentioned, I did have the opportunity to sit down with with RC just a few months.

In fact, before he went home to be with the Lord in 2017 and I wanted to find out why he wrote this particular story, and here's what he had to say. Well actually the inspiration behind it was a novel I read in college by Herman Melville called red burn novel course was famous for his south see stories of moon type B and a group of others and his great adventure stories of the sea, including Billy Bond red burn in the courses great classic Moby Dick, but in red barn. It was the story of a young man he was taking his first voyage across the sea and he was going to go by ship to England to Liverpool and so his father who was from Liverpool gave him an old map of the city so that when he would arrive in Liverpool he would be able to find his way around.

But when he got to his destination tragedy befell an the city had changed completely and so he couldn't find his way around and the map was useless.

Now this was a skeptical view of Scripture that was in interjected here with the problem of red burn. The idea was that the Bible amount is antiquated, it's out of date. It's not a useful tool for navigating our way through life and what this book is about is a parable of the map that is given by God to his night. Sir Charles and if they map that shows him how to get and find the pearl of great price.

Let's continue that metaphor because, as you point out Liverpool change. Therefore the map was useless. How would you respond to the other skeptic of the Bible who maintains that they are our world is changed over the many centuries.

Therefore, how can we trust the Bible to get us where we want to go the word of God stands forever and applies to every conceivable situation that life can throw at us. It's the word of God and God doesn't change. Cities may change cultures may change, but the word of God stands forever, you know that the flower fades and weathers but the word of our God show stand forever when you have a section for parents at the end of the block. It's a series of questions and answers and in Scripture proves to help guide children into a deeper understanding of the scriptural truths behind the book. As you mentioned the map itself, the nights map represents the Bible the great King represents God how about Sir Charles the night as he represents Sir Charles this is the Christian trying to make his way through the journeys of life and of course I borrow some of the imagery from Pilgrim's progress in there and so he meets Pilgrim along the way and of course that is its Sir Charles is the Pilgrim and the story that he meets all the skeptics in Mr. liberal Mr. skeptic in that song just like Pilgrim met Mr. worldly wise in and out Vanity Fair and all of those things it would lead him away from the truth of God and would distract them. So are pilgrims and Prince Charles has to deal with all of the false ways that are suggested alternate ways to find the pearl of great price that are all wrong and misguiding until he finally finds that the lamp maker in the lamp maker. Of course, is the Holy Spirit. He's the one who illumines Scripture for us, and what truth from the Bible is the lamp maker story conveying while the idea is that there is a lamp maker that that the lamp makers of the Holy Spirit is the one who superintended and inspired the text of Scripture in the first place.

But not only that he is the one who illumines our minds to make us possible for us to understand the text of Scripture is not that he adds any kind of new meaning to the text or some mystical insight, but he he takes the scales off our eyes and gives us the ability to understand and embrace the truth. RC I love this story because I really enjoy maps always have I ever enjoyed reading them, studying them, trying to figure out where I am in and how I can get where I want to go.

Some maps can be very simple to read and understand. But others can be quite complex. How does that relate to God's word well again you say that some maps are more difficult to read than others.

And Luther used to speak about the clarity of the Bible, but he acknowledged that not all parts of the Bible are equally clear and so sometimes we can lose our way when we find the difficult passages and Luther's basic principle of interpreting the Bible was you interpret the obscure.

In light of the clear, not the clear in light of the obscure so that you don't turn the Bible into a wax knows they could be twisted in shape according to your own inventions and devices so there's enough there to get the Christian from point a to point B. The Bible is clear enough that it leads the six-year-old child to the Savior. In fact, at one point when Luther was trying to argue for private interpretation to get the hang the Bible into the hands of the laity the church reacted negatively and wanted to keep the Bible trained up and had to be used only by the clergy by the officials of the church and Luther was warned that if you give the Bible to the people.

It will open a floodgate of an equity creating thousands of different churches and denominations all claiming to be the true church which guides us exactly what happened, but Luther what that was not so naïve is that he thought that couldn't happen. He said that might very well happen. But if the floodgates of iniquity be opened sent Luther so be it. Because the value of that book is so great that every person in the individual can find the pearl of great price, even if they get lost other points in the difficulties.

So good to hear RC's voice that we miss them dearly and I treasured every opportunity I had to sit down with them in situations like that to to talk into here is wisdom. We are so grateful though that there we have a vast archive for not just the interviews we did with with RC but his is teaching over the many years of his ministry. You're listening to Renewing Your Mind on this Friday Chaim Lee Webb and that the book we heard RC read today is the nights map and let me invite you to contact us today and request a copy for your own family. It comes in a hardcover picture book style full of beautiful illustrations and easy to read text your children and grandchildren will enjoy looking at the illustrations and reading RC's book over and over will send it to you today for your donation of any amount you can make a request@renewingyourmind.org where you can call us at 800-435-4343. That's 800-435-4343 when I click were going to tackle some important questions including is God responsible for human wickedness. And what about human freedom you want to join is beginning Monday night are so serious.

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