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My older brother -- who is also a preacher and a student of God's Word -- recently called me and mentioned to me an idea for a new Bible Study and a series that he is about to write. His series will be called "Vital Questions That Must Be Answered" and will be a study of questions asked throughout scripture which we should know the answer to in living for God. It's a good thought and a good idea for a series and the problem then becomes studying all of the various questions -- there are a lot of them in scripture -- and deciding which ones are the most important. My brother wanted a list of what I consider the most important questions of scripture so that he can compare them with his list and so I've spent some time this week putting together what is becoming a fast growing list of important questions from scripture. It turns out that there is a lot of truth that can be learned by just answering the question!

So pardon me if I happen to have questions and answers on the brain this week. And because of that, I'm going to preach shotgun style today, with a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and I guarantee that I'll eventually preach to you. But remember, that no matter how it's delivered, you are responsible for responding, receiving, and obeying the Word of God. In this sermon -- one about questions -- the proper response will be just to "answer the question." After all, if the question is from the Word of God, then you want to make sure that you answer it your life because it's not trivial but a vital question that you must respond to!

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Wednesday night we talked about the question that David asked when he looked up at the uncountable stars in the sky:

In other words, why would a great, big powerful God love and take notice of such frail and sinful humanity as you and I? David didn't answer the question because it took the entire New Testament to answer and even then answer is abstract and we can't begin to know "why?". What is man? He is the object of God's affection, His prized creation. Not equal to God in any way but created to be the friend and daily companion of God. Not worthy to be associated with God yet redeemed. Guilty yet loved. That's a good question, David. Just trying to answer it makes your mind go "Wow!"

One of my favorite questions in the Bible from which I've preached many times was asked of God by none other than old, "going-through-a-trial" Job and ties perfectly in with David's:

It was a good question and one that was not answered by God Almighty in Job's lifetime because at that time in history, God had not yet become flesh. It's a question that now has an awesome answer, which has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ -- For Jesus Christ was God manifest in flesh and so the answer is now "yes, God knows what it's like to live on earth as a human being" (1 Timothy 3:16).

A similar question was asked in a boat in the New Testament and ties perfectly in with Job's. After Jesus had commanded the storm to cease and nature had immediately obeyed His voice, the disciples looked at each other and asked a very pertinent question:

Good question, because even the greatest prophets can't command the laws of nature at whim. The disciples knew that Jesus Christ was human, but they were slowly starting to realize that He was much more than just a man. What manner of man is this? That's still a good question to answer today and luckily the Bible spells out the answer clearly. What manner of man is this? He's a man unlike any other man that's ever lived; He is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15)! In Him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9)!

The questions have been answered in scripture, but how about you under the sound of my voice today, do you know the answers? How would you have answered the question asked of the disciples by Jesus: "whom do you say that I am?" (Mark 8:27-29)? Or do you know the answer to the question asked of Jesus by John the Baptist: "Are you the one or should we look for another?" (Matthew 11:3)? Do you know who Jesus Christ is, today? If you asked -- like Saul did in Acts 9:5 -- "Who art thou Lord?" would you be surprised to learn that the master of the universe, the creator of all things, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is none other than the lowly Jesus Christ!? Well, if you didn't know, now you know! I'm here to remind you that Jesus is the answer to the greatest questions of life!

And since we're here, let me throw a few other questions your way. Do you know the answer to the question that somebody asked when 120 of the disciples staggered out of the Upper Room where they had just received the first outpouring of the Holy Ghost and they fell into the street praising God and speaking in other tongues? The question asked was "what meaneth this? (Acts 2:12). Good question with an even better answer. And it sort of ties in with the question asked of the same disciples a few verses later:

Good question. And it's still one that is relevant for today: what should we do? The answer is still the same and it's found in the very next verse:

Repentance, Water Baptism in the name of Jesus, receiving the Holy Ghost -- that's all still a part of the answer to "what do I need to do!" Good ol' blunt Peter. He didn't hem-haw around like many politically-correct preachers do today, but instead got right to the point! He just answered the question!

