On Getting the Message Across

On Getting the Message Across by Ron Fournier St. James Lutheran Church of Toledo & Board Member, Lutheran Campus Ministry The University of Toledo May 14, 2010

The Great Commission and Evangelism Matthew 28:19 – 20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Message is Simple John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He Gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”

Although the Message is Simple, What is Going on Inside is Not Topics: Some facts Re-evangelization Role of pluralism A Crisis of Truth The –ISM’s of Today The Power of the Word Man Yearns for God and Truth The Big Questions Examples: Christ is Risen! His Divinity References and Resources Also: -ISM Match Handout - Quiz Evaluation of this Workshop

Pew Foundation Report on Religion, 2/25/08, http://pewresearch.org/pubs/743/united-states-religion 1. 28 % of adult Americans have left the faith in which they were raised in favor of another religion or no religion at all. 2. If Protestant, 44% have switched affiliation or no longer have an affiliation. 3. 16.1% are unaffiliated with any particular faith. A practical atheism since 1.6% are atheist, 2.4% agnostic, 12.1% are indifferent. 4. Among those in the 18-29 age group 25% are not affiliated with any particular religion. 5. 20% of men have no formal religious affiliation vs. 13% of women. 2007 NW Ohio Synod Review Project Weekly worship 25,652 vs. 93,979 baptized members or 27%, where are the other 73%? Some Facts

Today in Some Respects This is Really a Call for Re-Evangelization, The Mission Field is Also Our Neighborhood

Although we as Christians have been given the mandate to spread the Good News, we need to know what we are up against. We live in the age of Many –ISM’s We now live in an age of religious pluralism. We live alongside others who do not hold the same beliefs we have. However, this is not unlike the early Christians who lived alongside Roman paganism, Greek philosophers, and the Jews. The challenge is to still proclaim the Truth to those who believe there is no Absolute Truth, that God has fully revealed Himself in His Son Jesus Christ.

Pluralism It is our nature today to be civil and accepting (that is pluralism and tolerance), “different strokes for different folks.” That all religions are equally valid paths to God or an ultimate Divine reality, that no religion has the final word on Truth. That Jesus is just one way amongst many. Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Galatians 2:21, “… then Christ died for no purpose.”

The Reality of Today – A Crisis of Truth Pilate to Jesus in John 18:38 “What is truth?” vs. Jesus in John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Folks today are basically “allergic” to the idea of Objective or Absolute Truth.

Not Only A Crisis of Truth but a Spiritual Crisis This is also a spiritual crisis and what is at stake are the souls for whom Christ died on the Cross. As Christians we know that through His Death and Resurrection we are forgiven and reconciled with God along with being given the promise of eternal life. However, religious pluralism takes away the Absolute Truth that Christ is the fullness of God’s Revelation to man! 1 Timothy 2:4 “… who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” So, what is truth?

A Two Flavor World: Objective vs. Subjective Truth Objective truth is that which lies outside of ourselves or our personal beliefs. Truth is not an attitude and not how we know, i.e. a process, the truth is what we know. Objective does not mean “known by all” or even “believed by all”, you don’t get to the truth by simply counting noses. Even if everyone believes a lie, a lie is still a lie. Even liars know about objective truth, since the best way to lie is to sprinkle in a little bit of objective truth. John 1:17, “For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

God’s Truth is Absolute Truth So what objective means in “objective truth” is that it is not of the knower and his/her own mind, “I itch” is a subjective truth, “Grass is green” is an objective truth. Objective truth is “telling it like it is.” God’s natural and supernatural revelation and His Son Jesus Christ is an objective truth! Since God is the creator of all that exists His objective truth is also Absolute Truth. John 8:31 “If you abide in my Word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”

A World of Subjective Truth Subjectivism – claims that all truth is subjective, that is it is “in” or dependent on each person individually (the subject). Sort of like “what you say may be true for you, but not for me.” “That the truth is relative,” or “What right do you have to impose your beliefs on me. You are judgmental.” What may be “true for you” may not necessarily be “true for me.” Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Create your own “golden calf.” The contradiction lies in the subjectivists claim that truth is absolutely or objectively subjective! Hence subjectivism itself cannot be true for a subjectivist. James 5:19-20 “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

The Skeptic Skepticism – claims that no truth is knowable. But this is also contradictory for it claims to know that it is true that no one can know the truth. It is an objective truth that says there is no objective truth! Psalm 53:1, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”

Relativity Theory Relativism – is basically the belief that all truth is relative, that there is no such thing as an objective or Absolute Truth, that truth depends on many factors such as history, the situation, the people, those in power etc. Leads to thebelief is that there are no universal moral rules, we can always imagine a situation where it would be ok to lie, to steal, cheat on your spouse, or even to kill. The end justifies the means.

The Pragmatist Pragmatism – truth is whatever works, or what you think works, or what works for you. Pragmatism is a form of subjectivism and relativism. However, what is true is not always practical (e.g. a flat tire) and what is practical is not always true (e.g. a “successful” lie), leads to the idea that the end justifies the means. Exodus 32:8 “… they have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshipped it and sacrificed to it.”

Empiricism Empiricism – truth is only what we can experience, for example by experiments. Some things we sense are not true (e.g. mirages), some things we all know are true are not sensed (e.g. 13 x13 = 169). Empiricism is simply that everything we need to know about our world is knowable by our senses as a fact, a form of materialism. No such thing as the spiritual or the transcendent. No God.

