Surprised by Truth

 On any given week, I have the opportunity to preach or teach God's word many times. Most of those are to church people who have heard numerous sermons and studies. For such people, they typically divide into two categories. One group has heard it all before. They are not eager learners, but already satisfied consumers from a steady diet of scriptures over the span of decades. Many of them are hearers only and not doers of the word. They do not come to learn as much as out of habit. 

The other group of church people are hungry for God and His word. They come eagerly and expectantly. They are often the notetakers. They are engaged. They do not attend out of obligation, but out of an intense thirst to keep learning. They want to know more of God and His truth. These people are a joy to minister the word of God to weekly. 

Each week I get to teach the Bible to an entirely different group. A group of drug addicts, alcoholics, unchurched and unbelievers. They are often inked with tattoos, sport piercings, in need of nicotine. Most vape during our studies. Their language is colorful. Many of them have never opened a Bible before. Let me restate that. Many of them HAVE NEVER OPENED THE BIBLE BEFORE. They have no idea how to find books, chapters, and verses. Week after week a different group comes at the detox center. Some stay 30 days and on rare occasion some remain for 60 days. They come from all over the United States. Some have lived on the streets homeless. One lady commented about living in a cemetery because she felt safe from people who might try to rob or rape her. She bathed in a creek. Another lady lived in a shelter built out of pallets with a crude roof. She also bathed in a creek. One lady lived in an abandoned house hopelessly addicted to meth. She was able to hold down a job and would sponge bathe in the bathroom where she worked. She commented about how the dirt got so deep in the pores of her skin that she could not scrub it off. She wept being thankful for food, shelter, showers and a bed. Jesus reached down and touched her one Sunday. She met Jesus as Savior and never missed the remainder of her time there. 

Other people show up who are rich, business owners, executives, wives, mothers, husbands, fathers, and grandparents. On a few occasions, Christians are in detox. They feel the shame of their behavior and addiction. Some readily admit they have a problem. Some never do and even opt to check themselves out early. Over the past couple of years, we have seen several people return after relapsing. 

There is a freshness to teaching the Bible in this setting. The truth is new. Scores have been saved. The discovery of truth is powerful. They are inquisitive. Broken. Desperate. In need for hope and searching for significance. 

This past Sunday I taught about coping with failure from the lives of Peter and David. The three in attendance were all attentive. This is where they live. Self-condemnation is powerful. We studied the beautiful passage about Jesus restoring Peter from John 21. 

When I told the story about David's adultery with Bathsheba and having Uriah murdered on the battlefield, and then swooping in to marry Bathsheba, the young man sitting to my left who had never heard this story before commented, "What the f____!" Sheepishly he apologized and then inadvertently let out another expletive. I was not offended. I could see he was all into the study. He was bewildered by David's actions. He could not believe the great lengths David went to in order to cover his sin. He was surprised by this truth. I think he was more surprised by the truth that God forgave David. Even more so that God would say of David in the book of Acts, "David was a man after God's own heart." That is one of the last words about David even after adultery and murder. Ps 51 is a psalm of repentance and restoration. 

We ended our study by asking the question, "If God knows everything and chooses to forgive us for our transgressions, what are we saying when we choose not to forgive ourselves? Are we saying we know better than God? 

Here is my point today. Which category of Bible student do you fall into? Are you one who has heard it all and knows it all, and you are no longer surprised by truth. When is the last time you were really moved by Holy Spirit through the word of God? Week after week I preach and teach my guts out. I see some blank stares, those sleeping, and others distracted by their phones. 

Are you an eager student of the scriptures? Is it still fresh to you? Do you long to know more, to read, study, and meditate more? These are the true followers. The ones who keep growing. The ones who keep experiencing more of God. The ones continually surprised by new truths. The ones who meet God regularly in private and public worship. 

Maybe you are new to the Bible. Maybe you are just discovering this truth. You may not even know how to navigate your way around the Bible, but you want to learn. Can I offer a few suggestions? First, don't try and read the Bible like you would do with other books starting at the beginning. Start reading Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These books are all about the life and miracles of Jesus. They also contain His teachings. When you finish those, move onto the book of Acts. This book records what happened after Jesus was resurrected and how the first church started. It chronicles the spread of the message of Jesus around the world. Psalms is a good book for seeing the character of God and navigating life. Proverbs is filled with practical wisdom applicable to life.

 A couple of things that might help you is to remember that the Bible is not written in chronological order. The first five books are. The Old Testament points to the coming of Jesus in the New Testament. If you read and study these books slowly and methodically, you will be ready to tackle the rest of it. The Bible is not a book meant to be speed read. It should be read slowly, meditatively, and systematically. My preferred method after years of study is to start in Genesis and read until God speaks to me. I stop and pray. I do this until I finish the book of Revelation. Then I start over. I am currently working my way through the book of Romans. After all these years, I too am still surprised by truth.