You Can Learn To Like Spinach, Liver, And Theology
Preaching
Lions And Cows Dining Together
And 111 Other Sermon Ideas
Object:
Purpose Statement: We need to overcome our resistance to Sunday school and Bible study.
We are making a big assumption that most people have an aversion to study which would include going to Sunday school, doing Bible study, and discussing religion and theology. For those who like it and do it, bless you. For those who don't like it, the following important message is for you. Remember when God told Eve and Adam in the Garden of Eden not to eat of the tree of knowledge (Genesis 2:15-17)? After all these years it finally dawned on me that that was a trick God pulled on the woman and man to actually get them to eat the forbidden fruit. It always bothered me why God would not want us to have knowledge, but now I see that God knew if the woman and man were told not to study and learn, that is just what they would do, just as the first thing we do when we see a "Wet Paint -- do not touch" sign, is touch it. Did God use reverse psychology on them? Now that I have let the cat out of the bag, I suppose it is too late to use that same reverse psychology on you, and urge you not to taste of the tree of knowledge. The truth is that God wants us to grow in knowledge and understanding. Just as Jesus was eager to discuss theology with the religious leaders in the temple even when he was a young boy (Luke 2:41-50), we also can develop a passion for Bible study and Sunday school.
a. Why we resist theology. What is it about educational activities that causes us to dislike them? Could it be we consider it work? Do we think we don't have the time? Is it because we believe Sunday school and Bible study are boring? Do we consider the subject matter boring or not relevant to our needs? We must discover how important it is and how satisfying it can become.
b. Why we should learn to like theology. Theology is at the heart of life. It is concerned about all of God's world, what it is like, how we should relate to our total environment, as well as the secrets of building meaningful relationships with others. Theology should be the basic foundation of our knowledge and our behavior. It should be the center of our philosophy of life, the origin of our principles, and the focus for all our goal setting. We may find ourselves in one of two categories.
1. Some folks believe they are proficient in religion and psychology (and they probably aren't). They erroneously believe they have a healthy foundation of beliefs and a good common sense. Apparently not enough of us are really as mature as we think or we wouldn't have a world with so much conflict, poverty, violence, anger, crime, and domestic abuse. We may not appreciate what we are missing until we seriously explore our faith and theology.
2. The rest of us acknowledge our theological deficiency and believe it is all too complicated for our limited capacity.
c. How to learn to like theology. When I was a senior in college I saw two roommates playing chess. I didn't know how the game was played, and since I despised checkers, I knew I would also dislike chess as well. Yet, I wanted to know what it was all about because it was a popular game and part of our culture, even though I was convinced I would never like the game. I at least wanted to be knowledgeable even if I never played the game again. I asked my roommates to teach me all about chess and I immediately became excited about the game. It has provided me with much enjoyment over the years. There was once a product advertised with the slogan, "Try it; you'll like it." We need to expose ourselves to theology: discuss the nature of God and what it means to be a Christian. If it doesn't take with one bite, try a few more bites. Patience and persistence should bring very satisfying rewards. When we become thoroughly immersed in theology, we will find it not just interesting, but possibly fascinating, enjoyable, and certainly very helpful. If someone, after sufficient attempts, still is unable to become excited over theology, that rare individual should grit her or his teeth and do Bible study and Sunday school anyway. We probably don't enjoy a visit to the dentist, but it is a wise thing to do. While it will take some individuals more effort than others, everyone can grow to appreciate and even enjoy discussions concerning God's will and what it means to be a Christian.
We are making a big assumption that most people have an aversion to study which would include going to Sunday school, doing Bible study, and discussing religion and theology. For those who like it and do it, bless you. For those who don't like it, the following important message is for you. Remember when God told Eve and Adam in the Garden of Eden not to eat of the tree of knowledge (Genesis 2:15-17)? After all these years it finally dawned on me that that was a trick God pulled on the woman and man to actually get them to eat the forbidden fruit. It always bothered me why God would not want us to have knowledge, but now I see that God knew if the woman and man were told not to study and learn, that is just what they would do, just as the first thing we do when we see a "Wet Paint -- do not touch" sign, is touch it. Did God use reverse psychology on them? Now that I have let the cat out of the bag, I suppose it is too late to use that same reverse psychology on you, and urge you not to taste of the tree of knowledge. The truth is that God wants us to grow in knowledge and understanding. Just as Jesus was eager to discuss theology with the religious leaders in the temple even when he was a young boy (Luke 2:41-50), we also can develop a passion for Bible study and Sunday school.
a. Why we resist theology. What is it about educational activities that causes us to dislike them? Could it be we consider it work? Do we think we don't have the time? Is it because we believe Sunday school and Bible study are boring? Do we consider the subject matter boring or not relevant to our needs? We must discover how important it is and how satisfying it can become.
b. Why we should learn to like theology. Theology is at the heart of life. It is concerned about all of God's world, what it is like, how we should relate to our total environment, as well as the secrets of building meaningful relationships with others. Theology should be the basic foundation of our knowledge and our behavior. It should be the center of our philosophy of life, the origin of our principles, and the focus for all our goal setting. We may find ourselves in one of two categories.
1. Some folks believe they are proficient in religion and psychology (and they probably aren't). They erroneously believe they have a healthy foundation of beliefs and a good common sense. Apparently not enough of us are really as mature as we think or we wouldn't have a world with so much conflict, poverty, violence, anger, crime, and domestic abuse. We may not appreciate what we are missing until we seriously explore our faith and theology.
2. The rest of us acknowledge our theological deficiency and believe it is all too complicated for our limited capacity.
c. How to learn to like theology. When I was a senior in college I saw two roommates playing chess. I didn't know how the game was played, and since I despised checkers, I knew I would also dislike chess as well. Yet, I wanted to know what it was all about because it was a popular game and part of our culture, even though I was convinced I would never like the game. I at least wanted to be knowledgeable even if I never played the game again. I asked my roommates to teach me all about chess and I immediately became excited about the game. It has provided me with much enjoyment over the years. There was once a product advertised with the slogan, "Try it; you'll like it." We need to expose ourselves to theology: discuss the nature of God and what it means to be a Christian. If it doesn't take with one bite, try a few more bites. Patience and persistence should bring very satisfying rewards. When we become thoroughly immersed in theology, we will find it not just interesting, but possibly fascinating, enjoyable, and certainly very helpful. If someone, after sufficient attempts, still is unable to become excited over theology, that rare individual should grit her or his teeth and do Bible study and Sunday school anyway. We probably don't enjoy a visit to the dentist, but it is a wise thing to do. While it will take some individuals more effort than others, everyone can grow to appreciate and even enjoy discussions concerning God's will and what it means to be a Christian.
