Pastor Mueller's January Newsletter Article

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

  Will you be confronted with curious, questioning, non-Christian people in 2011?   I pray you will!   Many people asking spiritual questions have something in their life that is not working.  Uncertainty, fear, and pain provoke their questions.  What these souls really want isn’t information, but relief.   As believers in Jesus Christ snappy, pat answers don’t often satisfy inner struggles.  Nobody wants a two-cent answer to a million-dollar question.  Behind every question is a person asking that question, and we need to minister to that person-if we can find him.

    When Jesus walked the earth, people came to him with dilemmas, doubts, and questions.  He had all answers available to him.  Yet he met their questions with questions of his own.

    In Luke 10:25-26, “An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’”  Jesus didn’t give the answer.  Instead, he asked a question in return.  ‘”What is written in the Law?’ he replied. ‘How do you read it?’”   In Matthew 18:12, Jesus asked, “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go look for the one that wandered off?”    The heart of the parable is nothing but two questions!

    In Matthew 22:41-46, Jesus conducted a little Bible study on Psalm 110 with the Pharisees.   “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?”  Through this conversation Jesus affirmed that the Christ would be more than an earthly son of David, but also the Son of God.  Jesus’ answer was to recite one verse and ask four questions.  He responded not to the question, but to the person behind the question. 

    She said she didn’t believe in God.  Argue?  No.  Ask this question-“What is this god like, the god you don’t believe in?” She described her god-a god who looked to punish her as soon as she steps a little out of line.  The question got to the heart of her concern-fear.  She was looking for relief from condemnation.  Up to this point, only her claim that God didn’t exist provided that relief.   You can say that you don’t believe in that god either and then you may tell her about the God you DO believe in-the God of Jesus Christ.  

    Several other questions for digging deeper that lead to answers might include:  “That’s an interesting question.  What do you think?”     “What situation in your life makes you wonder about that?”  “Even though you don’t know, if you had to guess, how would you answer?”   “Is there any answer to that you won’t accept? Why?”   “What has led you to conclude that?”  “What information do you think would cause you to change your mind?”   “If everyone held that view, what would society look like?”

    Yes-inquiring souls want to know-the hurting, fearful, lost and aching souls of the world.  Will you be the one to lead that soul to He who is the “Way, the Truth, and the Life?”    May our gracious Lord set your hearts goal in 2011-to lead at least one aching, hurting soul to Jesus.  May they hear from your lips about His birth, His ministry, His vicarious death and His glorious Resurrection!  Inquiring souls want to know.  May your “answer” always lead to Jesus our Savior.

Blessings and peace in Jesus in 2011 (and beyond!),

Pastor Mueller   ><>

“I resolved to know nothing while with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Cor. 2:2)