The Bible teaches very clearly that man does not seek God. Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
However there are other verses like:
Act 15:17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
and then this verse:
Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
On the fact that mature Christians use all their senses in Worship this verse clearly communicates that not only mature Christians but those who are not yet saved should "Seek" him and "Feel" after him. The word that is translated "they might feel after" is
G5584
ψηλαφάω
psēlaphaō
psay-laf-ah'-o
From the base of G5567 (compare G5586); to manipulate, that is, verify by contact; figuratively to search for: - feel after, handle, touch.
Now no one here is saying that someone can actually touch God, however it is interesting to note that the Holy Spirit inspired this verse and chose to make our action of seeking after God as one who is trying to verify by contact or by touch that he is real. The emphasis being that God is real and that we should feel after him as a blind person might reach out to touch the one whom they are talking to in order to be certain of there actual presence.
Now, one thing I get sick and tired of is people totally putting down "seeker sensitive" worship services. You hear the same old rhetoric......you know the incessant quoting of Romans 3:11. Well some of these people just totally insult my intelligence and I'm not even that smart! Do they really believe that people that are having "seeker sensitive" services are trying to reach people that are specifically seeking and feeling after God on their own volition and desires. Did they ever just think that maybe people like myself know the verse that says John 6:44 "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:"? Could it possibly be that those who are having "seeker sensitive" services know that a man will only seek God if God is drawing them but that these services are focused on being sensitive to those people specifically?
If you saw hundreds of blind men groping(that sounds bad) and feeling their way around a metro area trying to find a hospital because they were dying would you say "Well I am not going to be sensitive to their needs and help them because they probably think they can see anyway.....they really don't realize they are blind.....When they find the hospital then I'll know that they really understand their need and then I'll help them"? How absurd!
Are you going to bring someone into contact with Jesus who is blind and feeling after him? Are you going to be satisfied with your first contact with Jesus or do you still feel after him today. Stretch your arms to heaven and declare to God that you desire to have contact with him.
However there are other verses like:
Act 15:17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
and then this verse:
Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
On the fact that mature Christians use all their senses in Worship this verse clearly communicates that not only mature Christians but those who are not yet saved should "Seek" him and "Feel" after him. The word that is translated "they might feel after" is
G5584
ψηλαφάω
psēlaphaō
psay-laf-ah'-o
From the base of G5567 (compare G5586); to manipulate, that is, verify by contact; figuratively to search for: - feel after, handle, touch.
Now no one here is saying that someone can actually touch God, however it is interesting to note that the Holy Spirit inspired this verse and chose to make our action of seeking after God as one who is trying to verify by contact or by touch that he is real. The emphasis being that God is real and that we should feel after him as a blind person might reach out to touch the one whom they are talking to in order to be certain of there actual presence.
Now, one thing I get sick and tired of is people totally putting down "seeker sensitive" worship services. You hear the same old rhetoric......you know the incessant quoting of Romans 3:11. Well some of these people just totally insult my intelligence and I'm not even that smart! Do they really believe that people that are having "seeker sensitive" services are trying to reach people that are specifically seeking and feeling after God on their own volition and desires. Did they ever just think that maybe people like myself know the verse that says John 6:44 "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:"? Could it possibly be that those who are having "seeker sensitive" services know that a man will only seek God if God is drawing them but that these services are focused on being sensitive to those people specifically?
If you saw hundreds of blind men groping(that sounds bad) and feeling their way around a metro area trying to find a hospital because they were dying would you say "Well I am not going to be sensitive to their needs and help them because they probably think they can see anyway.....they really don't realize they are blind.....When they find the hospital then I'll know that they really understand their need and then I'll help them"? How absurd!
Are you going to bring someone into contact with Jesus who is blind and feeling after him? Are you going to be satisfied with your first contact with Jesus or do you still feel after him today. Stretch your arms to heaven and declare to God that you desire to have contact with him.
.jpg)
4 comments:
While we might draw a slightly different set of applications to the principles you are working with here because of our current ministry context, I absolutely agree with where you are coming from.
I wrestled with the idea of "seekers" from a Scriptural perspective also. Brian Sanders addresses this idea in "Life After Church". Basically, no one can seek God outside of God revealing Himself to them first. This revealing can happen through a conversation, the Bible, a church gathering, or a moment of wonder in beholding the creation. Once the person has been encountered by the possibility and/or reality of God, Scripture says that they will either seek more of Him or walk away in rejection.
So, ultimately, God seeks us, then we seek God. So "seeker sensitivity" is both necessary and very biblical!
Good post. :)
Hey Jeff, I find that in my youth ministry I have many kids that are drawn at first by girls/boys, food, friendships, games, music etc. but as they continue to come and God touches their heart with a truth from his Word or from the love of a believer something happens. Sometimes it seems that you can see when the lightbulbs start coming on. They begin to be drawn. Very rarely do we have youth that come to church already being drawn in that sense. Although I think we had one last night but he has been friends with a girl in our group that has been witnessing to him off and on for a while.
Yeah, I saw that in my youth ministry days as well. Their reasons for coming to a youth group or church for that matter are usually not really curiosity about God. It is usually more about doing fun stuff or hanging out with a boy friend or girl friend. :) THis really has a lot to do with their personal maturity.
BTW, have you ever done any research on the history of identifying teenagers as a separate demographic group? I read some things the other day on this. This social phenomenon started back in the 1920s and 30s. WIth the early rise of the middle class. This is also when youth ministry got its start outside of the home environment. Very interesting stuff that might help you in your ministry there. You can probably google this subject.
Thanx!
When do we get part 2?
Post a Comment