Education...More Than the Mind
Core Values • Sermon • Submitted
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16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
This is the fourth of our six week series on core values, and today we focus on education.
Generally, I think people know that education is a good thing, so I hope I don’t have to sell anyone on the idea that it should be a core value.
Recently, my interest in the education and faith formation for children has increased greatly.
Did you know that 2/3’s of Christians come to faith before the age of 18?
43% come to know Christ before the age of 12.
Nobody…not a child, or and adult, can come to know Jesus unless they have some understanding of who Jesus is, and what it means for them.
So, education is vital.
Even so, I want us to broaden our exploration of Education today.
I’ve often tended to see education as purely a matter of the mind.
As Jesus so ably demonstrates through his life, though, education is more than the mind...
Or an accumulation of important details.
This morning we will look at three aspects of Christian Education.
The mind
The heart
Our Actions
We begin by looking at 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
The Mind
The Mind
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The mind and spirit aspect of education begins at the source of where we learn about Jesus.
In fact, Jesus used the Old Testament to teach people about himself.
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,
The early church believed that the both the Old Testament and the New Testament were about Jesus.
If we read the law, Jesus fulfills them.
If we read the Gospels, we see him present and active in the world.
If we read the epistles, we learn what it means now that we know about him.
The heart of Christian education is The Bible.
As a child I remember waking up each morning and my mother reading a picture Bible to my brothers and I.
I knew about Jesus because the Bible was there to teach me about Jesus.
I’m sure many of you have similar stories.
Over time, I grew to love Jesus and the way of Jesus because he was like a friend who was always present.
This is where we get to the heart...
The Heart
The Heart
We have a small problem when it comes to the heart.
The prophet Jeremiah puts it this way...
9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
In a sense then, we need a heart transplant.
The Prophet, Ezekiel, promised us new hearts in Ezekiel 36:26-27
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
Have you ever known someone who had a dramatic experience with God and became a new person?
Once we receive new hearts, born and filled with God’s Spirit, we are able to fulfill that great command of Jesus...
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
We love God because we see all he’s given to us and the ways He loves us.
Even with our old hearts, God’s love never wavered.
We love our neighbors because they fall under the same loving grace as us.
When we receive new hearts, everyone becomes a miracle of God’s loving care.
We love ourselves because I’m part of God’s creation, too.
Of course, this new heart cannot help but work itself out in our actions.
Our Actions
Our Actions
Once you’re awakened to the love of God, It changes the way you think and feel about everything.
You become more sensitive to things like injustice, the effects of sin on self, neighbor, and the world.
you therefore will feel compelled to do something about it.
You may not even be aware while you’re doing it because you feel so compelled that you’re just doing it.
Jesus puts it this way...
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
It’s interesting that those whom Jesus welcomes aren’t even aware of their works.
They are aware of LOVE for their neighbors.
When we love our neighbor through our actions, it reflects the love of God.
Next Steps
Next Steps
How do you experience this mind, heart, and action transformation?
We go back to where we started...
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The difficulty people sometimes have with Scripture is they don’t know where to start.
Sometimes we do know where to start and get a little off course.
So, I want to challenge everyone today to join me this week in reading through the Gospel of John.
John is 21 chapters.
If you read three chapters a day, you’ll be finished this time next week.
In my opinion, John gives the most full account of who Jesus is and what he came to do.
ALL of YOU
ALL of YOU
Friends, Christian education is an ALL pursuit
God gave us ALL life because He loves us.
Jesus gave ALL of Himself .
ALL Scripture testifies to him and is God breathed
God wants...
All your soul
All your strength
All your mind
All your love
Are you ALL in?
AMEN