Why Believe in God

Growing Deep

Growing Deep in the Gospel

Defending the Gospel

Defending the Gospel

Why Defend the Gospel?

Why Defend

the Gospel?

Why Defend the Gospel?

1. It is one of the ways we love others.2. It goes hand-in-hand with

evangelism.3. To remove obstacles to belief.4. It helps Christians to know their faith.5. To protect the Church from heresy.6. To follow the Biblical examples.7. Because the Bible tells us to.

Why Defend the Gospel?

… always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you…

1 Peter 3:15 (NKJ)

What is Apologetics?

It comes from a Greek word apologia which means to give a reason or defense.

… always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you…

1 Peter 3:15 (NKJ)

Angry Young ManWhy Do People

Refuse to Believe in

God?

Bible

Why People Refuse to Believe1. Their hearts are deceitful, wicked, darkened

and hard.2. They love sin and darkness; hate God and

the light; want to be their own god.3. They are alienated from God and His life.4. Their minds are corrupt, they suppress the

truth, their thinking is futile, they are ignorant and are enemies in their minds.

5. They are not thankful.6. They are prideful and arrogant.7. They are blinded by Satan.

Why Unbelief

Why Unbelief

1. Christians Behaving Badly

Why Unbelief

1. Christians Behaving Badly2. Bad Things Happen

Why Unbelief

1. Christians Behaving Badly2. Bad Things Happen3. Unmet Expectations

Why Unbelief

1. Christians Behaving Badly2. Bad Things Happen3. Unmet Expectations4. Father Problem

Why Unbelief

1. Christians Behaving Badly2. Bad Things Happen3. Unmet Expectations4. Father Problem5. Social Pressures

Why Unbelief

1. Christians Behaving Badly2. Bad Things Happen3. Unmet Expectations4. Father Problem5. Social Pressures6. Cost of Following Jesus

Why Unbelief

1. Christians Behaving Badly2. Bad Things Happen3. Unmet Expectations4. Father Problem5. Social Pressures6. Cost of Following Jesus7. Sexual Immorality

What is Needed Most

A Humble, Sincere and Open Heart

…God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

James 4:6, 10 (NKJ)

A Humble Prayer

“God, if You are real, I want You in my life. I beg You, please open up my heart to You and give me understanding of You and the truth.”

Defending the Gospel

Defending the Gospel

Why Believe?

Why Believe?

1. Why believe in God?

Why Believe?

1. Why believe in God?2. Why believe in the Bible?

Why Believe?

1. Why believe in God?2. Why believe in the Bible?3. Why believe in Jesus?

Objections to Belief

Objections to Belief

1. Why evil and suffering?

Objections to Belief

1. Why evil and suffering?2. Why hell?

Objections to Belief

1. Why evil and suffering?2. Why hell?3. What about those who

never heard about Jesus?

Objections to Belief

1. Why evil and suffering?2. Why hell?3. What about those who

never heard about Jesus?4. Other objections

Why Believe in God

The Goal

To show the reasonableness of believing in God and then to encourage those open to seek Him.

Seek God

But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 4:29 (NIV)

Important Considerations

Be like Jesus and ask questions as often as possible.

Important Considerations

1. To understand where they are coming from and what they believe.

Be like Jesus and ask questions as often as possible.

Important Considerations

1. To understand where they are coming from and what they believe.

2. To help them to discover the answers for themselves.

Be like Jesus and ask questions as often as possible.

Questions to Ask

Questions to Ask

1. What do you mean that you don’t believe in God?

Questions to Ask

1. What do you mean that you don’t believe in God?

2. Why do you believe there is no God?

Questions to Ask

1. What do you mean that you don’t believe in God?

2. Why do you believe there is no God?3. If there is no God how did the universe come

into existence?

Questions to Ask

1. What do you mean that you don’t believe in God?

2. Why do you believe there is no God?3. If there is no God how did the universe come

into existence?4. If God was real would you want Him in your

life?

Questions to Ask

1. What do you mean that you don’t believe in God?

2. Why do you believe there is no God?3. If there is no God how did the universe come

into existence?4. If God was real would you want Him in your

life?

5. Why are you so angry when I talk about God?

Important Considerations

People rejected Jesus so don’t be surprised when they reject you and your fine arguments and amazing reasoning.

Important Considerations

Pray without ceasing! There is a spiritual dimension to salvation.

Why Believe in God?

Why Believe in God?

1. Cosmological - Cause & Effect

Why Believe in God?

1. Cosmological - Cause & Effect2. Teleological - Design

Why Believe in God?

1. Cosmological - Cause & Effect2. Teleological - Design3. Moral Law - Right & Wrong

Why Believe in God?

1. Cosmological - Cause & Effect2. Teleological - Design3. Moral Law - Right & Wrong4. Prophecy - Predictive

Why Believe in God?

