Dinner with a
Perfect Stranger, Part 3 Sun.,
Mar. 30, 2014
“Hard to Believe”
Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell
those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, … and everything is ready.
Come to the wedding feast.”’ Matthew 22:4 (ESV)
“Questions”
1.
The Offer of FORGIVENESS.
2.
The PERSON of JESUS.
3.
RELATIONSHIP rather than RULES.
4.
DO vs. DONE.
“Good
Enough”
Question No. 1: What’s the problem?
Question No. 2: How can BAD be made GOOD?
Question No. 3: Who measures up?
Question No. 4: What must I do?
Hard to Believe
Next week:
Heart Hurdles
23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things
are possible to him who
believes.” 24 Immediately the father of
the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:23-24 (NKJV)
Chair
No. 1: CONVINCED
– “I believe”
Chair
No. 2: QUESTIONING
– “I don’t know”
Chair
No. 3: CYNICAL
– “I don’t believe”
Movie
Clip: The Bucket List
Convinced
For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am
not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able
to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. II Timothy 1:12 (NASB)
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be
prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the
hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, I Peter 3:15 (NIV)
Questioning
Then
Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver,
hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then
follow him!” But the people were completely silent. I Kings 18:21 (NLT)
25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind,
most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. 26 For the king
knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that
none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a
corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe
the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And
Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a
Christian?” Acts 26:25-28 (ESV)
Cynical
P.
61.
I
leaned back and folded my arms.
Nick: “And to be honest, I really don’t believe
that God asks people just to take a blind leap of faith about him.”
Jesus: “You’re right. He doesn’t.
That’s what the world’s religions do.”
Nick: “What’s the difference between them and what
you’re saying?”
Jesus: “About one hundred eighty degrees. In this case God gives proof before he
expects faith. ….”
Nick: “But Jesus is the same. What evidence is there that Jesus was God?”
Paul, a servant
of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he
promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David
according to the flesh 4 and was
declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by
his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, Romans 1:1-4 (ESV)
16 For we did not follow cunningly devised
fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. II Peter 1:16 (NKJV)
Top 10 Objections:
1.
Christians are
hypocrites.
2.
What about all
the atrocities Christians have committed?
Religious
wars, crusades, Spanish Inquisition, condoning slavery, burning witches,
colonialism, repression, genocide…
P.
68
Nick: Why has Christianity been such a mixed bag?
Jesus: Several reasons. Most of the people who have done these things
didn’t really know me. They have been
outwardly religious, but they weren’t mine.
3.
Religion is a
crutch.
Karl
Marx: Religion is the opiate of the
masses.
4.
Believing Jesus
is the only way is narrow-minded.
5.
Being a good
person is all that matters anyway.
6.
What about the
millions who have never heard about Jesus?
7.
The Bible is
full of contradictions and errors.
8.
If God is so
good, why is there so much evil in the world?
9.
Why is there
suffering?
10. How can a loving God send people to an eternal hell?
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look
at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any
longer. Believe!” 28 “My Lord
and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. 29 Then
Jesus told him, “You
believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing
me.” John 20:27-29 (NLT)
30 Now Jesus did many other
signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but
these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30-31 (ESV)
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