Three Questions (Mt. 10:37-39)

Read Matthew 10:37-39.

1.  Who do you love most?  To follow Jesus, He must be your first love. Is there any person or any thing that you love more than Jesus?  If so, that person or thing is an idol.

2.  What have you left?  When you weren't following Jesus, you bore no cross.  That has changed.  'Taking up your cross' means death to self, sin and the past.  You're a walking dead man!

3.  What are you looking for?  This question has to do with expectation.  Are you looking to make your life better?  How about forgetting yourself, looking to Jesus, and losing yourself in ministry to Him?  The problem is that culture, even church culture, is obsessed with winning.  Jesus calls you to lose.  Lose your self. The most lost Christians are the ones who have "found" themselves.

Bringing Your Questions to Jesus (Jn. 16:16-22)

We're continuing to read through the Gospel of John. Today's reading is John 16:16-33.

Having a finite mind, you will have questions. That's okay.

Jesus already knows both your questions and their answers (Jn. 16:19-22).

Ask Jesus your questions. You don't have to wait for Him to approach you.

The role of the Holy Spirit is to bring clarity to the things Jesus said (Jn. 16:13-14; 14:26). This is called illumination.

The question you don't ask and the seeking you don't do will cause frustration (Jn. 16:18).

Say What? (Hab 1:5-11)

The desired answers to Habakkuk's questions ("How long?" & "Why?") didn't come right away. Instead God answered with something totally unexpected, something that would stir a whole new set of questions and concerns (1:12-17).

1. God might complicate things before clarifying them. So you don't understand what's happening? That's okay. Admit that some things are just out of your league.
2. God might or might not answer your questions to your satisfaction. Will you still pray? Will you still trust Him?
3. God's thoughts and plans are higher than your thoughts and plans. Read Isaiah 55:8-9 and Romans 8:28.
4. God is in control (v. 6 - God raised up the Chaldeans.) of everything you call oppressive, unfair, unjust and unspeakable. You must believe this by faith, since the evidence alone could seduce you to think God is cruel, aloof, uncaring and harsh. The Judge of all the earth will do what is just (Gen 18:25).

Questioning God (Hab 1:2-4)

1. Bring your hard questions to God. No man might be able to answer them, let alone be able to understand. God understands everything.
2. You may not get the answer you want when you want it. God isn't obligated to explain Himself.
3. Your questions are filtered through your humanity and your finite existence. You're asking a particular question because of what you see, what you hear, how you perceive, what you think.
4. Asking tough questions is a sign of a maturing faith. Asking tough questions shouldn't be interpreted as irreverent behavior. God would rather you bring the question to Him than continue to bear it alone. Sometimes your "faith" (faith expression) can be too sanitary, too sane, too safe. You can be honest without being blasphemous.
5. Each person has one or more of these questions. So why not ask? God can handle it.

John's Question (Lu 7:18-23)

Yesterday's reading was Mark 9, 11-12; Luke 7.

1. The context. John is in prison. He knows he doesn't have much time left. He needs to know: Had he properly identified Jesus as the Messiah?
2. The question. "Jesus, are you the Messiah or not?" Let's not make John more than human. It is only natural he might doubt. John wanted to know his life and ministry counted for something. He wanted to be sure he hadn't led anyone astray.
3. The issue. The title "Messiah" was a loaded term. For John it was associated with fire, judgment and deliverance (Mt 3:7-12). John saw none of that. Instead, what was the evidence he was to consider? Blind eyes were opened, lame limbs were in motion, skin diseases were cured, deaf ears were hearing, dead bodies were raised, poor people heard the gospel. Jesus' activity didn't match what John expected.
4. The gentleness. Jesus did not demean John for his honest question. Questions are always welcome with Jesus. He wants us to understand more deeply who He is. What's your perception of Jesus? Is it accurate and complete? Do you feel somehow Jesus hasn't measured up? It is okay to be honest with Him. Bring your questions to Jesus.