And so since Peter answered the question of what you need to do, I have a question for you that are under the sound of my voice that just heard Peter's answer. It's not my question, but the Apostle Paul's in Acts 19:2: "Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?!" Oh, and let me ask you his next question as well: "Unto what then were you baptized?" (Acts 19:3) Was it the Biblical way of full immersion in water in the name of Jesus Christ? It's a simple question but a vital one. There is no hem-hawing around. It's either a yes or no proposition. But if the answer is no, then let me urge you to really answer the question, today, in the same way that the people asked these questions of the Apostle Paul responded, by being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and receiving the Holy Ghost today! Don't make it complex; it's really simple: just answer the question!

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I could continue on in other subjects for quite a while. There are some great questions asked in scripture, many of which would make great sermons in their own right. How about Cain's classic question: "Am I my brother's keeper?"? In other words, "am I responsible for the soul of my fellow man?" Good question, but not everybody wants to hear the answer! God WILL hold me accountable for how I treat my brother! Yes, Cain you are your brother's keeper!

How about the classic question asked by Peter: "how often a day should I forgive a brother who repeatedly does the same thing and yet asks for forgiveness?" After about the third time, we're usually ready to kill somebody, but the answer from Jesus was "70x7" or 490 times. That's the answer to the question and we would do good if we would learn to say "you're forgiven" that many times a day. And yet the answer is a little deeper than just saying "you're forgiven until the four hundred and ninety-first time" because in history, God's dealings with Israel were measured out in periods of 490 years. Jesus was saying "you be just as forgiving and patient to your fellow man as I have been to the Jewish people." That would be the Jewish people who stoned the prophets and yet God still came among their midst doing miracles. That would the Jewish people that stoned the miracle worker only to hear Him forgive them with His last breaths. That would be the Jewish people who have turned their back on Him completely today and of which over 70% are currently agnostic. But that would be the Jewish people that Zechariah says Jesus will return to-- with nail scars in His hands and His feet and wounds in His side -- and reach out with the tender mercy of a God who is bigger than us in more ways than just sheer size!

So the next time that you want to harbor bitterness and unforgiveness in your heart toward somebody, just answer the question. How many times has God forgiven me for the same stupid actions? How many times has God forgiven my shortcomings and faults? Answer those questions and then be as forgiving to others as God has been to you! We would have world-wide revival if everyone that claimed to be a Christian would approach hurts and enemies with this scriptural mentality. If everybody would just answer these few simple questions!

True Apostolic Christianity would also erupt in magnificent revival if we would remind ourselves of the answer to one of the most profound questions ever asked of Jesus. We read of this question in our text:

What is the first commandment, the most important of all to get right? Jesus gave the answer by quoting Deuteronomy 6:4:

Before you get anything else squared away in your mind, you'd better make sure that you know how many gods there are, because Jesus said that it was the most important commandment to get right! And then almost as if Jesus were anticipating the next question which would be "how do I love this one God?" He went on to say that you should love Him with "all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind and with all thy strength." In other words, it's not enough to know that there's only one God, if you are not going to serve that God with everything!

So answer the question today: Do you know that there is only one God? If so, is He your ruling passion the focus of your being? Do you serve Him with your actions, thoughts, dreams, and desires? Is He first in your life? It's not enough to know that He is the number one, if He isn't number one in your life! It's got to be more than knowledge but the answer has to be personal reality! Hear Oh Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and He must be number one in your life! Maybe you've heard it said before, but it's still true: It's hard to live for God easy, but it's easy to live for God hard! Is your walk with God sold out completely? Are you like the rich, young ruler in that you'd like to ask Jesus "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" but if the answer involves total commitment and sacrifice of something that you are holding on to, you will walk away sorrowful rather than sell out? There is only One God, but how are you living for that One God!?

And just in case you wanted to ask what was the second most commandment, Jesus went ahead and just answered that question, too:

The golden rule which says "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is a Biblical principle but one that is largely forgotten today. It may be hard to implement but it's not complex to deal with people in a scriptural and Godly manner. Just ask yourself the question "would I want someone to do, say, or respond to me in the way that I am acting? Love your neighbor as yourself! Treat them as you would want to be treated! How many issues could we avoid in our lives if we would ask ourselves these questions and in our actions just answer them!? Whether it is the identity of God, salvation, or how to act toward our fellow man it's not too hard to understand: just answer the question!

