Words of Christianity: Seek

SPEAKER 01 : 0:00

Let’s talk about some words of Christianity, and today we’re going to study the word seek. So let us, well, let’s seek this word and see what is ahead for the one who seeks for God. That’s right here from the International Gospel Hour. Please stay with us.

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I think I am bound for the promised land.

SPEAKER 01 : 0:47

Well, thank you to our J-Web for his kind words and greetings to all of you. Thank you for being with us once again for our studies here from the International Gospel Hour. You know, friends, we’ve been on the air or online since 1934. That’s right. And we are richly blessed. Hey, we’d like to ask you, if you are into social media, if you have a Facebook page, go to International Gospel Hour and follow us on Facebook. If you are into Instagram, go to International Gospel Hour and follow us there on Instagram. If you are into X or Twitter, what used to be called Twitter, now X, we are at our, H-O-U-R underscore gospel. That’s our, H-O-U-R underscore gospel. Please feel free to follow us at all of our social media outlets, the outlets for the International Gospel Hour. Friends, as I begin today, I want to mention a wonderful work in Churches of Christ called Polishing the Pulpit. It is an annual gathering that gathers together to worship God, to be edified, and to educate workers in His kingdom. I’ve been a part of Polishing the Pulpit for over 21 years. It has truly blessed my life and my efforts, and I’m thankful to have a part in this good work. From Branson, Missouri, PTP 2024 had a series titled Twelve Words of Christianity. It is an exceptional study. And our friends at Polishing the Pulpit have allowed us here at International Gospel Hour to share this study with you in part. And today we’re going to discuss one of those words, the word seek. Alan Webster, one of the directors, noted the following about the word seek in his research. He said the Hebrew term, often translated seek, encompasses a range of meanings, including to inquire, to search, and to pursue diligently. We know, friends, God grants us the assurance that when we seek, we will find. And with special thanks to David Smith and his work with this assignment, we present one of the twelve words of Christianity, Seek. We’ll be back in a moment to begin, but first, our friends at House to House, Heart to Heart are great co-workers with Polishing the Pool Pit and great encouragers to us. So here are a few words about the work at House to House, Heart to Heart.

SPEAKER 03 : 3:21

Please check out our fellow laborers at HouseToHouse.com, an outstanding website for topic research, an excellent media section, and some free materials. While there, please request a free copy of House to House, Heart to Heart. Check it out today at house2house.com.

