IGNORANCE

 

1.    Years ago there was a man who needed to contact someone in Pott a wat a mie, IN.

2.    He didn’t know how to spell this word so he called the local telegraph office and said, “I want to send a telegram.”

3.    The operator said that was fine; where did it need to go?  He told her and she then asked for the spelling.

4.    He responded with these words:  “If I could spell it, I wouldn’t send a telegram; I would write a letter.”

 

WHEN IT COMES TO CERTAIN THINGS IN LIFE, WE FIND THAT PEOPLE ARE OFTEN IGNORANT (THAT IS, THEY DO NOT KNOW OR ARE UNIFORMED ABOUT SOMETHING).

 

a)      Ignorance is not new; the Greeks were familiar with it and they had a special word for it.

b)      New Testament writers took this word and they applied it to sin.

c)      The first time we see this word in the New Testament is Mk. 9:32.

d)      Jesus said a time would come when He would be delivered up to die.

e)      The Lord said He would be “killed” and then raised from the dead three days later (verse 31).

 

2)      According to verse 32, disciples heard these words but did not “understand” them—they were ignorant.

3)      Today we have this same type of ignorance in the lives of men and women.

 

4)      When it comes to the things of God, people are either not informed or poorly informed.

5)      One of the saddest things anyone has ever said to me as a Christian is, “I didn’t know that.”

a)      I have heard these or similar words on a wide variety of topics.

b)      They have been spoken with regard to the church.

c)      Jesus said He built only one (Mt. 16:18), but people have said to me, “I never knew that.”

d)      In the New Testament we find certain activities associated with worship:

e)      Preaching, singing, giving, regular observance of the Lord's Supper., and praying.

f)        It is a simple pattern, but people have said, “I never realized it was so simple and so clear.”

g)      Others have been ignorant about the way to become a Christian:  faith, repentance, confession, and baptism.

 

6)      Many have been so ignorant of God’s word they do not know the Old Testament from the New Testament.

7)      When the New Testament is found, many have no idea where selected books are.

8)      There is ignorance about moral issues.

a)      About a week ago I was talking to someone who I see from time to time.

b)      This person is a young lady who hopes to soon be married and she professes to be a Christian.

c)      During our conversation she spoke of her wedding plans and receptions.

d)      She said to me, “The reception will be out at the fairgrounds because we can drink out there.”

e)      “Heaven forbid that we should bring booze into the church.”

 

9)      Her comments are insightful in that she is ignorant about some very basic facts concerning Christianity.

10)   God’s people are to be different—unique from others.

11)  Her wishes and choice for a reception place sound like a typical person from the world.

 

12)  Speaking of marriage, we find that people are ignorant about matters related to family.

a)      What makes up /constitutes a family?  In today’s world the definition seems to be open for debate.

b)      There is ignorance about the fact that God made man and He designed the family unit.

c)      There is ignorance on how a family should function and work.

d)      There is also ignorance about God’s plans for the duration of marriage.

 

13)  In the New Testament we read about divorce.

14)  God has some rules about the dissolving of marriage bonds; Mt. 19:9 says – QUOTE.

15)  People in and out of the church have been ignorant of Mt. 19:9.

16)  People have sat before me and said, “I didn’t know that such a verse was in the Bible.”

 

ALL AROUND US THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CAN SAY, “I DIDN’T KNOW THAT” WHEN IT COMES TO RELIGIOUS INFORMATION.

 

a)      Today we are looking at a special word that deals with ignorance.

b)      As we study this term we can ask if ignorance is an excuse.

 

2)      A good place to answer this question is Rom. 10:3.

a)      At the beginning of this chapter we find that Paul had a strong desire.

b)      This apostle thought about fellow Jews and said he wished they were “saved.”

c)      Since Paul wished they would be saved, he implied these people were unsaved.

d)      These Jews had a “zeal for God” (they were interested and excited about spiritual things) but lost.

e)      Today many base their religion upon the same two items as the Jews in Rom. 10.

f)        Yet, Paul said interest and excitement are not enough – verse 3 – READ.

 

3)      People can be “ignorant” about God’s righteousness.

4)      What happens when people are enthused and active but ignorant of God’s will?

5)      Ignorance will not serve as an excuse for sin.

 

6)      Another place where we find today’s special word is Acts 13:27.

7)      What Luke said in this passage begins in verse 16.

8)      Luke tells us Paul was speaking to a group of Jews.

a)      This apostle began with some ancient Jewish history—the Egyptian Exodus.

b)      He then reminded them of Samuel and the prophets (verse 20).

c)      Finally he got down to first century times and John the Baptist (verse 24).

d)      Verse 27 is what needs to be read – READ.

