The Sufficency of Scripture: The Purpose of Education

Kids Devotional: Baptism and putting on the jersey for team Jesus.

Intro:

There are going to be some longer pauses in our time together this morning. It isn’t because I am starved for material. I want to give us a chance to think about this topic.

Then, if you choose to continue in education, the hours continue to pile up. Only now, you are paying for someone to influence you understanding on certain topics.

Outline:

Thoughts and Questions: “What and Why”

What The Bible Says: “” (vs. 1-4)

Summary: Education is all about Highlighting the pervaisive will of God in all things.

Prayer:

Thoughts and Questions: “What and Why?”

What?

In the last 2 years we have experienced something in this topic that we have never faced before and should cause us to think about it. What do you think of first when you hear the word “education”?

School, learning, instruction, teaching, student, homework, sitting at a desk,

We spend 6 hours a day, 190 days a year, for 12-13 years! 1,140 hours a year and between 13,680-14,820 hours in the first 18 years of their life! So, what do you think about the method, the conent, or the purpose of all of this time? Who do you entrust with this to be the instructor?

Then, if you choose to continue in education, the hours continue to pile up. Only now, you are paying for someone to influence you understanding on certain topics.

Definition from Oxford, “the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university.”

who is the source of authority on these systematic instructions

What is the content

What is the objective

Is all education done in the classroom?

Does the word of God have anything to say about this?

Why?

What is the purpose of education? What is the end goal that you are seeking for yourself or your children?

Knowledge, Career, Priviledge, Character development, Superiority

Childcare while you pursue your career and goals or seek to care for your family as a single parent?

It is the law

Then, if you choose to continue in education, the hours continue to pile up. Only now, you are paying for someone to influence you understanding on certain topics.

What The Bible Says: “” (vs. -)

OT (vs. -)

Gen 1 “and God said”- The purpose of education is to know what God said.

Gen 1:28 “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” The pervaisive will of God in education is meant to give us purpose

Gen 2:16 “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,” The pervaisive will of God in education is meant to give boundaries for our own well-being both physically and spiritually.

Even before the fall, God is instructing perfect Adam and Eve. So, the need for instruction is not a product of the fall.

Exodus 20 and the writing of the 10 commandments of God. The pervaisiveness of God’s will is enough to educate a nation.

Leviticus: process of God instructing Moses and Moses instructing the people about the law and commandments of God

Deuteronomy 6:1-15 is a major section that we have heard of. Which follows chapter 5 as Moses summoned all Israel to hear the statutes and the rules that he speaks in order to learn them and be careful to do them.

Deut. 6:1-3 ““Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you,

that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son,

by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.

Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Outline from 2 Tim 3:16-17, when we talked a couple of weeks ago

Source (teacher)- Is God, “ This is the Commandment- the statues and the rules- that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you…Be careful to do them”.

Content - “Commandments, statutes, and rules that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you”

Objective- Do them in the land…you may fear the Lord your God, you and your sons and your son’s son, your days may be long, that is may go well with you, that you may multiply greatly.

NT (vs. -)

Luke 2:52 “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”

The Apostles were not educated ment (Acts 4:13)

The most educated Apostle was Paul (Acts 26:24) to much study has made you mad

Colossians 1:9-14 “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with- not that you are capable of filling yourself, this is passive

the knowledge of his will in all- the personal recognition of God’s attitude of mind and why He tells us to favour what He says as opposed to any other source of knowledge. Like Deut said, “the fear of the Lord”.

spiritual wisdom- for the soul, skillful living, biblical living, the faith

and understanding- for the mind, helpful thinking, the ability to understand the meaning or importance of something…math, science, reading, language, writing, etc. Like Jesus increased in wisdom...” But there is a distinct purpose for this, there is a distinct purpose behind being educated in the pervaisive will of God...

so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, this is the objective to widsom and understanding, not a better test grade, not a better job application, not to make the honour role, or make more money, the goal of education is to be pleasing to God in the way we live because we understand the pervaisiveness of his will in all aspects of life and we live it out!

fully pleasing to him: setting aside my delights in order to delight someone else. students, did you know that you can be pleasing to god and others by how you approach school and doing your homework? College/University student, it is pleasing to God when you set aside the delights of being away from home and out from under authority when you join a church and are actively involved even though many others use Sunday to recover from Saturday night. Teachers, you can be fully pleasing to God by teaching content in the context of God’s will.

bearing fruit in every good work and - this goes beyond just finishing the assignement, passing the test, and graduating the class. The good fruit is meant to lead to more fruit as you...

increasing in the knowledge of God; - this should not be stagnant. I hope that the best days of knowing God are not the days behind you but this present day and the ones to come. Well, my memory is not so good, what a blessing, you can discover things about God all over again as though it is the first time. What is the fruit of increasing in the knowledge of God…What is the purpose of highlighting the pervaisive will of God in all things

being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy- education without taking into account the will of God through Jesus will leave you depressed, questioning the morality of humanity, desparing that things are broken...

How does what you “learned” in school strengthened you for endurance for the past 2 years…given you patience, joy?

How has your understanding of Math, science, geography, history, etc given you strength, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy?

giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

Students, when was the last time you were thankful to go to school, do that assignment, or do your homework?

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Application/Implications:

Encourage educators this week

It is possible to learn all the things that we are taught in school without ever once asking the question, “how does what I am learning highlight the will of God?” It may highlight the requirements of our government, a program, a job requirement, or a possition of prestigue. But what is all that if you are not pleasing to the Lord? Education is not just about pleasing the teacher, your parents, grandparents, boss, friends, or collegues, it is ultimately about Pleasing God and fearing Him It is about understanding the pervaisiviness of His will in all areas of life.

Transitional phrase:

Culture: “” (vs. -)

p1 (vs. -)

Philosphy was the highest forcus for the Greeks

Romans focused on rhetoric

Other studies included Math, literature, language, and various virtues and proverbial lessons about life.

Jewish education followed a rabbis method of discussion and debate

5 years old begin instruction in Scripture

10 years old the Mishnah

13 the commandments

15 the Talmud

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Education and Culture

In all periods of time in the ancient world, education was related to status, power, and commercial success.

p2 (vs. -)

p3 (vs. - )

Application/Implications:

Transitional phrase:

Summary

Discussion questions

Worship- Renew the Mind (Scripture)

1. What passage of Scripture did we look at? Summarize it in your own words.

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Grow- Engage the Heart (Conversation)

1. ?

2. ?

3. ?

Serve- Enlist the Body (Action)

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