Bible paradoxes

 

1)      “It is better to give than to receive.”

2)      We may hear or say those words, but do ever stop to think about them?

3)      This statement is a “paradox.”

4)      A paradox is a strange or almost contradictory statement that expresses truth.

5)      In the Bible we find many paradoxes, one of which is the text just read (Prov. 13:7).

a)      In the first part of the verse the writer is making this point:  some rich people are “poor.”

b)      Someone might look at this and wonder how this could be true.

c)      How could someone like Bill Gates or Oprah possibly be poor?

 

6)      If we were merely speaking about physical wealth, the statement would be false.

7)      “Rich” can have several meanings.  A rich person may be “poor” in the sense of friends.

8)      I have met people who have said they do not have a single friend.  They are “Friend poor.”

9)      A person may be rich in the area of wealth, but poor in the area of compassion.

10)  A business person might steam roll the competition, but have more money than he could ever spend.

11)  He has no wealth in sense of graciousness and consideration of others.

a)      I have wondered at times about people who made a lot of money and gave it all away.

b)      Perhaps some who did this came to realize what the proverb writer meant.

c)      They found earthly gain, but were poor in the areas that really counted.

 

12)  Poverty is true in another sense too for the rich; this poorness is spiritual poverty.

13)  Some of the wealthiest people in the world knew nothing about God and the Bible.

14)  Jesus once asked this question:  what shall a man be profited if he gains the world but loses his soul?

15)  Some rich people are not just poor, they are in absolute poverty—they have no spiritual hope.

16)  Prov. 13:7 is a great paradox, and it is one that can have bearing on where man spends eternity.

17)  The reverse of what we are saying is also true (7b).

a)      A poor person may be “rich.”  Some of the poorest people in life have great wealth.

b)      Their affluence is not found in cars, houses, boats, and bank accounts.

c)      Some have found contentment.  Others have friends.  Not a few have obtained spiritual riches.

d)     Jesus spoke about laying up “true riches” in heaven.

e)      One Bible paradox involves wealth—we must seek the kind that is spiritual and everlasting.

f)       This is a very simple point, but is a point many never understand or choose to apply.

 

18)  Mt. 10:39 is paradox # 2 and it also may seem so odd.

19)  Listen to what the Lord said – READ

a)      If we seek to “keep hold of our life,” we will “lose it.”

b)      The way of humanity is to do everything we can to prolong life.

c)      We may go to the doctor for various treatments.

d)     If something does not seem right with the body, many make an appointment with a doctor.

 

20)  People take various kinds of supplements to preserve their lives.

21)  Painful surgeries are endured to prolong life.  People have body parts replaced to extend life.

22)  Everything in our world says “save your life.”

a)      Jesus said that is the wrong way to life.

b)      Life is not about saving our life; it is all about using it correctly.

c)      We recognize that we have a limited period of time and we make full use of our opportunities.

d)     In addition to saying what the Lord said in Mt. 10, He presented some information about a cross.

e)      He said we are to take up a cross “daily” and follow Him.

f)       Jesus called for total commitment.  That means we will lose our life.

g)      As human beings our first responsibility is to God and His will.

 

23)  As a people we shy away from total commitment.

24)  This past week I read an article about organizations like the lion’s, kiawana’s and rotary clubs.

25)  Organizations such as these are changing.  It used to be that members met every week.

26)  Now, since people do not want to commit that much time, things are being scaled back.

27)  Some are allowed to meet every other week, or just a month.  Some meetings are “on-line.”

28)  The world says structure your life in the way that works for you.

29)  Be cautious about being inconvenienced and what we give to others.

30)  Make life the best it can be for you.  Seek self satisfaction.  Self first, others second, if at all.

31)  God can be third, fourth, or not part of life at all.

a)      God says there is a different set of priorities for those who want heaven.

b)      God’s plan for man will take a person’s life and turn it upside down.

c)      Our life is to be dedicated to God; we seek each and every day for ways to serve Him.

d)      Christians do not regard this world as their home; it is a place where we are “Just a passing through.”

e)      God’s people will endure whatever they must to live a faithful Christian life.

f)       We “lose our life” so it can be saved.

 

32)  We sometimes find those who think Christianity is not all that unique.

33)  Jesus said it is a system of religion completely opposite of what the world thinks and does.

34)  The world says, get, keep, and cling to life.

35)  God says give, keep on giving, and do not be overly concerned with the things of this life.

36)  A related paradox is found in Mt. 23:11.

a)      Here is what Jesus said there – READ

b)      How different is this statement from the Lord’s lips to life in our world.

 

37)  Society says greatness comes through something like athletic ability.

38)  Become a top player in some sport, and we will be great.