 

9)      According to an inspired writer and speaker, people in Jerusalem did not “know” Jesus.

10)  That is, they were ignorant about Him.

11)  This seems hard to understand give what Jesus had done, but God says it is true.

12)  People did not know but their lack of knowledge/understanding was not an excuse.

 

13)  Ignorance can come from several different sources.

14)  Perhaps the ignorance of those in Jerusalem was something like “willful ignorance.”

15)  Whatever the basis for the ignorance, their lack of knowledge did not let them off the hook.

16)  Paul knew they needed to know the truth so he told them.

 

17)  If people can be saved in a state of ignorance, we should leave people alone.

18)  Ignorance does not save so those who do not know need to be taught.

19)  The word being looked at is also found in Acts 17:23.

a)      Here again the preacher is Paul and he found people who “worshipped.”

b)      In Rom. 10 it was Jews who served God in ignorance.

c)      Acts 17:23 turns to the other class of people in the first century world:  Gentiles.

d)      These people worshipped in “ignorance” but God was not pleased.

e)      Paul informed them about their ignorance and encouraged them to do the will of God.

 

20)  Ignorance is bad news and can it is also one of Satan’s powerful tools.

21)  We live in a time when ignorance—especially in the area of religion—is often seen as blissful.

22)  God says to us that such a state is not healthy or safe.

23)  We need to know, but not all do.

24)  Even in the body of Christ people can be ignorant.

 

25)  Paul wrote to the Corinthians and addressed several problems that existed in this congregation.

26)  As he started what we call 1 Cor. 12 he said to God’s people, “I do not want you to be ignorant.”

27)  He then became more specific:  his point concerned spiritual gifts.

a)      People can be ignorant about what the Bible teaches concerning miracles, healing, supernatural gifts.

b)      Today we certainly have great masses of people who are ignorant about spiritual gifts.

c)      There are people who do not know what supernatural gifts were for.

d)      They do not know how long they were to last.

e)      They do not know who they were given to and how they are related to the Bible.

f)        People ignorantly make or believe wild claims when it comes to supernatural gifts.

 

28)  In his second letter to the Corinthians (2:11), Paul made a specific comment about the devil.

29)  He said he and others were not “ignorant” about Satan’s devices (same word).

30)  Paul also knew some things about sin.

31)  Yet, in our day and time, many are not informed about Satan—they are ignorant about him.

32)  People do not know who the devil, how he works, what his intentions are, or his real nature.

33)  Satan is often dismissed as a mythical character or something that is not really all that bad.

 

34)  Another place where we find our term is 1 Thess. 4:13.

a)      Christians at Thessalonica had received important teaching from Paul on many points.

b)      One of the things Paul had discussed was the Lord’s second coming.

c)      False teachers began to teach something else and Christians at Thessalonica became confused.

d)      Paul said to them, “I do not want you to be ignorant” about the second coming.

e)      We need to offer the same kind of teaching that Paul gave to the Thessalonians.

f)        We have huge groups of people who are ignorant about the final coming of Christ.

g)      Jesus said in Mt. 24 that we cannot know when the end will come; there will be no signs.

h)      Today, however, many religious “experts” say just the opposite:  the end is near.

i)        In the Bible we never find the word “rapture” but this term is often used by those now living.

j)        According to the scriptures there will be one more coming of Christ; a second coming.

k)      Premillennial people, however, believe in multiple future comings.

l)        While the Bible says the earth will be destroyed, religious teachers say it will be refurbished.

 

35)  Ignorance abounds in so many areas, and even knowledgeable people can be led astray.

 

36)  Paul had received some of the best religious training available in his day and time.

37)  Yet, he said in 1 Tim. 1:13 that he had been involved with “ignorant” sins.

38)  He had not lived according to God’s New Testament, though he knew lots about religion.

39)  Today this is still true.

a)      We have religious people on tv and the radio who are ignorant about New Testament living.

b)      With all their knowledge and training, many are ignorant about the basic facts of the faith.

c)      As Jesus once said, we have the “blind leading the blind” (Mt. 15:14).

d)      We have religious groups ignorantly sanctioning and performing homosexual unions.

e)      Ignorance abounds but it is not an excuse.

 

40)  About 10 years ago (1992) a statistic was published.

41)  After adult Americans finished school, 60% of them would never again read a book.

42)  Think about the people you know…do you really see a desire to learn and understand?

43)  If not that is sad.

44)  If you do see that desire, is it related to God and His word?

45)  Our most important knowledge in this life is a correct understanding of God and His will.

46)  Have we come to this knowledge?

47)  1 Tim. 2:4 says God wants all people to “come to a knowledge of the truth”—no ignorance.

48)  Have we learned what is right, and have we acted on what we understand?