How are you doing so far? Have you been able to properly answer all of the questions? You're not going to be like the Pharisees were in our text are you? The scriptures say that they were asking Jesus hard questions not because they wanted to obey His Word but because they were trying to catch Him in something that He couldn't answer so that they could justify their lifestyle and their way of doing things. That's the way some people are that really don't want to sell out to God. They ask questions rapidly as a defense mechanism. They hide behind their questions. They don't want to hear the answers. They don't want to take time to study and find out the truth. They ask the questions because it is their questions that they use to justify their lack of faithfulness and commitment. They say that they are "sold out yet because they have questions" when really they aren't sold out yet because there are some things that they would rather God not deal with. And so they ask questions without really desiring answers!

But in our text, Jesus started answering their questions, perfectly. He can answer the hardest questions. It may not be what you want to hear, but there is an answer. I've heard people say "well, there's never been any answers to my questions," when what they meant was "I didn't like the answers to my questions, so I'll pretend that I didn't hear it." If you've got questions, then Jesus and His Word has the answer, but be prepared that when He answers the question, you must also answer the question through obedience. That's why the Bible says in our text in Mark that:

The young Pharisee's questions had brought him face to face with truth. Jesus said "thou art not far from the kingdom of God." In other words, now you see the door and I've answered your questions and now all that's left is for YOU to answer your own questions by obeying what I've told you to do. Now would be a good time to ask another question. Now would be a good time, if the Pharisee is sincere about truth, to ask Jesus "what should I do next?" But the Bible says that "no man after that durst ask him any question." They stopped asking. Why? Because they had gotten to the point that they would have to step out in faith and obedience and bodily answer their own questions.

I've asked you many questions today, and the Word of God has answered them with what you should do, but are you going to answer with your life? Therein lies the door into eternal life. Therein lies the entrance into a close and meaningful relationship with God. I can't do it for you; others can't do it for you. Just answer the question in your life.

Don't be like the Pharisees who when they didn't like the answer, they stopped asking questions thinking that if they didn't know, then they were alright. Those Pharisees who never asked another question died lost. Jesus said that unless you "believe that I am he" you shall die in your sins. They weren't saved. And so learn from their mistake: what you don't know CAN hurt you. If it's in the Word of God and you don't obey it, then you will be responsible for it when you stand in judgment because all you had to do was read it. The scriptures say that we will be judged according to the "books" whether we know what's in them or not. You'd better ask the questions! But when you receive the answer, you'd better answer the questions with your life! I know it's sort of an "in-your-face" message today, but think about it -- this is scripture that we are talking about and vital queries that we speaking of. Just answer the question!

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Let me spend the remainder of this message by focusing on three vital questions that are of the utmost importance. There are many other good questions in the Bible, but really if you don't remember to answer these questions, then all of the other ones do no good. They are the "core questions of the Bible" and their importance is revealed by their position in the scriptures. The three questions that I'm speaking of are the first question in the New Testament, the first question asked of man by God, and the first question in the Old Testament.

The first question asked of God in scripture was in the Garden of Eden when He asked Adam "where are you?" This question teaches us the importance of true repentance because God knew exactly where Adam was but just wanted to hear him admit that he had sinned. The point that we want to focus on is that it's not enough for God to know where you are, if you don't know where you are. I'm not speaking in terms of physical location but of spiritual condition and sensitivity. It's a good question that God would ask of all of us: where are you? Are you hiding in the bushes because of the condemnation of sin in your life? Are you hanging around the forbidden? Or are you ready to talk and commune with God? Where are you?

