Knowing God - Lesson 1 Ý
Copyright 2004 by William Meisheid

Preface: The Postmodern World

Today’s theme:  Pushing back the void with anxious activity

Scriptural background: Luke 12:29-31 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Quote for the week

The “system” must have freedom; it must have abundance, and it must have infinite variety. Profit is the aim, happiness the desire and consumption the means. Hollywood and company manufacture dreams and models for us to mimic or wish for. Desire is awakened, stimulated, encouraged through the perpetual bombardment of images and wishes.  “What is Good and Who Says?” Stuart McAllister, Just Thinking, Spring/Summer 1998, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries

Question: Thinking about that quote, how will you find the necessary quietness and perseverance to pursue this study?

Interacting with the text. Knowing God: The Prefaces (1993 and 1973)

Sometimes you find important concepts and ideas in a book’s Preface and this book illustrates that principal. In Packer’s 1993 Preface he says that the editor who commissioned the articles that became Knowing God wanted something for “readers who were fed up with facile Christian verbiage” (simplistic or too simple explanations). In effect, Packer was told to write for people who wanted to dive below the surface and see the glories that resided in the deep water of the Christian faith. This approach is for people who take Hebrews 6:1-3 seriously.

1.  With that as background, what things might make it difficult for you to “leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity?”

2.  In Packer’s 1973 Preface he talks about the difference between a person observing events and one participating in them, using John Mackay’s illustration. Have you been a balconeer or a traveler in your life and what is the essential difference between the two?

3.  Packer considers the “spirit of the age” to be a spirit that magnifies mankind and its achievements while relegating God to an afterthought. Think about why or why not you have been affected by the “spirit of the age” in the various areas of your Christian life and if you have been affected, how it has affected you?

4. According to Packer, the Renaissance ushered in an era of skepticism in which naturalistic thought denied God direct and complete control of this world. How has this skepticism affected you?

5. Why is theology important for the Christian Church and how has it failed us?

6.  What care must we take when we read books like Knowing God?

What To Do Next

Begin Section One by reading the first Chapter: The Study of God. Think about how the “spirit of the age” and skepticism might be affecting your efforts. Also remember C.S. Lewis’ sobering words on imagined success as you move forward.