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Tell Me More
August 16, 2015
How much do you desire to search out the ways of the Almighty God of the universe? How deep is your longing to know God better and to please Him more as each day passes? Are content with hearing the basics of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, or do you hunger for God's righteousness? - Bernie Parsons
Tell Me More
by Bernie Parsons
Presented to Globe church of Christ on 08-16-2015
One of the marks of a sincere student of God’s word is the person who
desires to hear more. The apostles and early disciples had this need to
know more.
Mark 13:1 "And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith
unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!
2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings?
there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown
down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter
and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,
4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when
all these things shall be fulfilled?"
In the apostle Paul’s travels, he found those who desired to hear more,
once that they had heard the basic gospel of the death, burial and
resurrection of Jesus.
Acts 13:14 "But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in
Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the
synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any
word of exhortation for the people, say on.
16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel,
and ye that fear God, give audience."
Acts 13:
Acts 13:42 "And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the
Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next
sabbath.
43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and
religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them,
persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. 44 And the next sabbath
day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and
spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and
blaspheming.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that
the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put
it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we
turn to the Gentiles.
47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a
light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the
ends of the earth.
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the
word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the
chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas,
and expelled them out of their coasts.
51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto
Iconium.
52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost."
There were those among the Gentiles who desired to hear more once they
had heard the basics.
Acts 17:18 "Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the
Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say?
other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he
preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we
know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know
therefore what these things mean.
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their
time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of
Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with
this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly
worship, him declare I unto you."
Acts 17:32 "And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some
mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
33 So Paul departed from among them.
34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was
Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with
them."
Jews far removed from Jerusalem and Judaea longed to hear more of God’s
word.
Acts 28:21 "And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of
Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or
spake any harm of thee.
22 But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning
this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.
23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into
his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God,
persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out
of the prophets, from morning till evening.
24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed
not.
25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that
Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the
prophet unto our fathers,
26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and
shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull
of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with
their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart,
and should be converted, and I should heal them.
28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent
unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great
reasoning among themselves.
30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received
all that came in unto him,
31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern
the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him."
The eunuch in the chariot in the desert wanted to understand more of
what he was reading.
Acts 8:34 "And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of
whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and
preached unto him Jesus.
36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and
the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be
baptized?"
Peter told the new converts to seek more information so that they might
grow in the Lord.
1 Peter 2:1 "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and
hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may
grow thereby:
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious."
The writer of Hebrews emphasized the importance of moving on from the
basics.
Hebrews 5:12 "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have
need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the
oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of
strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of
righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those
who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good
and evil."
Paul told the Colossian Christians to be filled with knowledge of God’s
will. It is that which leads us to produce the fruits of good works, and
which strengthens and sustains us.
Colossians 1:9 "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do
not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with
the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being
fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto
all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:"