39)  Make a lot of money, and we will be great.

40)  Have one of the best and brightest minds (and put it to use), and we become great.

41)  Make a spectacular invention and the world bestows greatness on us.

42)  Presidents and other government officials are often regarded as great.

a)      Who thinks of someone who cleans up the church building as great?

b)      Who thinks of the person administering mercy as great?

c)      Who thinks of the one who takes out the trash, cleans a bathroom, or cares for the sick as great?

d)     It is generally not the world; God says these kinds of things make people great.

 

43)  Several years ago Princess Diana died; people still talk about her.

a)      About two days after the princess passed away Mother Teresa died.

b)      Both women were well known, but who received and still receives the news coverage?

44)  It was not the woman who chose to serve; it was the one who had the glitzy lifestyle.

45)  Christianity is a paradox and it calls on us to make a choice.

46)  Either we choose the way of God, or we choose the way of the world. We cannot have both.

47)  If we follow the Bible we will have a life very different from the average person.

48)  Certainly we see this point reflected in the life of Jesus; the Son of God was a servant.

a)      He was king of kings and Lord of Lords, but He came and worked as a servant.

b)      God says such is required of us as well.

 

49)  Another paradox is found in 1 Cor. 3:18.

50)  Paul said if a person is “wise” he needs to become a “fool.”

a)      If this is all the verse said, we might be perplexed.

b)      Paul went on to explain:  “become a fool so you can become wise.”

c)      Sometimes people must unlearn some things.

 

51)  I have said once or twice my first job was at Ponderosa.  That is true.

52)  What you may not know is that for a time I worked that job plus a second one.

53)  The second place of employment was also a steakhouse.

a)      In both places I did a wide range of things—everything from cooking to cleaning.

b)       In seeking the second restaurant job the prospective employer asked me how things worked at Ponderosa.

c)      I told him and then he said I would be the wrong guy for his restaurant.

d)     He said the two places were too different.  I would need to unlearn many, many things.

e)      I would have to unlearn the dish washing techniques from Ponderosa to work at place # 2.

f)       I would need to set aside the way we prepared and baked potatoes at Ponderosa.

g)      I would need to unlearn for the second job the cooking techniques used by job # 1.

h)      I would need to unlearn the maintenance practices used at Ponderosa.

i)        Just about every activity in both places was completely opposite.

 

54)  The manager at the second place said no, no, and no, but I finally convinced him to hire me.

55)  Early in life I came to realize that to accomplish some things we may need to do some unlearning.

56)  Some of the knowledge we have is either wrong or not right for certain situations.

a)      We may need to take some of what we have learned and set it aside.

b)      Or, we may need to simply get rid of it.

c)      There are things we are exposed to in the world that are not helpful to use.

 

57)  People are taught that God does not exist and we are here by mere chance.

58)  The world says our unknown origin is true science, real wisdom, and absolute truth.

59)  God says we need to become “fools” (fools in the eyes of the world).

60)  If we believe in a creator, there will be those who regard us as fools.

61)  If we believe in heaven, we are thought of as people who have a “pie in the sky faith.”

62)  Believing we have a need to worship, prayer, serving, giving, etc. is looked upon as foolishness.

63)  Following the Bible is seen as an outdated and even wrong way to live.

64)  God says become a fool in the eyes of the world to become truly wise.

65)  Christianity calls us to meet our world head on and say to it: your way will not be our way.

66)  This is a paradox; we reject the wisdom of the world for what is really wise and right.

 

67)  In 2 Cor. 12:10-11 we have another paradox.

a)      Paul said he had some serious problems in his life.

b)      He had “weakness” and “injury,” but he “took pleasure in these things.

c)      Why would a person say something like this?

d)     Why would Paul say when he was “weak” he was “strong”?

e)      Paul realized his life’s problems made him more dependent on God.

 

68)  He did not like aches, pains, being stoned, and chased from place to place.

69)  There was no joy in having people hate him.

70)  He was thrilled at the fact that his life caused him to turn to God more and more each day.

71)  When people face problems in the world, they whine, groan, and complain.

72)  The Christian has a different way to life—a way that is a paradox.

73)  Many in the world do not grasp it.  The unsaved struggle to understand Bible Christianity.

a)      A person who becomes a child of God begins to think differently.

b)      They begin to act differently.  Their hopes and dreams change.       

c)      Christianity is really a superb faith when it is studied and understood.

d)     It becomes the very best when it is faithfully applied.

 

74)  Have we come to a point where we are living the Christian life?

75)  Do we understand and are we applying the paradoxes of scripture?

76)  If not, we have not found the best way to live.  Today we invite you to consider the Christian life.