One of the parables of Jesus illustrates the importance of knowing where you are even in living for God. Jesus said:

Okay, the first part is easy enough to understand from other scriptures. The word of God is the seed and our mind is the soil. The crop or fruit is the blessings and relationship that comes from living for God. And the harvest is a reference to the fact that Jesus Christ is coming back one day for those who are ready to be harvested from the earth. Our lives and souls are to be the harvest. But the key is verse 28 because Jesus said that the fruit comes "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." In other words, to be ready for the harvest, the fruit has to grow from the moment of first life. It has to develop. Too many people come get the Holy Ghost or dedicate their life to God and never develop beyond that point. They never mature. They don't grow in Christ. And so they aren't ready for the harvest. They are not ready for Jesus to come back and get them even though they are in the church. And the question of God then becomes very important to answer today: "where are you?" Are you still at the same level of commitment that you were six months ago? Or are you growing? "Where are you?," God asks.

The first question in the New Testament was the exact opposite of that. It was the wise men inquiring about Jesus. Man asking of God "where is he ... that we may come and worship?" In Genesis, we find out that it's no good if God knows where you are but you won't admit where you are. In Matthew, we find out that it not enough to know where you are, if you don't know where He is! We should live our lives seeking for opportunities to worship. Take full advantage of worship services in church because that is a prime opportunity to give uninhibited praise and adoration to God. But we also should look for opportunities in our everyday life to give Him glory. You should look for Him everyday in your personal devotion. In every situation you should seek a place to worship Him. It must become our life focus: "where is He?" Too many Christians live their lives claiming to be good friends with someone that they never seek and seem to care less where He is!

I want to be like the Israelis in the wilderness! They lived their life totally focused on where God was. If the Spirit stayed in one place, then they pitched their tent where He was. If the Spirit moved then they were anxious to move with it. Their every day life was focused on the Spirit of God! Where is He? That's where I want to be! I'll move if I have to, I'll go where ever I have to go. I'll change what I need to change just to be in His presence! As long as I know where He is so I can worship!

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I close with perhaps the most important question to remember, the first question ever found in scripture. We read it in our other text and you might be surprised to know that strangely enough, the first question in the Bible was asked by the serpent in the garden. He didn't intend it for good but God is much, much smarter than him! And so let's turn it around on him!

The question -- found in Genesis 3:1 -- was "Hath God said?" And then the serpent went on to ask if God has said something that God did not. We won't worry about that part of the story in this sermon, but the main point was that Eve fell into temptation because she didn't know what God had said. And her mistake is recorded because God wants you to know that there is power in being able to answer the question "hath God said?"

You can't read the first two chapters of Genesis without noticing the phrase "God said." It's found in only the third verse in the Bible. In fact before Satan asked this question in chapter 3, God had "said" something eleven times already! The truth was that God had spoken and it was the devil's job to question what He had spoken and see if humanity knew or not what He had said in the first place.

And so the key to overcoming the devil is knowing the answer to the question "Hath God said?" When the devil says "it has to end up this way." Say "hold on just a second, hasn't God said something about this?" The devil and sin and worry have no power in your life if you can answer the question "hath God said?"

The doctors tell you that there is no hope, but hasn't God said something about healing?

Society tells you that your children are doomed to the generational curses, but hasn't God spoken something about mercy enduring forever?

Sin says that we have all partaken of it and so we are doomed to spend eternity in a devil's hell but doesn't the Word of God give an alternate way out!?

Your past says that your future is pointless and bleak but doesn't the God of the present have something to say about forgiveness?

Somebody needs to file away and never forget the power of just answering the question. If you can answer the question, then you're going to one day be caught being faithful to God! Whatever your situation, just answer the question "hath God said?" Didn't He have something to say about this? Isn't His Word truth?

Sin says that this is a better way to live, but hasn't God said something about this already? You don't have to make all the mistakes yourself, because God's Word -- who cannot lie -- has already spoken! You just need to remember what He said!

Satan says that you have to live bound by depression and fears and old sins but hasn't God said that He came to set at liberty the captives? Hath God said?

And so I challenge you today. Whatever the situation that you find yourself in, I assure you that there is a scripture for it today. Somebody answer the question and then step out on that promise! Hath God said? If He has, then what other word do you need? His Word is perfect and will never pass away! Hath God said? Just answer the question!!!