We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding.

1. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • When you speak of understanding you speak of the ability to see reality. This is primarily a spiritual issue. (Prov 1:5-7; 2:2-7)

2. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • Proverbs 1:5-7 (NKJV) - A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, 6 To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles. 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

3. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • Proverbs 2:2-7 (NKJV) - So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; 3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, 4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.

4. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;

5. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • The foundation of the fear of God causes a man to want to see things as they are.

6. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • The foundation of the fear of God causes a man to want to see things as they are. • True understanding is not easy. It requires a spiritual commitment. (Prov 12:15; 16:2)

7. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • Proverbs 12:15 (NKJV) - The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.

8. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • Proverbs 16:2 (NKJV) - All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits.

9. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • The power of Satan is found in deception. (Jn 8:44-45; Eph 4:17-19)

10. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • John 8:44-45 (NKJV) - You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

11. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • Ephesians 4:17-19 (NKJV) - This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

12. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

13. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • Satan knows that lies corrupt the mind to the point you can no longer think!

14. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • Satan knows that lies corrupt the mind to the point you can no longer think! • Whatever kind of misunderstand we can think about, it will only be a “sound mind” that can consistently discern and come to understand.

15. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • Satan is the “ruler of this world” and thus it is rare to find those who put a priority on understanding! (John 14:30)

16. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • John 14:30 (NKJV) - I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.

17. We live in a world that gives a low priority to understanding. • Christian, expect to be misunderstood and misrepresented!

18. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • Consider the struggles we faced in order to believe in God.

19. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • Consider the struggles we faced in order to believe in God. • Some doubt that the Bible could be God's word because of the different reactions that men have to it. (Acts 28:24-29)

20. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • Acts 28:24-29 (NKJV) - And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. 25 So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers,

21. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • 26 saying, ‘Go to this people and say: “Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive; 27 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see withtheir eyes and hear withtheir ears, Lest they should understand withtheir hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.”’

22. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • 28 “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” 29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.

23. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • By design God has given a message that would cause the proud to reject it and the humble to find it. (1 Cor 1:22-29, Mt 7:13-14)

24. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • 1 Corinthians 1:22-29 (NKJV) - For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

26. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.

27. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV) - “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

28. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • Jesus plainly stated that God's truth must be carefully pursued. (Jn 7:17; Mt 13:10-15)

29. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • John 7:17 (NKJV) - If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

30. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • Matthew 13:10-15 (NKJV) - And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

31. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

32. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their earsBare hard of hearing, And their eyes they haveclosed, Lest they should see withtheir eyes and hear withtheir ears, Lest they should understand withtheir hearts and turn, So that Ishouldheal them.’

33. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • Potentially anyone can find the truth of God, but those who do will have to dig deep and not be easily discouraged by the tests God gives them.

34. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • Potentially anyone can find the truth of God, but those who do will have to dig deep and not be easily discouraged by the tests God gives them. • Do you have what it takes? Can you find the truth and keep the truth because you have a love for the truth?

35. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • Potentially anyone can find the truth of God, but those who do will have to dig deep and not be easily discouraged by the tests God gives them. • Do you have what it takes? Can you find the truth and keep the truth because you have a love for the truth? • In order to see clearly we must have a pure heart! (James 3:17)

36. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • James 3:17 (NKJV) - But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

37. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • We must have a commitment to that which is true (Phil 4:8)

38. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) - Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

39. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • We must have pure motives (Heb 4:12)

40. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) - For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

41. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • We must become a people that place principle over relationships. (John 9:20-22)

42. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • John 9:20-22 (NKJV) - His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.”

43. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • 22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.

44. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • The world has no hope of understanding.

45. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • The world has no hope of understanding. • Satan blinds them to the gospel. (2 Cor 4:3-4)

46. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NKJV) - But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

47. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • Satan uses these men like dumb cattle. Why did they seek Jesus’ death? (Mk 15:10)

48. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • Mark 15:10 (NKJV) - For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.

49. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • How many get angry over gossip or lies and stop thinking! (Prov 18:19)

50. We must be committed to seek and understand that which is true • Proverbs 18:19 (NKJV)- A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a castle.