The Fruit of Ignorance Text : Lev. 5: & Hosea 4: 1-10

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1 Sermon : The Fruit Of Ignorance Page 1 INTRODUCTION : The Fruit of Ignorance Text : Lev. 5: & Hosea 4: 1-10 A. What is something everyone possess, but no one can afford? Ignorance! 1. Ignorance has brought many a wealthy person to poverty. a. Young man inherited a fortune from his father and lost it all in the market. b. The desire to do right doesn t prevent the unlearned from making mistakes. 2. Ignorance can cost people their life. a. A friend fed apple seeds from cider mill to hogs and killed them. ( seeds poison ) b. Man collapsed at work due to heart condition and died before an ambulance arrived. The pills that would have saved him were in his shirt pocket, but no one knew. 3. Ignorance of history dooms people to repeat mistakes. ( Many just drift thru life. ) a. Leaders in our country are repeating many mistakes from the past. b. People who do not educate themselves make mistakes that are unnecessary. B. Ignorance is a major problem among all American churches. ( called Christian ) 1. Earlier surveys of mainline Protestants revealed that barely half of Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians believe in the devil, but 56 percent of Lutherans and 49 percent of Methodists believe in UFOs. One-third of Methodists and Presbyterians have faith in astrology. While nearly three-fourths of all Americans believe in hell, hardly any believe it to be their likely destination in eternity. 2. After one of his polls Gallop referred to America as a "nation of biblical illiterates." a. Only 4 in 10 Americans know that Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. b. Only 3 in 10 American teenagers know why Easter is celebrated. c. Two-thirds of Americans believe there are few, if any, absolute principles to direct human behavior. d. A majority of citizens cannot name the four Gospels of the New Testament. C. Over the centuries ignorance has been a reoccurring problem for God s people. 1. Our text in Hosea demonstrates the impact it had on God s people of old. ( also now ) 2. In spite of unprecedented access to God s inspired word similar condition still exist. University of Wisconsin historian Thomas Reeves indicts popular religious belief and service. "Christianity in modern America is, in large part, innocuous,(i.e., ineffectual, inoffensive, safe, bland ) " he writes. "It tends to be easy, upbeat, convenient, and compatible. It does not require self-sacrifice, discipline, humility, an otherworldly outlook, a zeal for souls, a fear as well as love of God. There is little guilt and no punishment, and the payoff in heaven is virtually certain."

2 Sermon : The Fruit Of Ignorance Page 2 Ignorance of God s word is one of the most severe problems afflicting God s church today. It will cost many to be lost. I. However well-meaning, God does not accept ignorance as an excuse for error.. A. Many of those in the world today intentionally avoid learning many things. 1. Preachers in a large church refuses to learn computer : If I don t know how, I can t be required to use it. 2. Several trite expressions have been developed to express a similar attitude. a. Ignorance is bliss. b. What ya don t know can t hurt ya. c. NONE of such says are true. ( Willful ignorance is a willful sin... Heb. 10: 26 ) B. Many try to excuse sin because He didn t know any better. 1. This attempts to attribute something to God that man won t even accept. a. Many court cases have established that ignorance of the law is no defense. b. Just try to tell the officer that you did not know the speed limit was only 35. c. Exception : Some exceptions have been made for violations of the tax code if a good faith effort has been made to comply. It is so complex and changes so often that it has been deemed impossible to know. 2. God s will has been published from the beginning so He tolerates NO exceptions. a. Remember our text : Lev. 5: 17 - Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment. * If I didn t know was an excuse, one would do a disservice teaching His will. b. The Apostle Paul thought he was serving God by killing Christians. Acts 26: 9 - So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. c. Even today.. Many Muslims think they serve God when they kill us. C. Fundamental Truth : Whether they are aware of their sin or not, every single person who sins will be punished for their sins. 1. Nahum 1: 3- The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished... ( Ez 18:4b ) 2. Col. 3: 25 - For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.

