Sermon #1099 Miscellaneous Sermons
Title: A MESSAGE TO OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS
Text: II Timothy 3:14-15
Scripture Reading: II Timothy 3
Subject: Questions That Undermine Faith
Date: Sunday Morning – August 8, 1993
Tape #
Introduction:
Today I want to talk to Us specifically to our sons and daughters. I realize that, both by nature and through a perverse system of education, you all face challenges to what you have been taught here and at home. I can say with regard to every one of you what Paul said to Timothy – (Read with me II Timothy 3:14-15). All around you and within you there are seducers, deceiving and being deceived. Today, I want to do what I can to silence the seducers and slay the deceivers by trying to answer some questions by which Satan and skeptics seek to undermine our faith.
The questions I am going to answer this morning are all questions that I have been asked by different people. They are questions I was asked as a young man, by some of my teachers, some of my friends and some of my detractors, shortly after God saved me. And, frankly, I was not able to answer them, because no one had bothered to give me instruction.
These are questions that some of you are asking. You naturally question everything. We all do. This natural suspicion is reinforced in the name of intelligence and scholarliness – A person is considered smart who questions authority, morality, and religion. If you have not begun to ask the questions we will consider this morning, you will soon be urged to do so.
These are questions that some of you older folks are asking too. You would not ask them in front of your children, or in front of your husband or wife. But in your own mind, you ask them often.
Before we consider the questions I want you to be aware of three or four things:
1. I am not interested in answering the cavils of infidels.
2. I want you to see the reasonableness of the gospel.
3. Your faith must stand in the Word of God.
4. The basis of all that I have to say to you is the Word of God – I want to reason with you from the Scriptures.
Proposition: I want you to see that our faith, that is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and adherence to the doctrine of Christ is most reasonable.
Here are Nine Questions that I want to briefly answer.
I. “How Can I Know That There Is A God At All?”
Not once in the Bible did anyone ever attempt to prove God’s existence. Neither shall I. It would be far easier to prove the existence of an atom to a barbarian than to prove the existence of God to an unregenerate man. In fact, a god whose existence can be proved is no God at all.
A. The Bible begins with the Fact of God’s Being and The Fact That All Men Are Aware of God’s Being – (Gen. 1:1).
Though you may question it, you know that God is. All men do. No one but a fool would deny it. The fact that God’s existence cannot be proved, (The finite cannot prove the Infinite!). Beauty can be shown, but not proved. Even so, I can show God’s existence, but I cannot prove it.
B. There are certain Clear Evidences of God’s Being.
1. A Universal God Consciousness – (Rom. 1:18-20; 2:14-15).
2. The Design of Creation.
3. Your Own Conscience.
C. Yet, I know this – The Only Way You Will Ever Know God Is If He Is Pleased To Reveal Himself To You And In You By The Gospel – (2 Cor. 4:3-6; John 1:1-18).
“Canst Thou by searching find out God?” The only way you will ever know God is by faith in Christ (Mt. 11:27).
II. “How Can You Be So Certain That The Bible Is The Word of God; After All, It Was Written By Men, wasn’t It?”
Be sure you understand me now. We do believe that the Book you have in front of you is, in its entirety, the Word of God, fully and perfectly. It was written by men. But those “holy men of God” wrote “as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
Many books claim to be the Word of God: The Koran, the Book of Mormon, The Apocrypha, etc. Numerous charismatics claim to be continually receiving fresh revelations from God? How can we be sure that the Word of God is complete? Consider these two questions.
A. How can we be sure that the Bible truly is the Word of God?
I am not saying…The Bible contains the Word of God…or the Bible is a Word of God... I am saying the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. I make that assertion without apology because of…
1. Its’ Claim – (II Tim. 3:16) – Either this Book is the Word of God, or it is a fabrication!
2. Its’ Writing – This Book was written by more than 40 many, most of whom never knew one another, over a period of more than 1500 years.
3. Its Unity – There are no contradictions – Where there appear to be contradictions, the problem is with the reader.
4. Its’ Message – The Message of this Book is the Lord Jesus Christ and him crucified.
5. Its Prophecies – All the prophecies of Holy Scripture have been exactly fulfilled as they were prophesied – (Isa. 53).
