Not Literally or Absolutely Unlearned

None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,” for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. (Heb. 8:11)

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. (John 6:44-45)

To which He called you by our gospel… (2 Thess. 2:14)

Jews Who Crucified Christ - Unlearned

But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses... Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. (Acts 3:14-15, 17)

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. (Romans 10:1-3)

Knowledge of OT = Recognition of Christ

For Moses truly said to the fathers, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.” Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. (Acts 3:22-24)

For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. (Acts 13:27)

Knowledge of OT = Recognition of Christ

But he said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the

prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from

the dead.” (Luke 16:31)

Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one

who accuses you--Moses, in whom you trust. For if you

believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about

Me. "But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe

My words? (John 5:45-47)

Rejection of God’s Plan Brought About Man’s Plan

Jew’s Plan of RighteousnessAbraham & Old Testament

Gentile Plan - Idolatry

God’s Plan – Blood of Christ

Denominational Plan“Faith Only”

God’s Plan For Making Us Righteous

God’s PlanBlood of Christ

Conditions of Justification

1. Belief

2. Obedience Springing Out of Belief

Those Outside the Kingdom – must obey the conditions given by God to enter the kingdom.

Once in the Kingdom – Duties & responsibilities that must be done as we work out our own salvation.

Problem of the Unlearned and the Assembly

Unlearned View Assembly & Classes as Optional

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,

for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one

another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking

the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of

some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as

you see the Day approaching. For if we sin willfully after we

have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer

remains a sacrifice for sins. (Heb. 10:23-26)

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. (Heb. 2:1)

Problem of the Unlearned and False Teachers

False Teacher Powerless Without the Unlearned

Therefore by their fruits you will know them. (Matt. 7:20)

As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so

walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in

the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with

thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through

philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of

men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not

according to Christ. (Col. 2:6-8)

Problem of the Unlearned and False Teachers

False Teacher Powerless Without the Unlearned

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as

evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the

saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until

we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of

God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the

fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here

and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the

trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth

in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even

Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what

every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part,

causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

(Eph. 4:11-16)

Problem of the Unlearned and False Teachers

Light of Truth Dispels the Darkness of Error

And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as

also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given

to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking

in them of these things, in which are some things hard to

understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their

own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You

therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware

lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away

with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and

knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…

(2 Peter 3:15-18)

Problem of the Unlearned and False Teachers

Expose the Unfruitful Works of Darkness (Eph. 5:11)

But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth

of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a

Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do

you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?” (Gal. 2:14)

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not

obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly

portrayed among you as crucified? (Gal. 3:1)

Which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and

want to pervert the gospel of Christ. (Gal. 1:7)

Problem of the Unlearned and False Teachers

Solution to False Teachers - Knowledge

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ... (2 Peter 3:18)

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)

Problem of the Unlearned and Plain Bible Preaching

Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? (Galatians 4:16)

Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables,

they perceived that He was speaking of them. (Matt. 21:45)

But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the

truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being

a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why

do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?” (Gal. 2:14)

For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare

himself for battle? (1 Cor. 14:8)

Problem of the Unlearned and Plain Bible Preaching

Often the untaught do not understand the necessity of plain

Bible preaching.

Apologize for the Truth to family members or friends who

could have been influenced to obey the gospel.

Change a good preacher into a soft, wishy-washy one.

Soft attitude rubs off on others.

When truth is taught – need to obey and uphold it!

Unlearned Usually Lacking in Moral Judgment

And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above.

You are of this world; I am not of this world.” (John 8:23)

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it

hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its

own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out

of the world, therefore the world hates you. (John 15:18-19)

Christians are Not of the World!

Unlearned Usually Lacking in Moral Judgment

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Rom. 12:2)

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Pet.2:9)

Christians- Peculiar or Distinct People

Unlearned Usually Lacking in Moral Judgment

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you

have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest

for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also

will forget your children. (Hosea 4:6)

I found Israel Like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers

As the firstfruits on the fig tree in its first season. But they went

to Baal Peor, And separated themselves to that shame; They

became an abomination like the thing they loved. (Hosea 9:10)

Put Knowledge Out of Sight = Death

Unlearned Usually Lacking in Moral Judgment

Unlearned Sometimes See Large Gray Area

Seen in attitudes towards:

Dancing, the Prom

Social Drinking

Gambling, the Lottery, Raffles

Type of Entertainment – TV, DVD’s, Movies

Immodesty: Mixed Swimming, Shorts,

Tight Clothes, Low-cut Tops, etc

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness…and the like…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…(Gal. 5:19-23)

Unlearned and Material vs. Spiritual Values

Placing Too Much Value on Things!

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth

and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. (Matt.

6:19)

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a

snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown

men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a

root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the

faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with

many sorrows. (1 Tim. 6:9-10)

Unlearned and Material vs. Spiritual ValuesPlacing Too Much Value on Things!

“Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’” But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:13-21)

Unlearned and Material vs. Spiritual Values

Placing Too Much Value on Things!

Ease of Credit leads to being enslaved by Debt

Husband works overtime

Wife takes a job out of the home

Children left with care givers, sitters, grandparents…

Respectable Worldliness – more prevalent than immorality

Keeping up with the neighbors

TV’s, Boats, Land, Cars, Bigger House, More Clothes…

What have we taught our children?

Unlearned and Indifference

Apathetic, Don’t Care Attitude

And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, “These things

says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven

stars: I know your works, that you have a name that you are

alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the

things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not

found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore

how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent.

Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a

thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

(Rev. 3:1-3)

Unlearned and Indifference

Apathetic, Don’t Care Attitude

And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

“These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness,

the Beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that

you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or

hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold

nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I

am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ --

and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor,

blind, and naked.” (Rev. 3:14-17)

Unlearned Hinder Church Growth

Comfortable with what they know or what they think they know:

Plan of SalvationWorship of the ChurchStudy of Acts

Uncomfortable with things they know little of:

Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Melchizedek

Church Discipline

Marriage, Divorce, & Remarriage

Study of Revelation, the Prophets, Church History…

What Can We Do?

We Can Study

We Can Teach Out Family

We Can Get On Fire For The Lord

We Can Do What We Want To Do

We Can Go To Heaven