SPEAKER 01 : 3:39

As a father of two young children, I find a lot of connection to stories where there is some desperation on the part of parents toward their children. Not long ago, someone sent me a news link about a story of a woman in China who experienced a terrible situation with her son. Her name was Jing Zi, and she lived in central China with her husband, and they had a small toddler son by the name of Mai, whom they affectionately called Zha Zha, meaning great, because, well, he was everything to them. Living in a communist country with limited freedoms, they found joy in taking their son outdoors to parks and zoos, and he was awed by these settings, and they cherished these moments. Both parents worked, and they sent Zha Zha to a day school, taking turns walking him there and back. Jingzi worked for a grain exporting company, often traveling out of town during harvest time to manage accounting tasks. When she was away, her husband ensured Zha Zha got to school and back. On October 1988, while Jingzi was on a work trip, she received a dreaded phone call with the four words no parent wants to hear, Your son is missing. Her husband had taken Zha Zha to school that morning and picked him up in the afternoon. On the way home, they stopped at a local hotel for a drink of water. In the brief moment the father turned to get water, Zha Zha disappeared. Jingzi and her husband printed over 100,000 flyers and scoured train stations, bus stops, and public areas, but no one came forward. About a decade earlier, China had implemented a one-child policy, leading to a spike in child abductions, especially boys. And Zha Zha seemed to be one of those victims. After they searched diligently for four years, Jingzi’s obsession led to her husband leaving her. She continued her search every weekend, traveling to different areas, handing out flyers and talking about her son. After 19 years of searching, she found a website called Baby Come Home, and later, in 2009, when China developed a DNA database, she got involved in efforts that reunited 29 stolen children with their parents, except for hers. Finally, she got the call that a DNA match had been found. She found her son after 32 years and 300 false leads. Oh, if you could imagine her need and desperation to find her son, you begin to grasp the biblical concept of seeking, which is our focus today. This lesson on seek is for those outside of Christ, and we’re not preaching at you, but reasoning with you, because this might be your chance to address your spiritual situation. The lesson is also for the members of the body of Christ. We will discuss familiar themes and appreciate what God is saying about seeking. If you have been around Christians, you have likely heard phrases like, Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, Matthew 6.33, or seek and you will find, Matthew 7.7. The Bible is replete with the term seek mentioned 230 times. We’re going to focus this lesson on Acts 17, 22-24, that says Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious, for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription to the unknown God. Therefore, the one to whom you worship without knowing him, I proclaim to you, God, who made the world and everything in it, since he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. And Paul continued explaining God’s creation and His desire for humanity to seek Him. Verse 27 says, So that they should seek the Lord in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. Seeking the Lord is a central theme in this passage and it holds profound significance for both believers and seekers. From this passage, let’s notice some key points. First, let’s notice desperation, which is the first element of seeking. The Bible emphasizes the necessity of seeking God with a sense of urgency and earnestness. Moses told the Israelites, From there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul. Deuteronomy 4, verse 29. This verse connects seeking with the heart and soul. Later, in 1 Chronicles 16, 10, and 11, David’s song of thanksgiving includes glory in his holy name. Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord. Seek the Lord in his strength. Seek his face evermore. Again, the connection between the heart and seeking is evident. 1 Chronicles 28, 9 states, As for you, my son Solomon, know the Lord God of your father, and serve him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind. For the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you. Back in Acts 17, 26 and 27, Paul explains God made and determined the times and places for people so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him. Let’s talk about direction. The direction of our seeking. And while everyone is built to seek the Lord, not everyone finds Him because their search may be misguided. Paul acknowledged the Athenians’ religiousness but points out their misguided worship. They sought God but stopped short by worshiping an unknown God. Such direction is prevalent today, or actually the misdirection. Many people are seekers but are led astray by false teachings or skepticism. Our culture often promotes relativism, denying absolute truth, leading many to wander without finding the true path. To seek the Lord correctly, we must follow His Word and know according to 2 Peter 1 and verse 3, He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. 1 Corinthians 2, 6-16 illustrates how God reveals His mind through the Scriptures. When we understand the Bible’s teachings and follow them in the true direction for seeking God, we will be in the right direction. Then we come to the destination of our seeking, which is to find God and to establish a relationship with Him, to arrive at fellowship with God. The incentive for seeking God is found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Acts 17.31 states He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead. The resurrection is the foundation of our faith, demonstrating God’s love and faithfulness. To achieve this destination, we must believe and obey the gospel. Acts 16, 25-34 recounts the story of the Philippian jailer who sought salvation. Paul and Silas preached the word to him, and he and his household were baptized, signifying their belief and obedience. Let’s think about the duration of our seeking. It’s not a one-time event, friends, but a lifelong journey. Colossians 3, 1 and 2 urges the Christian to seek those things which are above. And for Christians, it is essential to maintain the fervor of seeking God, lest we become complacent as they were in Revelation 3, 15-17, to keep rekindling our passion for seeking the Lord, Romans 12, 11, and to remember the joy of our salvation and strive to grow in our relationship with Him, 2 Peter 3, verse 18. So friends, as we seek, remember, it involves desperation, direction, destination, and duration. Friends, we will help you to seek the Word of God. We have our free Bible study course available by mail, and here is our J-Web with those details.

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Our well-received Bible study course by mail is available to everyone absolutely free. Would you like to try it? All you do is call us toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address, and just say, Home Study. That’s it. That’s all you have to do. You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the Contact tab and leave us the same information, name, address, and type Home Study in the message box. At your own pace, you can study the Bible in your own home. Again, it’s free. Give it a try. And it’s from your friends here at International Gospel Hour.

SPEAKER 01 : 12:03

Friends, we are again appreciative to David Smith of the North Hamilton Church of Christ near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Check out their website at NorthHamiltonChurchOfChrist.com. We appreciate his good work today as we studied the word seek, and we’ll study again at another time. Thank you for joining me today here on the International Gospel Hour broadcast. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.

SPEAKER 03 : 12:30

Thank you for listening to our broadcast today. To God goes all the glory, and we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. To listen to it again or our other broadcasts, please visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com.