6. It’s Honesty – This Book honestly exposes the faults of its’ most prominent characters.
7. It’s Influence – Wherever the lives of men and women are affected by this Book, the effect is always ennobling. It always makes people better.
B. How can you be sure that the Word of God is Complete?
· All the Prophets Are Dead.
· All the Apostles Are Dead.
· The Book claims Finality – (Rev. 22:18-19).
III. How Do You Explain Creation In The Light of Modern Science?
First and foremost, I readily repudiate and unhesitatingly denounce as false and foolish any opinion, statistic, or scientific theory that contradicts the Bible – “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
· Creation Scientists!
· Professor Andrews!
· The Gap (Gen. 1:1-1:2).
Illustration: Creation is Evidence of the Creator – Not of Evolution – My Car!
IV. “You Don’t Really Believe That Adam and Eve Stuff, Do You?”
Did you ever notice how that when men and women question what we believe they cast their questions to make us look foolish, out of step with our “brilliant” peers, and ignorant? I remember the first time a man asked me this question about Adam and Eve. He was my high school English teacher. I said, “It seems to me that the Bible record of Adam and Eve beats the daylights out of believing that we came from monkeys, or crawled out of the ocean. Yes, I do believe that Adam and Eve stuff!”
A. Adam was created in the image of God.
B. God made Adam a representative man.
C. When Adam sinned, we sinned in him and died in him; so that now we are all born in sin (Rom. 5:12; Ps. 51:5).
· Original Sin!
· Total Depravity!
V. “How Do You Know That Jesus of Nazareth is The Christ, The Messiah Promised In The Old Testament?”
· His Virgin Birth at Bethlehem! ( Mic. 5:2) (Isa. 7:14).
· His Demonstrations and Claims of Deity (Isa. 9:6).
· His Fulfilling All The Prophets! (Acts 4).
· I have experienced the power of his blood!
VI. “How Can The Death of A Man 2000 years Ago Give Me Salvation And Acceptance With God Forever?”
· That Man Who Died is God!
· He is The Second Adam – A Representative Man.
· He is The Lord Our Righteousness.
· He made Satisfaction to The Offended Justice of God for All Who Trust Him.
· Infinite, Perpetual Merit!
VII. “What Makes You Think Your Religion Is The Only Right Religion?”
I do openly declare that there are only two religions in the hole world – Man’s way and God’s way – Free Will and Free Grace – Self-Salvation and Substitutionary Salvation – The Religion of Babylon and the Religion of Zion – The Religion of Antichrist and the Religion of Christ.
A. We believe and preach the message of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, salvation without condition, salvation without works on the part of man – (Eph. 2:8-9).
· By The Purpose of God!
· By The Purchase of God!
· By The Power of God!
B. We know that this is the truth of God and that all freewill works religion is false, because…
1. This gives the Triune God all the Glory!
2. This is the Doctrine of the Book!
3. This is the Only Hope There is for Real Sinners!
4. This is What all Who are saved have experienced (I Cor. 15:10).
Illustration: Jonah
VIII. “You Don’t Believe In Heaven, Hell, and Eternity, Do You? You’re Not One of Those Hellfire and Damnation People, Are You?”
Indeed, I am! And you are too; or you wouldn’t be asking the question!
A. I’ve been in hell!
B. I’ve been delivered from hell!
C. I live now in hope of eternal glory.
D. Where will you spend eternity?
· You do have an immortal soul!
· You must meet God in judgment!
· How will you stand before him?
IX. Here is one last question that I have been asked by a few, very few, but few people – “Can you Tell Me How To Deal With Temptation and Peer Pressure? Can You Tell Me How To Live?”
A. If you would live, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ – Come to Christ. Bow to Him!
B. If you would live right, seek to do the will of God in all things.
1. Make the Word of God your Rule of Life.
2. Make the Glory of God your Object in Life.
3. Never violate the law of God – Sin not!
C. If you would avoid the temptations of life and peer pressure -
· Continually Consecrate Yourself to Christ.
· Surround Yourself with Believers.
· Meditate Upon the Word of God.
· Pray.
· Trust God’s Grace to Keep You.
· When you fall, don’t quit!
Application:
1. Test everything by this Book – Isa. 8:20
2. Love by this Book – I Tim. 3
3. Be people of the Book.