3 Sermon : The Fruit Of Ignorance Page 3 D. Therefore : Ignorance of God causes people to be eternally lost. 1. Everyone sins. a. Eccl. 7: 20 - Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. ( Cf. - Rom 3: 10 ) b. Rom. 3: 23- for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 2. Whether one knows he has it or not SIN KILLS. a. Rom. 6: 23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. b. ILL.- Fred, a middle-aged man in the U.S. notices soreness in his throat and goes to a doctor. It is discovered that he has thyroid cancer. He receives treatment and 97% of the time he is cured. Shaku, a similar middle-aged man in sub-saharan Africa notices the same sort of soreness in his throat. He also has Thyroid cancer, but he is told by the village shaman that an evil spirit is attacking him. A chant is said over him and he is instructed to pick some leaves to be secured over the sore area by an especially anointed bandage. When his pain worsened and he began to speak in a hoarse voice, the witch doctor determined that the evil spirits friends had come to help it so for the cost of a chicken a ceremony was performed over him. When it began swelling and became even more painful he walked for miles into a larger village where a government nurse diagnosed his problem as having a goiter and gave him medicinal iodine to take. However, after returning home Shaku s condition continued to worsen. He kept taking the medicine and the witch doctor kept doing the ceremonies over him. What do you think was the outcome? Shaku died. Why? He sought the best treatment available for his problem. He did not know he had cancer? With radiation treatments and possibly chemotherapy he could have been saved, but he did not have access to those treatments. Sin is terminal and Jesus is it only cure. 3. Sin is always terminal and Jesus has/is the only cure for it. a. John 14: 5-6 Thomas said to Him, Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way? 6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. b. John 8: 24- Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins. E. Jesus died on the cross to purchase the cure for sin and made it available to ALL. 1. Salvation is given as a gift to all who will receive it. Rom. 6: 23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2. He entrusted His gift to His servants to dispense to everyone they meet. Mk 16: If Shaku had made it to a place where Doctors Without Borders was working, he might have been saved. YOU are the doctor for people infected by sin.

4 Sermon : The Fruit Of Ignorance Page 4 II. Ignorance is just as dangerous for those who are in Christ as for those outside.. A. Everyone is ignorant about something. 1. Doctor who had recently emigrated from Europe asked me to teach her how to drink out of a drinking fountain. 2. Female college professor couldn t cook even simple recipes. B. No one understands everything written in the scriptures. 1. Elder memorized the book of Isaiah, but didn t understand it. a. Other than chapter 53, he didn t understand its message or its purpose. b. He did not understand that it contains a collection of smaller writings. c. He was not aware that its sections are not in chronological order. ( Topical ) 2. The scriptures are written to challenge us to unfold and discern God s will for us. a. Every time we go through the scriptures we learn something new. b. The objective isn t to memorize facts or look for rules, but to increase discernment c. One must never be satisfied with his level of understanding or stop digging. C. Our areas of ignorance leave us vulnerable to false teachers. 1. Phil. 1:9-11 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. a. It is only when we have real knowledge and all discernment that we can know what things we are to approve. b. Only with such discernment can we be sincere and blameless in judgment. 2. Our ability to stand faithful depends upon our coming to a mature knowledge. Eph. 4: And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 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. 14 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; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,

5 Sermon : The Fruit Of Ignorance Page 5 a. Satan uses craftiness, deceitful scheming, and trickery to lead Christians astray. b. Faith and knowledge are required to mature us to resist. ( Command = grow up ) D. All those who follow the deceivers will be lost. 1. Christians are warned : a. I Thes. 5: But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil. b. Rom. 14: 12- So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. 2. No excuses! We can t blame anyone else if we are lead astray. Thus, Paul urged : Rom. 16: 19- I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. III. Ignorance prevents Christians from serving God.. A. The most common excuse given by those who refuse to serve is : 1. I don t know enough to teach anyone else? 2. I might make a mistake? 3. What if they ask a question and I don t know the answer? B. Failure to seek knowledge of God s word is rebellion against God. 1. We are commanded to : I John 3: But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness 2. God expects us to develop our ability to communicate what we know. Heb. 5: 12 - For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. * God doesn t make suggestions. Those who are faithful meet His expectations. ( He knows your limitations.) C. Failure to share the cure for sin is itself the sin of rebellion. We are ordered : 1. Mark 16: 15 - And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. ( Literally as you are going ) 2. The world is dying in sin and they don t know it. 3. You have to only cure so you must convince them of their need and give the cure. D. It s easy to repent of the sin of ignorance, but it takes a lifetime to complete it.

6 Sermon : The Fruit Of Ignorance Page 6 Lesson Texts : Leviticus 5: Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment. 18 He is then to bring to the priest a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his error in which he sinned unintentionally and did not know it, and it will be forgiven him. 19 It is a guilt offering; he was certainly guilty before the LORD. Hosea 4: Listen to the word of the LORD, O sons of Israel, For the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land. 2 There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. 3 Therefore the land mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes Along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky, And also the fish of the sea disappear. 4 Yet let no one find fault, and let none offer reproof; For your people are like those who contend with the priest. 5 So you will stumble by day, And the prophet also will stumble with you by night; And I will destroy your mother. 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. 7 The more they multiplied, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame. 8 They feed on the sin of My people And direct their desire toward their iniquity. 9 And it will be, like people, like priest; So I will punish them for their ways And repay them for their deeds. 10 They will eat, but not have enough; They will play the harlot, but not increase, Because they have stopped giving heed to the LORD.