How
Should I Respond?
Introduction:
We
meet people frequently who have questions about faith, faith in God,
Christ, the Bible, the church, eternity. . . It’s vital that we are
prepared to give them appropriate responses, ones that will fill
their needs.
I Peter 3:15
A recent book by Alex McFarland gives some very useful answers to
common questions on many people’s minds.
Body:
I. How Can Anyone Be
Sure God Exists?
Explain the evidence for the existence of God.
-
Cause and Effect:
The universe is an effect. The only adequate cause is an
all-powerful, intelligence.
-
Design
requires a designer: Our World is filled with intricate
design. Examples: the orderliness of the heavenly bodies; the
uniqueness of a DNA strand. . .
Hebrews 3:4
-
Every law
has a lawgiver: There is the existence of a universal moral
law.
II. Doesn’t
Evolution Prove Life Arose by Chance?
-
Point out the
mathematical probability of life evolving from non-life is
essentially zero.
-
The process of
evolution (new genetic information occurring in living forms)
has never been observed in all of history.
-
Earth’s fossil
record reveals that every living form appeared suddenly and
completely developed; there were no gradual forms.
-
Acknowledge that it
is irrational to believe that something can come from nothing,
chaos brought forth order, and lifeless matter produced
consciousness.
Genesis 1:1
III. How Do You Know
the Bible Is True?
-
More ancient copies
of the Bible exist than any other ancient literature. Thousands
of whole and partial copies exist and have been authenticated by
historians. Many of these have been dated in time close to the
original autographs.
-
Many archaeological
discoveries have verified people, places, and events in the
Bible.
-
The Bible has been
shown to be historically and scientifically accurate. [Medicine
and astronomy]
-
Hundreds of
Biblical prophecies were fulfilled just as
predicted.
II Peter 1:
19-21
-
A proven error has
never been found. The Bible never contradicts itself.
IV. Why Is There
Evil in the World?
-
There was no evil
in the beginning. But God gave mankind free will. Man chose
the way of sin; so humanity is to blame for
evil.
I Corinthians
15:21-22
-
Suffering can be
used by God to accomplish good in people’s lives.
Romans 5:3-4
V. Aren’t There Many
Roads to Heaven?
-
All religions can’t
be true because many contradict each other. [Islam, Judaism,
Catholicism]
-
Even within
Protestantism, many beliefs contradict one another. They can’t
all be true.
-
There is only one
road to heaven. John
14:5-6,
Hebrews
5:8-9
Bobby Stafford
January 15, 2012
Bobby Stafford
January 8, 2012.
