Let's Make Our Learning Real

LET'S MAKE OUR LEARNING REAL

Text: Psa 34:8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.

Introduction: Little Jo Bob starts to crawl. When he approaches a hot stove, mother turns him around with a firm "NO, NO! and heads him in another direction. His learning process is in progress. Though perhaps only dimly perceived, he learns that mother doesn't want him near that object. This makes it all the more interesting and enticing. He heads for it again. This time the "NO" may be reinforced with a slap on the seat of learning. He continues, however, in his endeavours to satisfy his urges to reach the forbidden target. Mother increases the negative reinforcement of her orders. Finally, while mother's back is turned, he reaches his goal! His hand reaches out to caress the coveted object; his shrieks of anguish signal the fact that all the previous lessons have now become a very personal reality to him. The forbidden goal can be a painful thing to reach! {Chasing after sin is like a dog chasing a car; He has no use for it and if he catches it, it will destroy him.

Throughout life, we accumulate facts; they mean nothing until we learn to relate to them in a REAL way. For instance, when he learns the facts of life, he might vaguely understand that someday he might become a father. Then, one day he holds a squirming bundle in his arms and the knowledge is suddenly frighteningly real; This is a human life, and I'm responsible for it!" Now his learning has become real.

Do we HAVE to actually experience before we really know something? No, but it must become real to us in some way.

The winter in Valley Forge for Washington and his men was a rather obscure historical fact for me for years. One day, I read a detailed account of it and suddenly, it seemed I was there! I felt the pain, the hunger, the fever and the awful cold. I saw thin bodies shivering as they clutched their ragged blankets and I saw the bloody footprints in the snow. There were the bodies of the dead, stacked like cordwood, waiting for the ground to thaw for burial. Valley Forge will never be just an historical fact for me again.

Many other parts of history have not yet become real because I haven't taken the time or trouble to 'be there'.

These principles hold true for spiritual lessons.

"The Bible is a library of 66 books written over a period of about 1500 years by about 40 different writers." After having this drilled into me daily for a couple of years, I had it down pat and could even pass a test on the FACTS.
These facts only became real for me when I began to see for myself, in our modern context, the amazing proofs of divine inspiration.

1500 years ago, it was the year 500. If any writer of that day had written a book on any subject, even one in which he was an authority, and then from that day until now, others, from all walks of life, had written on the same subject, if there had been even slight agreement on the matter throughout the years it would have been an amazing feat! Consider, then, that in the Bible there is not slight, but TOTAL agreement on, not one, but MANY subjects and all are correct and agree with all KNOWN facts of science and the realm of amazing coincidence is left behind and the only conclusion we can arrive at, is that of Divine Inspiration!

Then, add another facet to the jewel we call Scripture; This writing, began 3500 years ago and completed 2000 years ago, not only tells us in detail of events even NOW unfolding before our eyes, but also speaks to each of our individual fears, hopes and needs on a daily basis and what may at first have appeared to be dull facts, become living, breathing, life sustaining realities.

As I now examine my own learning and the lessons I have taught, it comes to my mind that I have often accumulated and disseminated facts without any real effort toward any real personal relationship to those facts!

I am further made to realize that on those occasions when my teaching was received with enthusiasm, with feed-back and spiritual growth in the church, were times when I had a very personal absorption and relationship to those things being taught.

Consider the 5000 people of the 6th chapter of John;
John 6:10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
They accepted the FACT that Jesus could feed them. They ate.

VV 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
They accepted the FACT that it was a great miracle. They marvelled

VV 14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
They accepted the FACT that here was a great man; They wanted to make him king!

VV 24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
They accepted the FACT that he was a great teacher. They sought him out.

V 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
They accepted the FACT of their responsibility to God. They inquired about it.

V 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread
They accepted the FACT of their need; BUT they refused to enter into the personal relationship necessary to have that need met.
John 6:41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
John 6:42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
John 6:61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
John 6:62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
John 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
John 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. John 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with

Consider our own personal relationship to accepted Bible truths;

1. The judgment seat of Christ:
Rom 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
II Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

A. Fact; Christ WILL judge his people
John 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

B. Fact; ALL the saved will be judged.
Rom. 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

C. Fact; The standard of judgment will be the revealed will of God as found in the Bible.
Rev. 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

D. Fact; Our works will be tried by fire.
I Cor. 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

E. Fact; Many of the saved will suffer loss.
I John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
II John 8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
F. Fact; Many of the saved will rejoice to hear "Well Done".
Mat. 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Now, let's make these things REAL:
A. Can I picture myself answering for EVERY deed?
B. Am I really There, giving account for my wasted hours?
C. Can I justify every idle word and deed?
D. How much of MY last 24 hours will survive the fire?
E. WHAT KIND OF EFFECT WILL ALL THESE THINGS HAVE ON MY PRESENT LIFE?