1. Cosmological - Cause & Effect2. Teleological - Design3. Moral Law - Right & Wrong4. Prophecy - Predictive5. Heart Wired - Intuitive Knowledge

Cosmological

Kalam Cosmological Argument

Kalam Cosmological Argument

1. Everything that begins to exist must have a cause.

Kalam Cosmological Argument

1. Everything that begins to exist must have a cause.

2. The universe began to exist.

Kalam Cosmological Argument

1. Everything that begins to exist must have a cause.

2. The universe began to exist.3. Therefore, the universe had a

cause.

Objection

Objection

Who or what caused God?

Objection

Who or what caused God?God had no beginning so He didn’t need a cause.

What God Says

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Romans 1:18-20 (NIV)

Teleological

Teleological Argument

Fine Tuning

Teleological Argument

1. The fine-tuning of the universe to support life is either due to necessity, chance or design.

Fine Tuning

Teleological Argument

1. The fine-tuning of the universe to support life is either due to necessity, chance or design.

2. It is not due to necessity or chance.

Fine Tuning

Teleological Argument

1. The fine-tuning of the universe to support life is either due to necessity, chance or design.

2. It is not due to necessity or chance.3. Therefore, the fine-tuning is due to

design.

Fine Tuning

Examples of Fine Tuning

Examples of Fine Tuning1. Oxygen currently makes up 21 percent of

the atmosphere. Were it 25 percent, fires would erupt everywhere and if it were 15 percent, humans would suffocate.

Examples of Fine Tuning1. Oxygen currently makes up 21 percent of

the atmosphere. Were it 25 percent, fires would erupt everywhere and if it were 15 percent, humans would suffocate.

2. I f g r a v i t y w a s a l t e r e d b y 0.00000000000000000000000000000000000000001 percent, the sun would not exist and the moon would crash into earth. Further, if the centrifugal force of planetary movements did not precisely balance the gravitational forces, nothing could be held in orbit around the sun.

Examples of Fine Tuning

Examples of Fine Tuning

3. If the universe was expanding at a rate one millionth more slowly than it is, the temperature on earth would be 10,000 degrees.

Examples of Fine Tuning

3. If the universe was expanding at a rate one millionth more slowly than it is, the temperature on earth would be 10,000 degrees.

4. If Jupiter was not exactly where it is, earth would be bombarded by space material that would threaten life on the planet.

Examples of Fine Tuning

Examples of Fine Tuning5. A s t r o p h y s i c i s t H u g h R o s s h a s

calculated that the odds of all anthropic constants (122 at last count) to be in place for any planet in the universe by luck alone to be one chance in ten with 138 zeros after it. This number becomes even more incredible when one realizes there are only 1070 atoms in the entire universe. Finally, mathematicians point out that anything which exceeds 1050 power is the exact same thing as zero chance.

What God Says

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV)

Moral

Moral Argument

Moral Argument

1. If God does not exist, objective moral values do not exist.

Moral Argument

1. If God does not exist, objective moral values do not exist.

2. Objective moral values do exist.

Moral Argument

1. If God does not exist, objective moral values do not exist.

2. Objective moral values do exist.3. Therefore, God exists.

What God Says

Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in the i r hear ts , fo r the i r own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.

Romans 2:14-15 (NLT)

Inferences about God

Exist outside time, immaterial (spirit), very powerful, highly intelligent, eternal, personal, purposeful, and good/moral.

Antique Bible

Prophecy

Prophecy as Proof of God

“Present your case,” says the Lord. “Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King. “Tell us, you idols, what is going to happen. Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them and know their final outcome. Or declare to us the things to come, tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods...

Isaiah 41:21-23 (NIV)

Prophecy as Proof of God

Prophecy as Proof of God

1. 27% of the Bible contains what was predictive prophecy at the time that it was written.

Prophecy as Proof of God

1. 27% of the Bible contains what was predictive prophecy at the time that it was written.

2. 8,352 verses of predictive material out of a total of 31,124 verses

Prophecy as Proof of God

1. 27% of the Bible contains what was predictive prophecy at the time that it was written.

2. 8,352 verses of predictive material out of a total of 31,124 verses

3. Predictive prophecies cover 1,817 events

Prophecy as Proof of GodNow when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.

Revelation 11:7-11 (NIV)

HeartHeart Wired

What God Says

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

Heart Wired

1. Beauty

Heart Wired

1. Beauty2. Judgment

Heart Wired

1. Beauty2. Judgment3. Immortality

Heart Wired

1. Beauty2. Judgment3. Immortality4. Utopia

Heart Wired

1. Beauty2. Judgment3. Immortality4. Utopia5. Messiah

Heart Wired

Why Believe in God?

1. Cosmological - Cause & Effect2. Teleological - Design3. Moral - Right & Wrong4. Prophecy - Predictive5. Heart wired - Intuitive Knowledge

Judge Striking Gavel

Reection

Reection

If a friend asked you why should they believe in God what would you do?

Reection

If a friend asked you why should they believe in God what would you do?

Reection

If a friend asked you why should they believe in God what would you do?

What are the main things that you learned from this teaching that you think will be helpful to you?

Grow Deep

Grow Deep!

Grow Deep!

Know what you believe and why you believe it!

Last Word

Take a hold of the gospel so

Jesus can take a hold of you!

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despreisus.ro

Despreisus.ro lower part

Why Jesus Came