Rationalism – “truth is what can be clearly and distinctly understood by reason” or “what can be proved by reason alone.” You can’t prove that truth is only what can be proved. Some truths are not perfectly clear, some things are a strict mystery. Why do two people fall in love? Why would you jump into the water to save someone? Also the Incarnation, the Resurrection, the Holy Trinity, the Real Presence in Communion. The Rationalist Man’s ability to reason though is a gift from God, us being made in the image of God. Faith enlightens reason and reason helps us to understand our faith.

These Alternative Ideas of Truth that We Face in Evangelism are the Work of the Devil 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” The devil stirs up the pot in the world leading to confusion and the many faces of what is really an atheistic culture. Atheism – the denial of a personal God who is totally distinct from the world He created. The only existence is the material universe and that is the product of time and chance.

The Truth Swayers of Today Faces of Atheism in Popular Culture

At Least Eight Distinct Forms of Atheism Need to Be Understood Pantheism – God and the world are the same Disbelief – positively deny the existence of God Agnostic – certitude about the Ultimate is impossible Nominalism – belief that universal ideas like truth, goodness, and God are just names, they do not exist Positivism – only the perceptible is real, only what we sense is true Empiricism – only experience is a valid source of knowledge, experimental facts Relativism – no objective or absolute truths Humanism – worship of man and worldly pleasure, denial of God since man is god Indifference – practice of religion is not necessary 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

The Message is Clear – We have the Power in God’s Word Hebrews 4:11-13 “… so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

There is more at stake than just winning the argument The goal is not winning the argument against pluralism, relativism, atheism or any –ism, but winning a fellow human being, your neighbor, to Christ. The Greatest Commandment, Matthew 22:37-39 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Can one really live and make sense of their life without Absolute Truth, without God and His Son Jesus Christ? Can we make it on our own? By understanding their core belief system as discussed here we can raise questions about the “truth” of what they are holding on to.

John 7:37 “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” We all thirst! Man’s being is imprinted with the fingerprints of God, as the Psalmist says in 139:13 “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” “And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price,” Revelations 22:17

Man is ingrained with a yearning for God… and for knowledge of the Truth. As the Psalmist says in Psalm 42:1-2 “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” God’s truth will prevail because of the persuasiveness of His Word. Isaiah 44:22 “I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.”

Darkness is Not the Last Word, Jesus Christ is the Light of Truth John 12:46, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” We should not hide the light of the Truth “under a basket,”we are to “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (MT 5:15-16)”

The BIG Questions With this understanding of the nature of truth in today’s world we are in a better position to understand and answer the questions of those that are indifferent or skeptical of Christian belief. This is Christian Apologetics – the formal defense of the faith, 1 Peter 3:15 “…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

Be ready to address these BIG QUESTIONS Arm yourself with the truth of the Bible but recognize that an unbeliever will not see the Bible as being the final authority. You need to be prepared and not be afraid to bring reasonable and logical arguments to support the truth claims of Christianity. What is truth? Faith and reason The existence of God Creation and Evolution Miracles Evil and Suffering Christ’s Divinity and Resurrection The Bible: Myth or History? Life after death and salvation Heaven and Hell Other religions

Some Excellent References for Answering these BIG Questions

An Example: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ The essence of the Gospel is that a man named Jesus, the Son of God, rose from the dead. To a skeptic the challenge is this: if it can be shown that Jesus really rose from the dead will you believe in Him? If Jesus rose from the dead then He must be Divine since this is not something a mere human could do. His Divinity as shown in His resurrection then validates everything else He said since God cannot lie. 1 Corinthians 15:14, “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”

Five Possible Theories for the Resurrection of Christ Jesus died 1. Christianity Jesus rose The Apostles were deceived 2. Hallucination Jesus didn’t rise The Apostles were myth-makers 3. Myth or The Apostles were deceivers 4. Conspiracy Jesus didn’t die 5. Swoon (Adapted from Pocket Handbook of Christian Apologetics, Kreeft & Tacelli)

Another Example: Christ’s Divinity, Basis of Faith Jesus called Himself the “Son of God,” that He is of the same nature or essence as God. John 10:30 “I and the Father are One.” John 14:9 “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” Jesus also claimed to be sinless and to forgive all sins. The Jews were outraged since only God who is offended by our sins has the right to forgive our sins. John 8:46 Jesus, “Which one of you convicts me of sin? Luke 5:21 Jews, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Mark 9:2-4, “And He was transfigured before them…. And there appeared to them Elijah and Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.”

Based on Logic these are the Alternatives Regarding Christ’s Divinity Jesus claimed divinity A. He meant it literally 1. It is true 2. It is false a. He knew it was false b. He didn’t know it was false B. He meant it nonliterally, mystically II. Jesus never claimed divinity Lord Liar Lunatic Guru Legend or Myth (Adapted from Handbook of Christian Apologetics, Kreeft & Tacelli)

In Summary: What We Have Talked About The Great Commission and Evangelism Pluralism Alternative views of truth 15 –ISM’s that we need to know about The 8 forms of atheism Be prepared to answer the 8 BIG Questions Some reference books Examples: The Resurrection and Divinity of Jesus Also: Please fill out the evaluation of this Workshop

References & Resources 1. Pocket Handbook of Christian Apologetics, Kreeft & Tacelli 2. Handbook of Christian Apologetics, Kreeft & Tacelli 3. Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, Grenz, Guretzki, Nordling 4. Pew Foundation Report on Religion, http://pewresearch.org/pubs/743/united-states-religion 5. 2007 NW Ohio Synod Review Project 6. Sowing Subversion in the Field of Relativism, Mark L. Y. Chan, http://www.christianitytoday.com/globalconversation/february2010/index.html

Questions (for a copy of this presentation send email to rfournier@buckeye-express.com)

On Getting the Message Across